On World Coffee Day we ask two of Canberra’s coffee kings why beans mean so much
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They met at a friend’s house in 2006 watching the Socceroos qualify for the World Cup, and some 18 years later, Mick Rose, owner of the Espresso Room empire, and Sasa Sestic, founder of Ona Coffee and a former World Barista Champion, have forged a partnership which has changed the taste of Canberra coffee for the better.
As 1 October is World Coffee Day, we thought we would catch up with both caffiends to discuss how they have built their partnership—which now sees Espresso Rooms use over one tonne of Ona coffee beans per week serving 50,000 (yes you read that right) coffees to sleepy locals!
We also find out their plans for their first international collaboration, which is their favourite brew, and why they mean so much to each other. There is also an incredible act of kindness Sasa is dedicating to Mick in Africa (you might need a tissue for that part). Pull up a latte and sit with us.
Mick Rose and Sasa Sestic at the opening of the latest Espresso Room at Canberra Centre earlier this month.
First, can you each give us the lowdown on your respective coffee businesses
Mick
I own and operate the Espresso Room brand which now has 15 stores across Canberra and one in Brisbane’s CBD. I’m also the founding partner of Wildflour Bakeries (in three locations) which I run alongside my business partners including our head baker Romain Remy, manager Trent Esmerian and good friend Tomi Cavic in charge of all things building.
I now employ roughly 130-150 staff across the brands with a new Wildflour opening in November and Espresso Rooms to be launched in Sydney and Qld in 2025. Sasa and I are working on an exciting project together in Australia and also in discussions to take the Espresso Room brand international.
Sasa
I own three coffee farms in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama. They are beautiful farms that are producing high-end specialty coffee. These three farms are employing about 60 people. The heart of the business is obviously Ona coffee, and that’s broken down into wholesale arm where we roast coffee in Canberra at our headquarters in Fyshwick and we supply coffee across Australia and worldwide.
Another arm is the retail group where we have two cafes in Canberra, the Cupping Room and Ona Coffee House, and the flagships in Sydney and Melbourne. We are also in the final stages of building a big flagship in Dubai that’s looking to open early next year. Another branch is the Nucleus Coffee Tools.
I love coffee, I love innovations, I love making things including coffee tools for people, such as a first coffee distributing tool, the Paragon proving devices, and as well as the coffee roaster that anyone can use to roast a small amount of beans. And finally, I work extremely closely with a lot of partners and have a crazy-close relationship with Mick and Espresso Rooms.
Mick, Sasa and their friend Pathy at the Thalanar Estate coffee plantation in India.
How did you first become friends?
Mick
Back in 2009 when I had purchased my first hospitality venue (Lisboa Café in Woden), I was using another coffee provider at the time and was aware of the new local, Ona Coffee, and that Sasa was behind it. Soon after I also took over the neighbouring Barbar Cafe (which I changed into Trilogy café) and Ona coffee was being used at the cafe and Sasa reached out. We sat down for a chat and I could tell Sasa was obsessive about the world of coffee! I liked his drive and passion and over the next two years we would continue our catch ups and friendship whilst sharing stories about business and life.
When I was asked to consider setting up a new cafe in Woden’s Scarborough House, Sasa and I decided to work together. Our joint venture café, Urban Bean, was born. Over this time our friendship grew, and I would support Sasa at local and interstate coffee competitions. I soon realised Sasa would stop at nothing in the pursuit of the perfect coffee. It was only a matter of time in my eyes that a Canberra champion would be born and crowned World Barista Champion which we all watched become a reality in 2015!
Sasa
I used to be Mick’s customer (I used to love his Portuguese chicken!) and to see someone driven and so young run such a big operation and big business for me was inspirational… Obviously I had also my ideas about his choice of coffee at the time …! But I loved his determination, drive and passion, and I saw that he was willing and caring. When the opportunity to work together at Urban Bean came up, for me it was a no-brainer. We’d developed a trust and great relationship.
