Get the first look at Speed Dial, a slick new coffee and pastry spot in the heart of Newstead
A trio of top-flight coffee slingers have pooled their talents on a sleek new caffeine dispensary, housed in a converted shipping container in the backstreets of Newstead. With a multi-roaster coffee offering backed by gourmet toasties and pastries from Sprout Artisan Bakery, Speed Dial is gunning to become a go-to for locals and coffee connoisseurs alike. Take a look inside …
If there’s one thing Jayden O’Grady, Hal Cozens and Timothy Cashin have a firm grasp on, it’s how to make a damn good cup of coffee. Between the three of them, the veteran shot pullers have likely brewed thousands upon thousands of cups – we’re taking flat whites, filter brews and everything in between. Now, after stints working with powerhouse roasters including Bellissimo Coffee and Coffee Supreme, the trio is putting their collective experience to the fore at Speed Dial, a brand-new dispensary now open in Newstead.
Housed within a shipping container situated in the shadow of Bunnings (next to the Ross Street car park entrance), Speed Dial cuts a sleek figure. With a slimline footprint and minimalist design, the slender coffee spot slots neatly into the light industrial backstreets of Newstead – a suburb that has evolved into one of Brisbane’s best neighbourhoods for coffee. Though an exhaustive search took Jayden, Tim and Hal on a tour of Brisbane, the hole-in-the-wall appeal of Speed Dial’s eventual home was as close to a perfect choice as the crew hoped to find.
“There’s a growing appreciation in Brisbane as a whole for high-quality coffee, batch brew, great matcha, high-quality chocolate – all of those things,” says Jayden. “Being next to Bunnings is awesome, but we know that people are going to appreciate [Speed Dial] and what we’re passionate about.“
Though it might look like a takeaway spot from the street, Speed Dial’s 30-sqm abode is multifunctional and surprisingly spacious. The team has opened up the container lengthwise, installing tilt windows that open to reveal a long coffee counter, which is shielded from the sun by a retractable awning. Inside, the crew has replaced the container’s doors with a window panel, adding a short bench with stools facing out to the street. Timber and chrome form the majority of the venue’s palette, with purple floors and early 2000s-era branding adding a vivid edge. Aesthetically, Speed Dial isn’t unlike the tiny coffee nooks you might find in Japan, but Jayden has sought to create a look and feel that’s singular – modern and stylish, but evergreen in its appeal.
“Honestly, it was off the dome,” says Jayden of the design choices. “A lot of people coming in saying, ‘Oh, I love the Scandi’, or ‘I love the Japandi’, but I don’t know if the chrome and the purple ties in with that. We just wanted something that would age well – it’s just style that we like“
When it comes to the all-important coffee, Jayden, Tim and Hal are all of one mind. Here, the trio is looking to score top marks in consistency and quality, with an approachable inclusiveness underpinning Speed Dial’s service style.
“[Speed Dial] is an expression of what we value, what we like to drink and what we feel proud to serve,” says Jayden. “We’ve been in the industry for so long, all working at roasteries and cafes – it’s really good to be able to do that on our own terms and really good to bring more of that to Brisbane.”
“I think one thing that we’re really proud of is being in here together, as owner-operators, to really make sure the customer is getting a great experience and potentially even trying something new, with our guidance,” adds Tim.
The venue’s coffee counter is equipped with a La Marzocco Linea PB espresso machine, a Mahlkönig grind-by-weight grinder and a hidden Fetco brewer. The crew has selected Coffee Supreme’s South blend as the go-to house coffee – a rich blend with notes of caramelised chocolate.
“Coffee Supreme makes easy-drinking, high-quality coffee and they want it to be approachable for everyone,” says Jayden. “And that’s the same with what we were trying to do as well – we’re making coffee that we’re passionate about and we’re really enthusiastic about, but it’s about bringing other people into the fold in a really accessible way that isn’t confrontational or intimidating.”
In the near future, Speed Dial will introduce pour-over coffees to its menu and will also soon launch a guest roaster program, with a rotating roster of roasters from Australia and further abroad showcased via batch, pour over and espresso. Beyond coffee, Speed Dial is serving ceremonial-grade matcha, with iced teas also on the cards. Food wise, a pastry cabinet stocks a small selection of croissants from Sprout Artisan Bakery, and the team is currently putting the finishing touches on a clutch of gourmet toasties.
Speed Dial is now open to the public – operating hours and other important details can be found in The Directory.