New cafes often face a barrage of questions. What beans do you use? What alternative milks do you serve? What time does the kitchen close? For Speed Dial’s co-owner Jayden O’Grady, however, a common question has been, “Are you Bunnings?”

It’s understandable. Although Speed Dial appears to be attached to Bunnings Newstead, the cafe operates independently inside a 30-square-metre shipping container.

In December, O’Grady opened Speed Dial with Timothy Cashin and Hal Cozens. The trio first crossed paths over a decade ago while working at Bellissimo in Bulimba. Since then, each has pursued different ventures within the coffee industry.

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For coffee, Speed Dial is running Coffee Supreme’s South blend through a La Marzocca Linea PB machine. Rather than a fruity profile, O’Grady says they wanted a smoother coffee with rich “caramel and chocolate” notes. The menu also features a daily batch brew and matcha-based drinks.

With a small kitchen, the team is keeping the food menu simple for now, offering a selection of golden, cheesy toasties and baked goods from Sprout. Toastie options include ham and cheese; pepperoni, pesto and cheese; mushroom and cheese; and caramelised onion and cheese. Each sandwich comes with a side of marinara dipping sauce.

The trio had been searching for the right space for around two years before a leasing agent offered them the chance to use the shipping container. “It’s an amazing opportunity,” he says. “We’re this little hole-in-the-wall cafe with high foot traffic and three levels of car parking.”

Starting out with an empty shell, the team converted the container themselves. They enlisted the help of some friends and opted for a clean, minimalistic design, featuring Tasmanian oak, purple flooring, and a dark smoke mirror behind the counter. While it’s predominately made for takeaway coffee, there’s a three-seat counter inside for anyone looking to hang around.

Down the line, Speed Dial plans to introduce a pour-over coffee program, sourcing beans from roasteries worldwide. O’Grady says he’s already in discussions with roasteries in the UK, Japan and Ireland.

“We have such a great network in Brisbane, so we can chat to [another cafe] and say, ‘We’re looking at getting some coffee from Dublin, do you want to get some together?’” he says. “It works for the roaster because they can feature at all these great cafes in Brisbane, and it works for us because we can split the shipping costs.”

Speed Dial
142 Breakfast Creek Road, Newstead
No phone

Hours
Mon to Fri 5:30am–1pm
Sat & Sun 7am–1pm

@speeddialcoffee