Espresso Service at Interchanges

[CanberraTransport]

In the classifieds section of the Saturday Canberra Times, a public notice was posted inviting mobile coffee shops to submit proposals for their business to operate a similiar service at the four interchanges. There was a little article on it in the Canberra Times today too.

What does everyone think of the concept?

I've always thought that a coffee shop would be good... but my main concern would be about the pricing. I would imagine that the beverages would be rather expensive. But if the ACT Government can manage to keep prices for the drinks low, then it's a good initiative. It would also be interesting to see when the business operates - whether it be when the buses are operating, or only in peak.

[CanberraTransport]

The article published in the 23/06/2008 edition of the Canberra Times:

Wait for bus may soon be eased by an interchange caffeine hit
BY MEGAN DOHERTY
CITY REPORTER

23/06/2008 12:00:00 AM
A steaming latte could soon make waiting for a bus in Canberra a little more pleasant a barista might be coming to a bus interchange near you.
ACTION buses have called for expressions of interests for baristas to operate ''high-quality'' mobile coffee carts at each of its bus interchanges, at Belconnen, Civic, Woden and Tuggeranong.

But ACTION general manager Tom Elliott said that didn't mean commuters could drink their coffee on the bus. Eating or drinking on buses was still banned.

''We don't have food on buses if possible,'' he said.

Mr Elliott said if the proposal went ahead, the coffee carts would operate initially on a six-month trial in a bid to improve the amenity of the bus interchanges. ''We just wanted it to be a bit nicer place for people to be and if you're hanging around, why not grab a coffee?'' he said.

''We thought we'd put an ad in the paper and see if there was anyone interested in running anything like that for us.''

Mr Elliott said ACTION was calling for coffee operators who could run the service independently. ''I don't think it'll cost us anything.

''What we'll be doing is organising people to get access to water and garbage disposal and we'll just make sure that they're set up properly,'' he said.

''But really, they'll run the thing as their own operation.''

The expressions of interest close on Wednesday.

''If someone's interested and they can roll it in pretty quickly, with the right licences, we'll kick this off pretty quickly,'' Mr Elliott said.

Zenda Petkovski, 28, of Lyneham, who was at the Civic interchange sipping a coffee bought elsewhere yesterday, was all for the coffee carts. She said they would be handy especially while waiting for a bus on a cold Canberra morning.

''A lot of my friends say they have to go out of their way to get a coffee on the way to the bus, so I think it's a very good idea,'' she said.

[Buzz Killington]

good idea, and i'd say its likely that the standard coffee will be the around the same price as at the average cafe (say 3.50-4.00)

that said, if you want a hot drink in city interchange, cafe cibalia on the corner of mort and bunda makes an awesome hot chocolate, and the place next to it apparently makes great coffee (cant recall the name of the place)

[Busnerd]

Why would the government control the price of a cup of coffee CT?

They have these things up here in train stations, it is an independently owned business that usually will serve coffee for commuters and also things like muffins and fruit usually from around 7am - 4pm or something of the like, it is a good idea. It wouldnt be a shop like a building but just some large cart they can wheel away overnight so the usual interchange scum dont tamper with it.

[CanberraTransport]

Why would the government control the price of a cup of coffee CT?

The Government can choose a company which proposes relatively low prices.

[Sir Pompously]

Yeah but it is not going to be controlled by the Government, it doesn't look like a tender more a submission to a correct Government body to establish an independant business set up within the interchange, much like any normal cafe would set up in a building. Any business could have done this ages ago (Submitted a request for a business), and submitted something however the Government would have probably knocked it back. The prices would be regualted by the company, and not the Government.

And yes that Coffee shop at Hurstville is a lifesavr when awaiting an Interurban service to the Gong. Don't produce a half bad coffee, and ham and cheese pastry delight. But nobody makes a Bagel like H&H Bagels.

[Buzz Killington]

nobody makes a Bagel like H&H Bagels.

that'll be twenty dollars champ. Advertising ain't free you know.

[bubzie]

Yay, coffee!!


seriously, thats good. They better have good coffee through.

(Oh, and whilst we're at it, the coffee shop at calwell is FERAL! Their chai latte's taste like sour milk! arrgh!)

[Irisbus Rider]

Coffee? Good move, it will make the interchanges smell nice at least.

[Snorzac]

They were selling expressos at belco today

[CanberraTransport]

Yeah, when I was at Belconnen last Wednesday I noticed that. Interesting.

[bubzie]

YAY! COFFEE!!

[Irisbus Rider]

It's in a stupid location, really really bad for business.

[Simes]

Why would the government control the price of a cup of coffee CT?

They have these things up here in train stations, it is an independently owned business that usually will serve coffee for commuters and also things like muffins and fruit usually from around 7am - 4pm or something of the like, it is a good idea. It wouldnt be a shop like a building but just some large cart they can wheel away overnight so the usual interchange scum dont tamper with it.

Yeap so long as there is place for the cart to be locked away....

Speaking of the Hurstville set up, Railcorp wanted to kick em out when the renovation of the station started, but, enough people told railcorp where to shove that idea and they were able to stay....

[Busnerd]

if they are trying to sell coffee to commuters how is a bus interchange the worst location?

[Irisbus Rider]

The location of the Coffee Cart in the Bus interchange. It's opposite the supervisors office, hidden by the now painted black waiting triangle. Commuters getting off their bus on platform 15 and going to catch the Intertown will not see the coffee cart at all.

[Busnerd]

Stop calling it a cart, i doubt its a big wooden horse drawn cart minus horses with two big wheels. It would just be a little metal thing with four wheels and a pointless umbrella.

Who cares where it is, those people who are addicted to coffee will step over their own mother just to find coffee so im sure they know where it is. at least its not in the way of buses.

[Simes]

Stop calling it a cart, i doubt its a big wooden horse drawn cart minus horses with two big wheels. It would just be a little metal thing with four wheels and a pointless umbrella.

Yeah but they're generally called coffee carts  (at least here anyway)

If you wanna be a cunning linguist have a yack to my sister

[Busnerd]

nnnno, i'l be right...just head down to outback steakhouse and grab another 5 beers...

[Snorzac]

some of the people that work at the expresso place at belco a really stange, they go on about tofu a lot and laugh at things that are really not funny.

[bubzie]

You heard it here first, They're stoned hippies!!!



(Oh, and in other news, me and a few friends were discussing this morning, that the gloria jeans in myer tug needs to be open in the mornings. would probly never happen, but it'd do so well, considering teh amount of people that get the bus from there..)

[lukeo25]

I agree with that about gloria jeans

[Simes]

nnnno, i'l be right...just head down to outback steakhouse and grab another 5 beers...

egh?

[Busnerd]

I was making fun of how many beers you got at the outback steakhouse

[Simes]

Mmmmmm a bit of a low blow don't you think?

[Busnerd]

just because a 14.5 dropped via your house the other night

[Simes]

Yes and it didn't leave any of itself behind either! With that diesel smell I was expecting a little trial perhaps