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2 months ago | 
smartcompany.com.au | David Adams |Chryssie Swarbrick |Vivek Astvansh
Consolidation in Australia’s vibrant coffee industry is “necessary”, says Coffee Supreme CEO Andrew Low, as neighbourhood cafes and independent roasters contend with rising costs and market saturation. New Zealand-based Coffee Supreme on Wednesday announced its investment in Gabriel Coffee, acquiring what Low called a “substantial stake” in the Sydney business. As part of the move, Coffee Supreme will shutter its Preston roastery and move to Gabriel Coffee’s Chatswood factory.
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2 months ago | 
smartcompany.com.au | Joshua Gliddon |David Adams |Chryssie Swarbrick
Australia’s $3 billion craft beer sector is in crisis. The cost of living has affected consumer discretionary spending, which means less money is flowing through taprooms and the till. Input costs and the bill of materials going into a pint have risen at least 30% in the last 12 months, and excise increases every six months, linked to the CPI, are hitting profitability and the bottom line.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Chryssie Swarbrick |Michelle Grattan
As a small business owner, it’s incredibly difficult to yank yourself away from the ever-consuming demands of work and take some time for yourself. But sometimes, whether you like it or not, it’s better to close than stay open. For us, a small cafe located in a sea of residential neighbours in Melbourne’s north, closing over the Christmas break made sense. Most of our young employees are from interstate and wanted to go home for the holidays.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Eloise Keating |Chryssie Swarbrick
American fast food behemoth Wendy’s will officially start slinging its burgers again in Australia this week, with a promise to bring a “challenger mindset” to its ambitious plans to open hundreds of restaurants across the country. A new Wendy’s restaurant will open on Cavill Avenue in Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast on Wednesday morning. It will be the first Wendy’s outlet to operate in Australia since the 1980s.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Julie Collins |Joan Westenberg |Chryssie Swarbrick |Katarina Throssell
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and terrific to spend some of it in Adelaide. The South Australian capital is playing today to a meeting of the country’s Small Business Ministers today — my fifth in two-and-a-half years as minister.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Ian Whitworth |Chryssie Swarbrick |Sonia Mcdonald
It’s a little depressing when a brand you’ve trusted all your life turns its back on what made it great. I have no inside information on what caused it. But there’s strong feeling of a C-Something person in there who can’t resist the sweet taste of large labour cuts, enabled by shiny new tech. Like the sweet purple taste of Grimace Shake, there’s an upfront pleasure hit. But the jury is very much out on the long-term health effects.
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Dec 1, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Bri Williams |Matt Jones |Chryssie Swarbrick |Steve Collis
How do customers determine whether your price is fair? There are two scenarios when it comes to how your prices are perceived. The first is when your customer has no concept of whether your price is fair, and the second is when they have preconceived expectations. Let’s look at how to manage both. Sometimes customers have no idea of what your product is worth. That’s bad news because most will feel like they need to do their due diligence and set about researching more options before committing.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Chryssie Swarbrick
article-article-body It’s hard being a boss, and to tell you the truth, I don’t know if I’m cut out for it. I’ve always been a member of the team or a lone wolf, freelancing and managing no one but myself. To be honest, I kind of prefer it that way. Managing anyone but myself is a real test of patience and to do it well feels like a true art form.
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Nov 6, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Chryssie Swarbrick
article-article-body After a few weeks of collecting footage, I quickly created a video of my uncle and his frequent visits to our shop, putting it online with the vague feeling that it may do well. While it started off slow, over the following days, the views ramped up. The likes multiplied. Our follower count exploded.
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Oct 30, 2024 | 
smartcompany.com.au | Chryssie Swarbrick
article-article-body There’s life before being a small business owner, and life afterwards. Before I owned a cafe, I was just like most people, outraged by rising coffee prices, weekend surcharges and making my own avocado toast at home. Like any industry, once you’re in it, your whole perception of that world changes.
