It's been a bit of a hectic start to the year for those of us working in retail at 3fe. Late last year we took the decision to open two new locations in quick succession (I know, right?), namely Gertrude on Pearse St and Daniel on Clanbrassil St.

Gertrude is a bit of a monster in terms of size and scope and by far the biggest project we've taken on to date. Daniel on the other hand is a small neighbourhood cafe that was opened on a shoestring budget, mostly because Gertrude had expensive tastes.

We opened it in a matter of weeks so we could get a feel for the area and come back to it at a later date once we'd a better idea what we wanted to do there. It was a bit of a rollercoaster getting it open but we had a lot of fun doing it.

The shop is technically in the city limits but for us it represents a model that can be replicated in small towns and villages, with less of an emphasis on footfall and more so on community and the social role a cafe can play.

Now that Gertrude is nearing full tilt (recently expanded to three nights and seven days a week!) its given us a chance to double back and reassess what we do with lil' old Daniel and with that in mind we'll be closing our doors after service this coming Sunday and reopening in eight weeks time with a brand new offering and a refurb.

We need to make a few tweaks to layouts and menus as well as a few other tricks that we'd like to unveil when we reopen, so theres a lot of work to get done in the coming weeks. In the meantime keep your eye on this space for updates, we're excited to let you know whats in store.

Col

Managing Director, 3fe Coffee.