Mick looked after the food and the kitchen and me and Sam (Corra) looked after the coffee. I really enjoyed some of the mornings when we would smash coffees and the line was out of the door. I mean, I was banging out the coffees and Mick tried to help sometimes! These were humbling times when we were actually there behind the machine, all three of us. We provided something amazing to customers and we took a lot of pride in our work as we did and still do. We worked so hard and I don’t think this has ever changed.
Sasa’s final practice run before flying off to Seattle to win the World Barista Championship.
Mick, what is the best coffee you ever recall drinking?
Ah, that’s an easy one for me. It was during Sasa’s World Barista Championships and watching his training and preparation routine late one night in Canberra with a good friend of Sasa’s from Japan, Hidenori Izaki (a previous World Barista Champion and coach ) before he left for Seattle to compete. He served up his milk course which we all now know as Raspberry Candy and I was simply amazed by the flavour profile and how it matched Sasa’s description perfectly. I knew in my heart at this precise time he would win the 2015 World Championships. And to my great joy, he did!
Sasa, what do you love about coffee?
God, what do I love about coffee? How long can I talk about this? For me, coffee in the most simple words, is life.
My daughter asked me a few days ago, ‘Dad, when I say what love, what does come to your head first?’ And I said of course I love my family so much, but somehow the word coffee comes out first! For me, coffee and family and friends is all I need and that gives me a pure joy.
I love making coffee better. I love chasing that perfect cup. For the last five days, I have changed three countries and literally in five days I slept two nights in an aeroplane, one night in the hotel room and one night at the airport because I missed my flight. But it’s worth it.
All I know is it never gets old. When I see joy of the people, our customers, that we are making them happy, we are serving them coffees with love, we are elevating their coffee experiences one cup at a time. And when they say, ‘Wow, I’ve tried your coffee and it makes me think differently about a coffee’, that’s what gives me joy. It may be selfish, but this is how I feed myself.
Returning home with the World Barista Champion title.
Sasa, describe Mick in three words.
That’s easy. Caring. Giving. Obviously driven. Also, I’ve never met anyone in my life that’s so stubborn. Stubborn in a good way in that he never gives up. Also one of the few people in the world that thrives when they see their friends or their loved ones succeed. And he plays a huge role in helping people to succeed as well. So I’ll…I need to cough a little bit (sniff!) and then I’ll continue…
Mick what have been the biggest challenges for you over the years?
There have been so many and I’m sure many more to come. We all learn and take risks in different ways and I believe there is no single right way to approach anything we do in life. Covid was difficult for so many of us and at the time challenging and also presented an opportunity to change and adapt for those built for a challenge.
Whilst we watched many stores close, including many of my own, we also witnessed community coming together to support one another in an industry that was battered by it all. I believe we are stronger for the test we survived and better for it today.
Sasa, what are you working on next?
I’d love to announce, on World Coffee Day, that as a tribute for how much coffee has given us, that we are giving back by investing in building water wells in Africa.
(Note: Sasa began Project Origin in 2010, an ethical coffee trading company, where Ona pays producers between 50 per cent and sometimes 500 per cent more than Fair Trade, or Rainforest Alliance brands, also contributing to community projects in coffee-growing communities including childcare and sanitation facilities).
We have an opportunity to give back and our goal is to build a number of water wells within the next five to seven years. I’m happy to share publicly that I’d love to build 150 water wells. Each water well can support 500 people every single day. So we are talking a significant number of people that we can positively impact because we are serving coffees.
And I want to dedicate the first well to my good friend, partner, brother, business advisor and life coach in this beautiful journey, Mick. To Mick and my Espresso Room family and all the people who have supported us along the way.
Mick and Sasa opened a childcare centre for children of coffee workers at Thalanar Estate in India as part of Project Origin.
Main image, Mick and the Ona team winning one of their three Golden Bean Awards (the largest coffee roasting competition in the world) for their Espresso Room franchise.
