It would be easy to say Chez Coffey liked the cafe so much she bought it.
And that's true to a degree: Chez Coffey and her husband Michael purchased The Press Coffee and Book House on Hunter Street in July 2019 because they were looking for a business opportunity and Chez, who was a regular customer, having worked just down the street at Newcastle's pilot NDIS office, loved the vibe of the place.
But, five years later, as she is looking to sell it, it's clear she has stamped her own mark on the business, with her vibrant personality making an impact on every customer in some way.
The shop, started by Murrie Harris and his then-wife Ivy, was a funky combination of used book store and good coffee (from Gridlock Roasters in Melbourne). Located in the heart of the Civic precinct, it had a natural trade of uni students (particularly after the NuSpace building opened), professionals (as the legal precinct moved to Hunter Street with the new courthouse) and inner-city locals.
Coffey added her own imprint from the start.
She inherited just two staff, both baristas. Between herself, and baristas Ben McGregor and Nico Wand, she increased business by 40 per cent in the first six months. She now employs nine staff.
"We've kept it going," Coffey says. "We've always called it the little shop that could. The light rail almost destroyed it. COVID almost destroyed it. We had Supercars coming in, corralling people down at the foreshore, away from us. We had no benefit from that, whatsoever. We called them the stupid cars and were so glad they were gone."
Coffey had cleaners come in and get rid of a lifetime of accumulated dust, and set about fixing broken bookshelves, curating the book stock (2000 titles) as well with the help of barista and actor Michael Byrne.
She added more coffee and milk choices, including almond, soy and oat milk - in October 2023, she changed coffee suppliers, taking on Artisti Roasters of Coffs Harbour.
It was a big call, but she needed more service and better equipment without sacrificing quality.
"We make coffee our way. It's always a double shot," she said. "I just don't want somebody to go 'pssht, there's your coffee, next?'"
Using 50 kilos a week and making an average of 380 cups a day, coffee is the backbone of the business.
"There are more books than coffees," she said. "But we certainly sell more coffees than we do books."
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She and husband Michael, who died from illness last week, acquired an on-premise liquor licence and evening food service and events were added.
The cafe, which has always carried an alternate vibe, took on a sunnier disposition under Coffey. The first table inside, with two chairs, became known as "The Confessional".
"In the early days I would sit down and have a coffee with customers. And they would just tell me what was on their mind, what they're going through," she said. "It got dubbed The Confessional. And now all the staff call it that. 'Where's this coffee going? Oh, the Confessional.' The table in the back is called The Vinyl [next to the vinyl records for sale]. This is long table on the left, long table on the right, big table. Couch. We don't have table numbers.
"We recently introduced playing cards to ID tables - we had to do numbers, but we do it our way.
"I've tried so hard for us not to be just another cafe."
The small vinyl section was curated by Coffey's husband, known in music circles and Michael Tee, a founding member of Scattered Order, an Australian post punk band from Sydney. At the moment you'll find new albums by David Bowie, Daniel Johns, Drive-By Truckers, Neil Young's Crazy Horse, Amy Shark, The Stranglers, and Scattered Order among the selections.
There are chess boards, monopoly boards, tea served in teapots, and a million small elements that make up the interior. The string of hanging gavels has been there from the beginning. Labels made from Scrabble letters identify the self-help, lit crit and gender book sections.
The books cover a taste of everything from JD Vance to Tim Flannery, Billy Connolly to Ron Barassi, Fidel Castro to Paul Hogan, Suzuki to Hunter Thompson, and tomes on Family Law and Labor Law.
Coffey created a series of regular evening events at the cafe, including an open mic on the first and third Thursdays of the month, open mic spoken word on the first Friday, silent book club (read your own in peace) on the third Thursday, and the oyster club (an exchange of creative ideas) on the last Thursday of the month.
"What I've always said about The Press is that it is part of the fabric that makes the tapestry that makes the Newcastle cultural precinct. If you did a tapestry, we are one of the threads. We've done micro-theatre, poetry readings, book launches, we support the writers festival - and we've always done it for free. We've said come, use us."
Coffey's spirit permeates the place. She calls customers by their first names. She's been known to give away books, and frequently offers a discount even when you don't ask for one. She loves a good story, and has a lifetime of adventures of her own she can drawn on.
But, she's ready to pass the baton on now.
Caring for Michael, who had long-standing health issues that suddenly worsened before his unforeseen death on May 15, has taken its toll on Coffey. She's exhausted, and dealing with an injured back from providing so much physical care for her husband.
"It's just time for a change," she said.
"I will wait, will continue to work here. I need some time to get through everything after Michael is laid to rest. I will pick up a shift now and then. I need to keep my hand in. I've got a great team."
