On Friday, August 9th 2019 Alowishus in Bundaberg and Maryborough will once again be joining hundreds of cafes and coffee roasters for CaféSmart, a united effort to help homeless people in communities around Australia.
CaféSmart is an initiative of the great people at StreetSmart – Action Against Homelessness
Why We Love Being Part of CaféSmart
On any given night in Australia over 115,000 people are homeless – often through circumstances beyond their control. We believe everyone should have a safe and secure place to call home.
The funds raised through CaféSmart come back to local service providers such as Edon Place Women’s Shelter here in Bundaberg. This is a way to make a real difference in our local community at the grassroots level.
We have been involved for eight years now. Last year we raised $1113.70 between both stores which came back to help people in Bundaberg and Maryborough.
It’s Super Easy to Help Out
Do you like to drink our coffee?
We are going to assume that’s a ‘Yes’. So, all you need to do is buy a coffee (or any other hot drink) on August 9 th and we will give $1 to CaféSmart.
Can you afford an extra dollar?
You don’t have to, but we will be asking customers if they’d like to match our dollar with one of their own.
It’s that easy.
What Else Are We Doing?
The theme colour for CaféSmart is yellow, so to help raise awareness we will be dressing in yellow.
But we won’t stop there… we will have yellow cupcakes for sale with $1 from each of them also going to CaféSmart also.
Finally, Post Your Pics on Social Media
On the day, you can help let others know about this important cause by posting your coffee and cupcakes with the hashtag #helpyourhood
Let’s do something together to help the vulnerable in our community. We’d love to see you for coffee, a cupcake, or both on Friday, August 9th 2019.
Follow us on Facebook!
https://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Alowishus-Blog-Featured-Image-Template.jpg320850Alowishus Delicioushttps://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alowishus-web-black-300x118.pngAlowishus Delicious2019-07-30 14:17:052019-07-30 15:19:46We’re Going Yellow to Help Our Homeless
I had so many people ask for the next instalment of my ‘Why We Started Alowishus‘ blog post. To be very honest, I didn’t think too many people would be interested in reading something I’d blogged. I have never been more wrong in my life (except for when I thought we’d be quiet in that first week of opening).
The first time the original blog post went out on social media, we had a record number of hits on our website.
More recently, we posted the story again and I have since received many requests to continue telling the story of how we got started and also where the name ‘Alowishus’ came from.
I’ve been asked to speak on many occasions to fellow business owners, peers and students on various topics. It doesn’t matter what I’ve been called to speak about, in the Q&A sessions at the end, I’m always asked without exception, “How did you come up with the name, Alowishus Delicious?”.
So, where did the name come from?
I really truly wish I had an amazing story to tell you about discovering the name. And I really truly wish I could tell you it was my idea…
However, it wasn’t.
My strengths don’t come in the form of amazing ideas or creativity. My strengths come in my ability to push through, work hard, compartmentalise my life and systemise the back-end of things.
Sometime in early June 2011, Mike came home from work and told me he had a name for the sandwich bar (that’s what we used to call it before we opened).
He explained a few points to me:
It had to be a better name than McPhee’s Cafe
It needed to start with the letter A, so it came at the top in directories and lists of similar businesses
He wanted something that was quirky and catchy
Something that said it was a café or food business without using the words coffee or café
No coffee bean puns or play on words involving tea or coffee were allowed either
“Ok, so what is it”, I asked?
“ALOWISHUS DELICIOUS” (we didn’t have the spelling at that stage).
I immediately loved it!
I said to Mike, “We rarely agree on things, so why don’t we we just run with it?”
So, for the next several days we mucked around with the spelling. ‘ALOWISHIOUS’ was on the cards, but then we settled on ‘ALOWISHUS DELICIOUS’ and on the 23rd June 2011, I officially registered the business name. This was six long months before we even opened our doors.
Next, we needed a logo. I suggested green, with red as the secondary colour, along with a leafy flourish and the two words, one on top of the other. I shared my idea with Mike and he said that was basically what he had in mind. (Possibly, he was just trying to bolster my confidence to come up with good ideas.)
BUT again we agreed and we just ran with it.
