Big news from our little coffee house
There are moments in business when the stars align. When the right people show up at the right time, and everything you've been building starts to point in a new, exciting direction. This is one of those moments.
The photo above pretty much sums it up. The three of us, sitting in the café on a sunny afternoon. Laura still in her scrubs from a medical shift, Lee with the quiet confidence of someone who's spent twenty years in professional kitchens, and me somewhere between proud and a little emotional about what comes next.
Today, I'm thrilled to formally introduce and welcome Chef Lee and Laura as new business partners in Finally Mine Coffee House.
Meet Chef Lee
If you've ever wondered what a decade of kitchen craft looks like, you're about to taste it. Lee has worked in some of the best venues in Melbourne, as well as locally, and his résumé reads like a love letter to good food done properly.
For me, bringing Lee on board is a genuine full-circle moment. Lee and I go way back. Seven years working side by side, with Lee as head chef of Three Little Birds Cafe. I've seen firsthand the experience, passion and enthusiasm he brings to every service, every plate, and every team he leads. The Finally Mine menu is about to get very interesting.
Meet Laura
Laura joins us from a career in the medical industry, and before you raise an eyebrow at the career pivot, hear me out. What Laura brings is exactly what a growing hospitality business needs: a thoughtful, people-first, and thorough approach that I know will only make Finally Mine even better.
Great cafés aren't just about great coffee. They're about how people feel when they walk through the door, how the team is looked after behind the scenes, and how the whole operation runs day to day. Laura is going to be brilliant at all of it.
What's next for me
For me personally, this marks the start of a new chapter. I'm moving beachside with my family to take on a project I've been dreaming about for a while: reinventing the Smiths Beach General Store. It's something I'm incredibly excited about, and I can't wait to share more soon.
But, and this is important, I'm not going anywhere when it comes to Finally Mine. I'll still be very much involved, supporting Lee, Laura and the team as we move forward. This isn't goodbye; it's evolution.
Thank you
I'm really proud of what we've built at Finally Mine. The community around this little coffee house has been something special from day one, and handing the baton (partially!) to Lee and Laura feels like the most natural next step.
To everyone who's supported us along the way, thank you. Truly. There's plenty more to come.
Kade
