Very recently, two great friends, Tati Weiman and Feli Vessena Calahorrano, returned from Australia. After a wonderful three-year adventure, they decided to return to Argentina and open Surry Hills, a coffee -delicatessen, where they hope to apply everything they learned about coffee during their trip through Australia, Asia and Andorra.

I got excited several times with this project: first, when they told me about their idea; then, every time I  passed by the door and saw them painting walls and arranging everything for the grand opening; when I went to drink my first cup of coffee and I confirmed that the taste matched what Feli had told me; and now, again, having the opportunity to tell this story: in Argentina, dreams can also come true.

 

What is this project about?

Surry Hills is a cozy space where people can go to enjoy a cup of specialty coffee and the author kitchen with an Australian imprint. It offers a reduced but delicious menu with options for breakfast and brunch, plus some pastry. They work with many organic products and with sourdough breads.

 

How did you come up with the idea?

Coffee was something we loved before we started traveling, but at a very homely level. The idea of ​​entrepreneurship was something we had in mind from the first moment we arrived in Australia (with a Work and Holiday Visa). Working in the hotel and food industry, we reaffirmed our love for coffee. Australia is undoubtedly the university for the barista and the specialty coffee mecca today. We lived there for more than two years and toured more than 150 cafes in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Port Douglas, and when we returned, we wanted to apply all our knowledge in Argentina, so that people here can relive that experience here.

 

What does the name mean?

The name comes from the hipster and coffee neighborhood of Sydney. Surry Hills with its ups and downs, specialty cafes and restaurants is undoubtedly one of the busiest neighborhoods for tourists and lovers of good living in Sydney. The two times we lived in Sydney we did it in Surry Hills, that’s why the strong connection with the neighborhood.

 

What is the next step?

We opened two months ago, and the reception of people has exceeded our expectations. The next step is undoubtedly to focus on growth and strengthen the brand.

 

What would they have liked to know before undertaking?

That times are not always what one calculates: everything takes longer than expected, and you have to be patient and avoid the unexpected.

 

3 tools that help your business and every entrepreneur should know

• Acquire a management software compatible with the business: in our case, Bistrosoft, which is great for coffees.
• Find partners and suppliers that see the business in the same way.
• Increase App, a software that allows you to consolidate all sales with card and paid market in a single control panel.

 

Your motivating phrase

«Nothing is as easy as it seems, nor as difficult as the manual says»

 

Come meet us

If you liked the proposal, I invite you to visit them: Jorge Luis Borges 1842, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and follow them on Instagram: @surryhillscoffee