We then enlisted the help of a good friend, Roxanne, who now runs her own graphic design company – 44 Creative. We explained our concept and she got to work and came up with a few designs. We liked them, but they didn’t immediately grab us.
We had actually already decided on the one we would go with, when Rox said she just wanted to make a couple more little changes.
You even helped us choose, when we asked for your opinion on Facebook in September 2011. Here’s the original post.
What she sent through is still in use today and WE LOVE IT! We’ve ditched the red and changed the green a little. And these days the Alowishus ‘A’ (as it is now known) has become widely recognised in Bundy and Maryborough. In more recent branding & marketing activities, like our updated website design, we have simplified it even further and been using black and white versions of our logos.
Alowishus JOCO Cups to help reduce waste.
The Alowishus ‘A’ is also featured on our reusable coffee cups which we recently introduced to help reduce waste. We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our footprint and do everything we can to contribute to a cleaner environment. You can read more about it in our post about War On Waste – 10 Things Alowishus Delicious Is Doing For The Environment.
We opened with a team of five, plus Mike’s brother, who helped us set up the coffee machine and was baristaring for us in the very first week. Two of those team members are still with us seven years on. Another one has gone on to open his own café in Bargara (many of you will know Matt from The Journey) and the fourth completed her uni degree a couple of years ago and became a school teacher (she’s currently expecting her first bub).
So much has happened over the years and our team has grown from 5 to over 60 (including our Maryborough Store and Bert’s, our most recent venture). It’s mind blowing in so many ways. I really wish I had kept a diary of all the amazing ‘God’ moments that have happened throughout the Alowishus journey, as there have really been so so many.
Mike cutting a door between the two shops.
Our baristas hard at work.
Writing this post, I’ve been going through old photos of our progress, and of our team members past and present. It’s been a fun afternoon reminiscing. Stay tuned for the next instalment (but don’t hold your breath, it could take me another year to write it).
Thank you so much for your support and for being a part of our success.
Blessings,
Tracey
Watch What The Alowishus Team Prepared For Tracey On Her Birthday!
https://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/alowishus-name-logo-branding.jpg4721030Alowishus Delicioushttps://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alowishus-web-black-300x118.pngAlowishus Delicious2019-01-23 12:20:552019-11-25 23:31:52Why We Started Alowishus – The 2nd Instalment
The written word has always fascinated me in a way that I possibly don’t even understand yet myself. I remember as a young lad in school that I really enjoyed history, although I must confess, this interest started when I got my first copy of Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, a computer game where you played historical scenarios and learned the historical context around which they happened; a very engaging way to learn indeed. What does this have to do with coffee? Plain and simple – I have no idea! However, this interest inevitably led me, likewise, to have an interest in what people back then were writing about: their beliefs, stories and mythologies. So, a very interesting era for me was the 17th century when the enlightenment took hold and revolutionised our world forever, but a very subtle factor of that era that I think gets overlooked quite easily, is the language of that time and how people spoke and in this particular case: English. English, in my humble opinion and many others I’m sure would agree, of the 17th century was at the height of its beauty and eloquence and would beat any hashtag or literary trend we have now: ANY DAY! It’s also the era of spoken English in which Shakespeare wrote his plays and even now still considered masterpieces.
Henceforth Cold Brew – Available at Alowishus Delicious
So fast-forwarding to now, having recently started my journey in hospitality and particularly the coffee scene, I jumped at the opportunity when it arose to take forward a project that involved crafting cold brew coffee and also develop its own labelling. I instantly started thinking about the branding and what inspiration I would draw from. Obviously, I went for the amazing gift we have as humans, to communicate with speech, as my inspiration. Any language, of course, is just as amazing as the next but it just so happens that we live in an English speaking country. At least, for the most part, that is.
After pondering on the name of the brand for a bit, I wanted to come up with something that invoked action, as the Merriam-Webster dictionary states, “…expressing some relation of manner or quality, place, time, degree, number…” (Adverb. (n.d.). Retrieved 14 March 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverb).
