East Brisbane’s Republic | Here’s Why the Brew is so Damn Good

Author // Shannon Edwards, Place Bulimba

Dedicated to nourishing the community with authentic, quality food and a friendly hospitality that can be hard to come by, Republic Coffee Traders is a winner amongst locals.

Tucked away in Caswell street, off East Brisbane’s Stanley street, Republic (as it’s affectionately now known) boasts one of Brisbane’s best coffees and a mean menu sure to feed all your breakfast and lunchtime cravings.

We sat down with owner and operator, Ben Raymond, over a (ridiculously good) coffee as he shared the story of Republic and gave some tips on what makes the perfect coffee.

Tell us about yourself?

I grew up just around the corner from here at Coorparoo.

I moved to London in 1999 for the best part of 5 years.

In those days, finding a decent coffee in London was definitely a challenge.

We travelled extensively and spent most weekends in Paris but it was actually in Italy where I eventually found the strong, rich coffee that I had been longing.

When we arrived back from overseas in late 2003, I struggled to find good coffee, so, seeing a gap in the market, I made the decision to leave the world of finance behind and create my own blend of coffee.

I started by purchasing a small “hole in the wall” café on the Gold Coast.

We eventually moved home to Brisbane where I opened Espresso Republic in the city and Blackbird Espresso at Camp Hill.

**What makes Republic special?**

I really wanted to create a place away from home where people can relax and feel comfortable.

When it comes to our menu, we’re paddock to plate, farm to fork.

We endeavour to buy all of our produce direct from farmers within a 200km radius.

I like to go to the local farms regularly, pick the best produce, hear the farmers’ stories and listen to their practices.

We take pride in using only seasonal produce and we change the menu regularly to match the seasons.

What’s your favourite on the menu?

With the season change, we launched our new menu today.

I just can’t get past the Grilled Chicken Burger.

Grilled chicken, streaky bacon, lettuce, jack cheese, honey mayonnaise on a brioche bun with shoestring fries… it’s something else.

So the question we’ve all been waiting for, how do you make that perfect cup of coffee?

We have our own exclusive blends and roast about 200kg of beans a week in Yatala.

We use a blend of Colombian Arabica beans and Indian beans, which are blended with 15% of Robusta beans.

The Colombian bean gives the blend its smooth, chocolatey overtones and the Robusta gives it that kick.

The perfect cup of coffee does exist but you have to work hard as there’s a lot of elements involved that must all fall into place.

Everyone has to be trained properly so they know the bean, the machine, the grinder and the milk.

You’re only as good as your best team member, so you must have the best baristas.

What do you love about being in East Brisbane?

I grew up in the area and it’s really come of age since I was a boy.

It’s an up and coming suburb that is close to the city yet has a suburban but cool and relaxed feel to it.

East Brisbane is an inner-city hub for young families with great restaurants, schools and parks.

Our entire business is based on our locals - we love interacting with our customers.

I’m here seven days a week and think it’s really important to greet everyone and build relationships with our regulars.

Republic is made to feel like home.

It’s rustic and relaxed – a place where people come and spend time with their loved ones.