Bank arcade baristas ready to serve
Smith The Grocer cafe, located in the Old Bank Arcade on Lambton Quay, serves about 600 to 800 coffees a day, barista Isabella “Izzy” Young guesses.
To the uninitiated that number seems impossible, or at the least daunting. But for Young, 21, and fellow barista Mike Nguyen, 31, making close to 1000 coffees is just another day of the week.
Smith the Grocer is a central Wellington institution, known for its high ceilings and tables that sprawl through the mall’s walkway.
The eatery passed into the ownership of Kirsten Saunders and Paul Ibbotson in June 2023.
Saunders said the cafe was open seven days a week, from 7.30am until 5pm Monday to Friday, with reduced hours for the weekend.
Young acts as deputy manager, after joining the team seven months ago. She said she had been a barista for two years, and saw herself continuing in the profession for the rest of her life.
Young said her barista skills quickly developed while working at the cafe due to the fastpaced atmosphere. She loves the social side of the job, chatting to her regulars as she makes them their morning cappuccinos.
“We're getting out those orders quickly, and we're working to make those coffees good as well.”
Nguyen, who manages the cafe under Saunders, said he learned to make coffee in his home, Vietnam. The coffee culture is different there, though – most people prefer to drink their java cold and black, and condensed milk is used to make cà phê sua nóng (Vietnamese Coffee).
Nguyen prefers his coffee strong and black. He’s not a big fan of sugar.
Young and Nguyen both agree that the most ordered coffee they make has to be the classic Kiwi flat white.
What’s the difference between a flat white and a latte? These baristas know their stuff: both immediately answer. A flat white only has half a centimetre of foam, a latte has 1cm
Your average Wellingtonian probably knows the difference, but for visitors to our shores, it’s a bit harder to discern.
Young said tourists from the cruise ships often called in. While that was a great way to meet people and learn about the world’s different coffee cultures, sometimes New Zealand’s coffee culture and its many options could be a mystery to their customers.
“They'll come in and they'll be like, ‘can I have a coffee?’ I'm like, ‘Yes. Which kind? You know, latte, long black, what are you after?’ They’re like, ‘just coffee’.
“Being able to ask them questions about what they'd like to drink and then recommending something that I know that they'll like really makes me happy as well.”
The staff of 20 deals with high customer demand and turnover, with the crowd only really starting to die down about 2.30pm, Young said.
Staff always have time for their regulars, though, with Young saying she worked hard to memorise 42 customers names and orders. There was a special button on the till for a man named Jeff, for his cup of tea with two milks and sugar.
“I love the variety of people that make it a regular occurrence to come in,” Young said.
What’s the most unique coffee someone has ordered? A bulletproof – a long black with two butter pads on the side, Young said.
“Because I had such a chill reaction with her ordering it the first time she's chosen to come back. Because I think other people have gone, ‘oh, is that what you want?’ I'm like, ‘man, if you're going to enjoy it, I don't care what I'm serving you’.”
Love your barista? Know of a generous loyalty scheme, an excellent brew, a musttry bean or a steady price? As cafes do it tough The Post wants to hear from coffee drinkers and cafes alike, so we can spread the word about, quite simply, good coffee. Email news@thepost.co.nz.