The Kookaburra Coffee brand has come a long way since opening its first 420-square-foot store in 2012.
Spencer and Megan Vidal founded their shop with a dream of mixing great coffee and baked goods with a welcoming familial atmosphere. Spencer Vidal, a dual citizen of both America and Australia, chose to open the shop with a name reminiscent of his maternal heritage.
All pies and other goods produced in the shop are family recipes, passed down in Vidal’s family through his grandmother, his mother, and then to him.
The downtown shop, located in St. Augustine on Cathedral Place, began by sourcing its coffee from the popular Jacksonville distributor, Bold Bean, and working with a local baker to serve pies. The shop became a hit, drawing members of the community together in the small building for good coffee and even better conversation.
But as of about four years ago, The Kookaburra started creating its own products in-house. It now roasts its own coffees, makes its own syrups and chai, and has constructed kitchens in-house to bake its own pies, too.
“Pretty much anything that we can make in-house, we do,” Megan Vidal said.
The extensive menu boasts more than a dozen different options of freshly brewed coffee, such as the Aussie Iced, an ice-brewed coffee with house-made vanilla and cream, or the Honey Badger, a latte with honey, cinnamon and vanilla. Some of its baked goods include the True Blue Brekkie Pie, which contains eggs and cheddar topped with rosemary, or the Traditional Meat Pie, which has minced meat and onions in a tomato gravy.
Business at The Kookaburra became so successful that the Vidals opened another five locations, stretching all throughout St. Augustine. Most recently, The Kookaburra opened the doors to its sixth shop in the new Flagler Health+ Village at Nocatee.
“They reached out to us,” said Vidal, “and we were so thrilled that they would want us to be a part of this.”
Flagler Health+’s Village at Nocatee opened in early December. Here, The Kookaburra shop can offer unique treats and coffees to the visitors of the health center and the residents of Nocatee.
Though the original downtown shop remains their most popular location, the Vidals say that having the new shop in Nocatee is a perfect way for them to explore branching out of the St. Augustine area.
“Even though Nocatee is pretty close, it is still far enough that we have to really think about logistics,” said Vidal.
The Kookaburra brand offers wholesaling through their website, as well as a list of their coffees and pies available for purchase at any of their six branches. Go to www.thekookaburracoffee.com for more information.
