After tasting his first espresso coffee in East Sydney many decades ago, John Ayoub always wanted to launch his own brand of espresso and to open a coffee house with the blend, after working his way up to a master barista trainer at a major coffee company
His search took him to a small, unpretentious 11-year-old coffee shop in Bankstown known as The Coffee Emporium which he bought in 2002.and described as “a little run down”.
There he launched the Nonno blend, made from a selection of quality coffee beans from Central and South America, Africa and Asia, and which has since become the house blend.
Initially, gaining acceptance for an unknown coffee brand operating out of a small shop in a south-west Sydney suburb, was a hard grind (forgive the pun) but it won a loyal group of enthusiasts, and so the business grew.
On becoming partners in 2005 with his cousin, Sam Ayoub, who had experience in franchising, the pair has since opened outlets across the metropolitan area and headquartedthe business in Parramatta.
The Coffee Emporium’s flagship two-storey premises in Phillip Street (opposite the Parkroyal) houses the head office, a premium high-end restaurant and wine bar, a roaster, a bakery and training centre. The business has three franchised outlets in the Parramatta CBD and others across the metropolitan area.
Their first overseas venture, expanding to the United Arab Emirates where espresso coffee is becoming popular, has been years in the planning.
The outcome is that the Abu Dhabi-based, Global Catering Services, has bought a 20-year master franchise agreement to operate the brand in the Middle East, with outlets so far in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and Africa.
“We started from a humble coffee shop in Bankstown and now we are very proud that we are going global,” John Ayoub told a reporter.
While the partners have set their sights on further overseas ventures, possibly in China, Singapore, Hong Kong and India, they have not forgotten the domestic market with plans for 33 outlets across Australia.
