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CAFÉ CONVENIENCE: PROFILE THE BARON BECKONS WITH ‘BANGING COFFEE’ The passion for providing great coffee, great food and a great experience takes centre stage at café, The Baron. DBy Nicholas Rider. aniel De Matos’ love for everything “hospo related” led to him opening The Baron in north-west Sydney’s Hills District. “Giving people delicious food, tasty coffee and an experience is the best part of \[operating a café\],” he said. In the suburb of Castle Hill, The Baron attracts a broad range of clients. “\[I enjoy\] meeting different people from all walks of life and giving \[them\] banging coffee,” Mr De Matos said. A great coffee experience Offering first-rate coffee, according to Mr De Matos, is one of the most important parts of a café’s operations. “It gives people that little bit of happiness each day,” he said. When it came to The Baron’s offering, the café wanted something “not so mainstream”. After trying Paradox Coffee Roasters coffee and listening to their story, Mr De Matos and his team were hooked, he says. The rest is history. Beyond a great roaster, trained and knowledgeable baristas are “super important”, Mr De Matos says, adding that “an open space that sees the elements” helps, too. “The grind is constantly changing, so being able to catch it and adjust it is super important,” he said. Coping with Covid Amid Covid-19, The Baron revamped its retail section to allow for more “Giving people delicious food, tasty coffee and an experience is the best part of \[operating a café\]." “tasty take-homes”. The café has also utilised a coffee truck at small events, auctions and larger events – “Covid-safe of course,” adds Mr De Matos. Café advice He advises that a successful café operator should know their numbers, reward their staff and be passionate. His attitude towards the current café environment is positive. “Within a hard industry,” Mr De Matos said, “it’s so nice to see so many operators with so much passion.” 22 CONVENIENCE WORLD JAN/FEB, 2021