Coffee has been a part of Damien Nogueira’s life from an early age. Since the age of six, Damien recalls the enticing aromas and his nightly ritual of drinking an espresso with his parents before bed.
Now, as owner of Dover Deli, Damien continues his passion for the bean, drinking up to 20 double piccolos a day, something he says helps him to manage the daily operations of a busy café.
Located in the serene location of Rosebay in NSW, just kilometres from the busy business district of Sydney, Dover Deli caters to families and coffee enthusiasts looking for a quality cup and an appetising meal.
Using Di Stefano Coffee’s Forte blend, a combination of Central America, South America, Africa, East Asia and Indonesian beans, Damien says this coffee is “strong, punchy, bitter and sweet with a great aftertaste”.
Surrounded by a coffee-hub, Damien says the Di Stefano Coffee packs a punch compared to other coffees in the area, offering something “different” for his discerning coffee customers. “a lot of people are interested in drinking our short blacks, people who really appreciate good coffee,” Damien says.
Dover Deli has been serving customers since 2008, first as a functional deli, and now strictly as a coffee shop. With Damien’s background in office jobs, he says stepping behind the Wega coffee machine along with Head Barista Robert Reuben and producing quality coffees is a welcome change. “This job gives me the flexibility to meet lots of different people,” he says. “It’s a fun, playful and relaxed environment and I get to mingle with the customers.”
The café interior displays a feature wall full of photos of customers, staff, food items and latte art, which Damien says started from one row of photos and has expanded to a café shrine.
The Dover Deli offers an all-day breakfast and lunch menu. Head Chef Damien Krigstein serves up a signature Reuben sandwich, Wagyu corn beef cooked for eight hours and a chicken burger with chilli sauce for the ultimate café offering.