There are three things busy city workers want from their daily coffee, according to Margot Espresso Director Marius Beullens – speed, consistency, and a delicious coffee.
“It’s surprisingly how many city cafés don’t accommodate these basic needs, but it’s what we do really well,” Marius says. “City customers are time poor. They don’t want to wait 10 minutes for a coffee. They only want to wait two to three.”
Located in the lobby of a Sydney high rise building in the city’s financial district, Marius runs Margot Espresso, and a separate coffee cart out the front of building called Margot Cartel, to cater for strong takeaway demand.
At Margot Espresso, Marius serves Piazza D’Oro Forza, a dark-roasted blend with notes of praline and dark chocolate, hints of citrus acidity and backgrounds of spice. “You definitely don’t need to serve a double shot with this blend; it’s strong enough,” Marius says.
Two Seasons Origins Blend is used for Margot Cartel, a lighter-roasted coffee with milder tones. “When selecting the right coffee to use I knew I had a good relationship with Piazza D’Oro and a good knowledge of their product. I knew I needed a coffee that could be delicious and made consistently well,” Marius says.
A three-group La Marzocco Linea Classic is responsible for the high volume of coffees Marius and his team serve each day. He’s also had a lot of practice. Marius was crowned Piazza D’Oro’s Barista of the Year in 2014. While the prizes were generous and the experience special, Marius says he’s happy to sideline his competition days and focus on using his skills to serve top-notch coffee daily.
After Marius took over the lobby café, he transformed the venue from top to bottom, changing suppliers and redecorating the interior to abolish the “white hospital space” and create an inviting and warm environment for customer to hold meetings, relax, and escape work – even for a little while.
“Now we’re going from strength to strength. Last year BeanHunter recognised us in the top 100 list of Sydney cafés, and we’ll keep striving for the best,” Marius says.
Margot Espresso offers a menu with vegetarian, gluten-free, and sugar-free options. With three trays of avocado used each week, it’s no wonder the Smashed Avo is a firm favourite, followed by the Salt Water Tessy paleo caramel slice for something a bit more indulgent.