A Cold Brew for Yea-Sayers
And so, Henceforth was born! I loved the fact that one word encapsulated so many things at once but also made a call to action. Henceforth simply means from this point on (Merriam-Webster dictionary). Furthermore, other elements that fit well with Henceforth were a compass and finally – THE COFFEE! With all the elements together, the concept I hoped to convey through the labelling was that ‘from this point onwards (Henceforth) having a cold brew of your choice (THE COFFEE!) will direct your day (the compass) no matter what errand you’re on (YOU the coffee drinker). So with this branding personality in place and the help of David whom I consulted for help on a regular basis and will continue to do as the brand develops, and without whose help wouldn’t have made it possible, we have arrived at what is only the starting point of something special. FIN!
~Heinrich
Watch Now: Alowishus Visiting Local Bundy Farms
We surprised 3 local Bundaberg businesses with some of our delicious, house-made gelato. What’s even better, we made it using their very own produce!
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Cafes Bundaberg – A big Thank You to our awesome Social Media Manager Olivia Harvey, due to her efforts, Alowishus Delicious has been voted as one of 5 local cafes worth instagramming about.
Thanks to Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism for the original blog post and for choosing to feature us. You can read it here:
5 Local Cafes Worth Instagramming About In The Bundaberg North Burnett Region
Alowishus hit the list for Bundaberg Cafes worth Instagramming about. Check us out on Instagram – cafes Bundaberg
1. Nonna’s Gelateria @ The Windmill
Ice-cream for breakfast? Yes, please! Located in Bargara this picturesque café is worth an Instagram post without even going in, however, if you do you will surely be rewarded. They have delicious baked goods, acai bowls and incredible breakfasts.
A beautiful, sunny day at Nonna’s Gelateria @ The Windmill (Credit: Sarahdibbs)
2. Nourish Café
If you are looking for something fresh, light and clean you should check out Nourish Café.
Offering delectable meals made from whole foods and local produce, most noteworthy, they have in-house made bread, and cooking workshops.
Brisbane Times Good Food Guide People’s Choice Winners 2016 local café Indulge. They create their menu around their motto; ‘we know where it came from and how it was made’.
Sourcing fresh, in-season produce daily from local growers and producers making them a second-to-none dining spot for locals and visitors alike.
Delicious Poached Pear Breakfast at ‘Indulge’ (Credit: Kat_cot)
4. Sea Gypsy
Located at Burnett Heads is a small café whose boho vibes can be felt before you even enter the door. If you are in the mood to relax, wear a long floral skirt and sip chai lattes, then this is the place to go.
Vege Share Platter at ‘Sea Gypsy’ (Credit: Imejine)
Besides having the best Instagram game in Bundaberg this alleyway coffee shop is a favourite among locals. Particularly for their coffee, fresh takeaway lunch options and quality catch ups. Don’t be afraid to head down the alley and see their quirky table ‘numbers’!
Bundaberg Coffee. I still remember the first time I fell in love with coffee.
Previously, the sole purpose of my caffeine intake was purely a survival tactic as I found myself faced with gruelling senior-high-school weeks filled with maths exams, gossip to keep up with, and two little brothers who own Nerf guns. But, one fateful spring day, I took my flat white from the barista, stepped into the sunshine, and took a sip.
I don’t really know what happened. But in a single moment, coffee went from being purely an energy source to an experience: an experience that, like so many others, I began to crave daily.
And I still remember the place where I bought that coffee.
Alowishus Delicious. A (at the time) small café nestled into an alleyway in downtown Bundaberg, for whom I soon found myself employed. Over time, as I delivered hundreds of coffees to tables, served vast amounts of choc chunk cake and laughed with many a customer – I had the privilege of watching Alowishus expand from a cute corner to an alleyway of coffee culture. And as the halls filled and the night shifts got busier I only got more and more excited. About what we were creating. How far it could go. How many more unsuspecting civilians we could convert to coffee cravers. (Kidding. Well, mostly)
The secret to our success? The answer must lie in our coffee. (because; let’s admit it, no matter what the question is, ‘coffee’ is usually the answer) And our particular coffee is supplied by Sacred Grounds. 100% Arabica, the beans are sourced from different locations worldwide, including Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia and Nicaragua. However, Sacred Grounds will prove different from that of other coffee roasters, as their primary marketing point is that their products are completely organic and Fairtrade. This made Sacred Grounds a perfect counterpart for Alowishus, complementing our passion for social justice; something we ensure is evident to our customers. The final element left for the creation of a perfect coffee? The baristas.
