From Auckland to Sydney, Melbourne and now Fortitude Valley, Allpress has officially opened their second espresso bar in Brisbane, marking an exciting new chapter in the brand’s Australian journey.
At the heart of the bar sits a two group La Marzocco Strada, chosen for its precision, consistency and ability to keep pace with a high volume café built around quality coffee and community.
There’s a palpable energy in Brisbane right now. Across the city, a new generation of hospitality venues, restaurants and cafés are redefining what coffee culture can look like in Queensland. It’s creative, collaborative and quality driven, making Brisbane the perfect home for Allpress’ newest space.
We sat down with Allpress National Sales Manager Nick Passi and Brand Lead Emma Read to learn all about the new venue, Brisbane’s evolving coffee scene and how the space was designed to become part of the local community.
Congratulations on the new espresso bar! Why Brisbane?
Brisbane feels like one of the most exciting coffee markets in Australia right now. There’s a real momentum here, not just in coffee, but across hospitality more broadly. We saw an opportunity to create a space that supports that growth while bringing people together around quality coffee and great hospitality.
Opening in Queensland felt like a natural next step for Allpress as we continue expanding our footprint across Australia.
What drew you to Fortitude Valley specifically?
Fortitude Valley immediately stood out to us because of its mix of creativity, hospitality and everyday energy. You’ve got offices, restaurants, retail and residential all intersecting in one neighbourhood, which creates a strong sense of movement throughout the day.
More importantly, it’s home to the kind of community we connect with most, people who genuinely care about quality, design and coffee culture. The character of the Valley felt closely aligned with the Allpress brand from the beginning.
Why was the La Marzocco Strada the right fit for the space?
We chose a two group La Marzocco Strada for its consistency, temperature stability and the level of control it gives the team behind the bar.
As a high volume café and showcase space for partners and guests, we needed equipment that could deliver precision and repeatability throughout the day while maintaining exceptional cup quality. The Strada’s advanced performance and workflow make it ideal for highlighting the Allpress flavour profile, while also supporting our focus on long-lasting, energy-efficient equipment.
Brisbane’s coffee scene feels like it’s evolving quickly. What makes it so exciting?
There’s a strong sense of curiosity here. People are open to trying new things, but there’s also a real appreciation for quality and craft.
What’s exciting is how connected the coffee community feels. Cafés, roasters and local makers are all collaborating and pushing each other forward. That creates space for experimentation while still respecting the rituals people love about coffee culture.
It’s a really dynamic environment to be part of.
How do you balance the consistency of the Allpress experience while adapting to a local market like Brisbane?
At its core, Allpress is always about the same things: quality coffee, warm hospitality and creating spaces people genuinely want to return to.
Where things evolve is in how that experience responds to the local environment. Brisbane has its own pace, climate and café culture, so it was important that the space felt connected to the neighbourhood rather than transplanted from somewhere else.
That shaped everything from the menu and service flow through to the atmosphere of the café itself.
The café feels designed for people to stay awhile. Was that intentional?
Definitely. We wanted the space to support different kinds of coffee moments.
Some people want a quick coffee on the way to work, while others want somewhere to slow down, meet friends or spend time during the day. The layout was designed to comfortably accommodate both.
One of the key features is the dedicated brew bar, which puts hand brewing and pour over coffee front and centre. It gives customers the opportunity to engage more deeply with coffee – watching the process, asking questions and experiencing a slower, more intentional side of café culture.
Has the warm weather inspired cool signature drinks?
We’ve definitely leaned into offerings that feel right for both the climate and the neighbourhood.
Our affogatos with Rosé Gelateria have quickly become a favourite, and we’ve built out a menu with plenty of cold and seasonal options suited to Brisbane weather. We launched with a Strawberry Matcha Cloud, which was a huge hit, and we’ll continue evolving those feature drinks throughout the year.
Current seasonal specials include the Crunchy Leaf Latte and Banana & Blackberry Bread Matcha, playful drinks that keep the menu feeling fresh while reflecting the season.
How do you approach your single origin coffee program?
Our single origin program is curated nationally so we can consistently showcase the best coffees across the Allpress network.
Selections are driven by seasonality, provenance and cup quality, with a focus on highlighting producers and the regions the coffees come from. What Brisbane gives us is a fantastic platform to showcase those coffees to an engaged and curious audience.
The dedicated brew bar especially allows customers to connect more closely with each release and the stories behind it.
What does success look like for Allpress Brisbane in 12 months?
Success would mean becoming part of the rhythm of the neighbourhood.
We want to be somewhere people fold naturally into their routines, whether that’s a weekday coffee stop, a weekend catch up or a place they bring visiting friends.
Beyond coffee, we also want the space to create opportunities for connection through tastings, brew classes, collaborations, community events and seasonal launches. If people continue returning and engaging with the space in different ways, we’ll know we’ve built something meaningful here.
Do you see Queensland playing a bigger role in Allpress’ future?
Absolutely.
Queensland feels like a really exciting growth market for us. The combination of population growth, hospitality innovation and evolving coffee culture creates huge potential for the future.
Brisbane in particular is developing quickly, with strong neighbourhood precincts and a confident food and beverage scene. We see enormous opportunity to continue building relationships here, both through wholesale partnerships and spaces like the Fortitude Valley café.
Spend enough time at the new Allpress Brisbane bar and the boundaries begin to blur, between café and community space, between routine and ritual. There’s an ease to the experience that feels distinctly Brisbane; warm, unhurried and deeply connected to the people who move through it every day.
Allpress has always built its reputation on consistency. In Fortitude Valley, that consistency extends beyond the cup, into the atmosphere, the hospitality and the role the café is beginning to play within the local community.
For Allpress, this new chapter is only just beginning, but already, it feels right at home.
Allpress Espresso
161 Robertson St
Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
@allpressespresso
Photography: Andrew Porfyri
@porfyriphotography
