Our story begins in the summer of 1958 in Sydney’s inner-west Newtown. Greek migrants John and Irene Mannassis committed all their savings to open one of Australia’s foremost European delicatessen’s. Paying respects to their Greek heritage they named the deli ‘The Olympos’. The Olympos soon became a landmark of the inner west providing traditional European foods catering for the influx of migrants arriving in Sydney. Understanding the culture of coffee amongst Europeans, John Mannassis was one of the first to recognize the potential for coffee in Australia.
John and Irene introduced roasted coffee to many of their loyal clients and often greeted customers with a cup of traditional Greek/Turkish Style coffee. John paid much attention to his coffee and how much people enjoyed it. He soon saw the opportunity to blend coffee to suit individual preferences. Home grinders were a rare commodity and John offered his coffee ground – so began Mocha Coffee.
The first irresistible roast, a blend of natural Brazilian Arabica, Colombian supremo and genuine Guatamalan Antigua was finally roasted for restaurant consumption in 1987. Soon after, Mocha freshly roasted specialty coffees began to appear throughout greater Sydney cafés and restaurants. With increasing demand the operation moved to larger premises in neighbouring Marrickville in 2000.
In this expanded new location, the family introduced training to provide technical expertise, including Barista training, sales support and consulting services including blend development, contract roasting, retail workflow and set up.
At Mocha Coffee it’s more than just great coffee, it’s a family business, now in its third generation. Between the siblings Theo, Maria and Paul there’s 84 years combined coffee expertise in every roast. Consistency, reliability and personal service have seen the business continue to expand in the face of ever increasing competition. (We thank all of our customers who have come to love and appreciate our coffees).
Each year we talk with our growers throughout the world. We aim to learn and appreciate the impact that local climate conditions have on coffee volume and quality. Our growers are predominantly smaller scale ethical, sustainable farmers found throughout most of the world’s coffee growing regions. Our growers rely purely on coffee as their main source of income and take great care to ensure consistency, quality and sustainability.
With grass roots experience, Mocha Coffee has thorough knowledge of the different flavour profiles of the various coffee origins and more importantly, we understand how to blend these exclusive coffees to bring out the flavour and aroma. So take a moment to savour a Mocha roast and enjoy the craft that comes from a family... not a factory.
Mocha Coffee’s expertise has placed the founder’s son Paul Mannassis, as Chief Coffee Judge for the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show, a part of the prestigious Royal Agricultural Society of NSW.
Mocha Coffee is a proud member of the Australian Coffee Traders Association (ACTA). Established in 1940, ACTA has been the voice for the Australian coffee industry dealing with all issues affecting the coffee industry. Paul Mannassis is a committee member of ACTA and his efforts along with others help to further develop the Australian coffee industry.