Amy Baldwin presenting her ‘Latte Art’ at Alowishus Delicious
If it takes 2000 hours to craft coffee – from the growing to the grinding, then all that time is dishonoured if the barista makes a bad coffee. So, realising this, our latest focus at Alowishus is keeping our coffees consistent. The level tamp, the balance of silky milk and the right amount of crema – our priority is making sure this is perfect every time, despite the barista. Under the guidance of David Lee-Schneider, Barista Coach and Café Consultant, each barista is working to ensure each beverage is true to its name: cappuccino, latte, flat white. So here is our passion: keeping our coffee consistently excellent for our customers and ourselves. Because, as Lorelai Gilmour puts it “Oh I can’t stop drinking coffee. I stop drinking coffee, I stop doing the standing and the walking and the words-putting-into-sentence doing.”
Hit up Alowishus Delicious the next time you are in Bundaberg. We’ll help you through that words-putting-into-sentence-doing thing in the best way we can.
https://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/alowishus-delicious-coffee.jpg350620Alowishus Delicioushttps://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alowishus-web-black-300x118.pngAlowishus Delicious2017-05-04 16:40:382022-03-31 19:13:58Bundaberg Coffee where I fell in love with coffee
In the weeks leading up to our first Christmas party in 2012 the team had been sneaking around behind my back. I didn’t know at the time but they were working on a project called the The Alowishus Wrap. At the Christmas Party they presented me with a framed copy of The Wrap and they also performed it live for Michael and I.
It’s been hanging in the cafe by the stairs ever since. I took it down the other day to clean it and I read it once more and thought I should share it with everyone again. So here it is, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
The Alowishus Wrap
At Alowishus you should come on down
Our friendly staff won’t make you frown
Our coffee’s is golden and brown
That gives us the best coffee in town!
Our boss’ name is T to the Racey
Her numerous long emails don’t phase me.
Her husband’s name is Phil to the Dumphey
I don’t recall seeing that man grumpy
Ally wakes up, get out of bread
Comes downstairs for some banana bread
Hey Ally, whatcha got there?
It’s my injured pet turtle and my teddy bear
Awe Ally, why so sad?
“I’ve lost my Wi-Fi connection on the iPad”
Nina’s out back making our secret dressing
Her corned meat is delicious she’s a blessing
Hollie comes in early prepping all the salad,
She does it so well so it tastes good on your pallet
Out the front, servin’ all them customers,
They can’t serve themselves,
We don’t got self-serve
THIS AIN’T WOOLWORTHS!
Aunty Helen’s in early, making all the wraps
How ‘bout Stuart? Yeah he’s a nice chap
Amy and Imejine are busy working in their store
Nezza’s sweet cakes can’t be ignored
The barefoot bandit, yeah that guy’s pretty neat
He’d be a lot cooler if he ate a little meat!
You’ll find everyone at Alowishus, at shop 4 on Earl’s Court
https://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/video-thumb.jpg436846Amy Baldwinhttps://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alowishus-web-black-300x118.pngAmy Baldwin2015-09-15 11:06:422017-01-14 22:19:36Bundaberg – the place I call home
We are absolutely stoked to have been featured in the Social Media Success Magazine this week, a magazine dedicated to showcasing the social media success stories of local businesses. Read the whole story online here or head over to SocialMediaSuccessMagazine.com.au to download a free copy of the latest edition.
Social media has been a huge part of our marketing plan. A big thanks to all our fans and followers of the Alowishus Facebook page. And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to like us on Facebook for some great offers and promotions. We’ve got lots of cool stuff coming up! :)
See you on Facebook!
The Alowishus Team
https://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/social-media-success-alowishus.jpg478989Alowishus Delicioushttps://alowishus.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alowishus-web-black-300x118.pngAlowishus Delicious2014-09-08 23:46:342022-03-31 19:48:28Alowishus featured in Social Media Success Magazine