Just like naming a new baby, café owners Sam Everett, his fiance, Stephanie Dening, and Stephanie’s sister Lashay Semple, had the tough job of selecting a café name that was not only catchy and fun, but hadn’t been taken.
“We went through many different names – some we all liked and others we couldn’t agree on – but each had already been used. Then we came up with Adventurous Spoon – no one else in Australia has this name,” Sam says. “About 500 different souvenir spoons sit proudly beside our coffees. Customers also get involved and drop off spoons they’ve collected from their travels.”
Adventurous Spoon was a new addition to Robe in September 2015.
A metallic bronze La Marzocco Linea serves Campos Coffee’s Dark City Blend, a rich, bold and smooth blend with hints of chocolate.
Sam, a former coffee trainer, says he is thrilled to introduce the dark roast and the Campos Coffee name to his Robe customers.
“I choose all my suppliers for their quality produce and service. We’re the only ones to serve Campos on this side of Adelaide. Not only does Campos have great coffee but their service is impressive. I called Campos’s Matt [Dessaix] on a Tuesday and he drove three hours from Adelaide to Robe to visit us the next day. He went above and beyond his call of duty. That’s when I knew we were in good hands,” Sam says.
Adventurous Spoon attracts tourists, lots of generation Y and baby boomers, but it also has a strong local following. The café’s 900-square-metre venue is spacious and open, with an outdoor seating for cutstomers to bathe in the sunshine.
“We want our customers to feel comfortable and have fun when they visit Adventurous Spoon, and most of all enjoy our hospitality. I’ve done all the hospitality roles from front to back of house, and I can happily say I enjoy every aspect of this industry. But I do believe service is the most important thing,” Sam says. “It’s hard to find good service, especially in country areas, so it’s one thing we pride ourselves on.”
As well as their strong customer focus, Sam says the Adventurous Spoon team likes to do things “a little bit differently”.
That includes serving coffee-inspired treats such as nutella lattes and coffee cocktails, and an eclectic menu of Asian and Italian fusion dishes. When it comes to popular dishes, Head Chef Sean Emery’s creation is a standout: a slow-cooked pork belly served with a Vietnamese salad.