The Naked Barista attracted a large following with an Instagram account aimed at coffee lovers, launched during the height of the pandemic. Owner and head barista Adrian Duquilla spoke to Convenience World in an exclusive interview about trends in coffee and the opening of his new TNB Cafe.
Australia’s love of coffee continues to grow with customer preferences expanding both in the home and at the cafe while baristas and consumers alike seek the perfect brew and flavour profile.
Adrian Duquilla, also known as The Naked Barista, launched his Instagram account during the pandemic’s early days when lockdowns began, sharing his passion for coffee and quickly gaining a large social media presence with more than 46,300 claimed followers. He says he missed having cafe quality coffee, so he bought his first coffee machine, the Rancilio Silvia.
His choice of liquid gold?
“For me, nothing beats a double ris[tretto] latte,” he said.
Mr Duquilla says his followers appreciate the effort he puts into his social media content.
“I take a bit of pride with my photography and videography,” he said. “My audience resonated with that, on top of the ‘how to’ guides with my videos.”
The Naked Barista’s top three Instagram accounts he follows include those of James Hoffmann (barista and co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London), Chris Lin (founder and head barista at Taiwanese coffee brand and concept store CHLIV Co) and Slayer (a US boutique espresso machine manufacturer).
The Naked Barista collaborates with a number of brands for the Instagram account, including Califia Farms, Riverina, Made By Fressko, Pesado and Coffee Machine Technologies.
The social media popularity prompted Mr Duquilla to bring his passion for coffee to life, opening TNB Cafe in April at Rooty Hill in Sydney’s west.
Featuring minimalist design elements, the 150sqm cafe’s all-white walls and furnishings make the site an open and inviting space for customers to dine in and enjoy a specialty coffee brew. It’s a particularly popular spot on the weekends and usually captures a customer profile of businesspeople, young adults and students.
Read the profile on TNB cafe in full in the July issue of Convenience World.
