22 September 2013

Bean and Grain been and gone

| Madam Cholet
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Does anyone know what exactly happened to Bean & Grain at Fyshwick? It’s been closed for a few weeks now with a note on the door that says something to the effect that they ‘won’t be open this week…’.

They seemed to do a roaring trade, and I know from looking at Twitter that they look to have a shop at Thredbo, so the business was obviously there.

Of course I’m just being nosey as life will go on, but curious to understand why as they seemed to have a good model that was slightly above what else is available – at least at the markets anyway.

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screaming banshee6:32 pm 25 Sep 13

thebrownstreak69 said :

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

ACT Govco is certainly spending a lot of taxpayers’ money – most of it going to a New Zealand company – to stop guys using public toilets to pick up other guys.

No, they’re spending money to provide easy-to-clean, safe and secure public toilet facilities. That you happen to find it personally inconvenient because, for whatever reason, you simply must have a root where other people need to take an urgent sh*t, is neither here nor there.

(Seriously, is meeting up online, having a coffee then going back to his place or a hotel too hard? Because if I wanted to root my missus in, say, one of the glass rooms at the interchange, and the police arrived, I don’t think people would take me seriously if I started bleating about human rights.)

I find it surprising that anyone would want to root in a public toilet anyway. They usually smell bad and aren’t the most hygenic places in the world.

Think about it, that probably puts them at ease.

funbutalsoserious said :

That’s a pity, I loved the Bean and Grain, for coffee and for food.
They supplied the best coffee in Canberra.

Any recommendations for good coffee suppliers on the south side of Canberra, I think the flavour we would get from the B&G was “Ethopian Hurrah” or something quite similiar sounding.

I reckon you are thinking about “Harar”. The Harar Mountain District in Ethiopia produces some awesome beans. If you like that Mocha profile (not adding chocolate, but beans with a chocolatey character), there are some good sources for mail order beans. I buy my Harar beans from Alan Frew out of Melbourne at http://coffeeco.com.au/beanslist.html

I don’t know any local suppliers for good Harar beans.

smiling politely said :

Easy – Ona and Cosmorex in Fyshwick, great variety particularly at Cosmorex

Yup. My first choice is Ona for their Italian Crema blend, but since you have to buy 1kg (to get a decent price) I won’t buy beans that are more than a week old, and often they are.

The bloke there once told me that they kept beans on the shelf for 3 weeks before putting them through the machines in the café.

My backup option is Cosmorex’s Premium Special Blend which they sell in 500g bags. Cosmorex don’t date their bags, but that blend is their café blend, which means it gets roasted pretty regularly.

smiling politely1:46 pm 25 Sep 13

funbutalsoserious said :

Any recommendations for good coffee suppliers on the south side of Canberra, I think the flavour we would get from the B&G was “Ethopian Hurrah” or something quite similiar sounding.

Easy – Ona and Cosmorex in Fyshwick, great variety particularly at Cosmorex, but I rate the Guatemalan beans at Van der Veen in Mawson (and they’re good value price-wise). Red Brick at Curtin offer a blend with Ethiopian beans in there if you’re hooked on that fruity, winey sort of flavour, plus there’s Jindebah in Tuggeranong with a reasonably good selection. I’ve heard good things about the coffee at Lava Espresso in Phillip but I don’t know if they sell beans, then close by to them is Hansel and Gretel’s.

funbutalsoserious1:16 pm 25 Sep 13

That’s a pity, I loved the Bean and Grain, for coffee and for food.
They supplied the best coffee in Canberra.

Any recommendations for good coffee suppliers on the south side of Canberra, I think the flavour we would get from the B&G was “Ethopian Hurrah” or something quite similiar sounding.

thebrownstreak6912:16 pm 25 Sep 13

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

ACT Govco is certainly spending a lot of taxpayers’ money – most of it going to a New Zealand company – to stop guys using public toilets to pick up other guys.

No, they’re spending money to provide easy-to-clean, safe and secure public toilet facilities. That you happen to find it personally inconvenient because, for whatever reason, you simply must have a root where other people need to take an urgent sh*t, is neither here nor there.

(Seriously, is meeting up online, having a coffee then going back to his place or a hotel too hard? Because if I wanted to root my missus in, say, one of the glass rooms at the interchange, and the police arrived, I don’t think people would take me seriously if I started bleating about human rights.)

I find it surprising that anyone would want to root in a public toilet anyway. They usually smell bad and aren’t the most hygenic places in the world.

Woody Mann-Caruso11:12 am 25 Sep 13

ACT Govco is certainly spending a lot of taxpayers’ money – most of it going to a New Zealand company – to stop guys using public toilets to pick up other guys.

No, they’re spending money to provide easy-to-clean, safe and secure public toilet facilities. That you happen to find it personally inconvenient because, for whatever reason, you simply must have a root where other people need to take an urgent sh*t, is neither here nor there.

(Seriously, is meeting up online, having a coffee then going back to his place or a hotel too hard? Because if I wanted to root my missus in, say, one of the glass rooms at the interchange, and the police arrived, I don’t think people would take me seriously if I started bleating about human rights.)

Perhaps they’re getting out of Fyshwick while the going’s good. Gay forums are going off about the closure of Fyshwick beat in four weeks’ time and its replacement with one of those electronic intell Exceloo bastards complete with loud alarms and flashing lights if the door is closed more than five minutes, or more than one person goes into the cubicle. There is also the problem of people getting trapped in the cubicle if there is a blackout, not to mention the seven visits a day needed by staff to keep the things clean and running, whereas the old school male/female toilets only needed one visit a day.

ACT Govco is certainly spending a lot of taxpayers’ money – most of it going to a New Zealand company – to stop guys using public toilets to pick up other guys. Ironic to think that while the politicians are trying to appear gay-friendly with gay marriage legislation, the bureaucrats are spending big bulldozing gay beats and installing very expensive, gold-plated public toilets which the manufacturers boast are completely gay-proof. But hey, rates are soon to triple – just like the Libs warned would happen in the last election campaign – so Labor and The Greens will have plenty of money to finance their jihad on gay men and our recreational activities.

c_c™ said :

I can’t fathom deciding to open in Thredbo, it’s seasonal, highly variable and high risk. And this season was apparently quite bad for businesses.

I was trying to remember where I’d seen the name, and it was in Thredbo where they’d set up at the bottom of Squatter’s Run. Such a bad decision – in addition to the variability of seasons, Thredbo has kind of split in two with the old commercial precinct atrophying badly, and at least half if not more of the visitors only circulating down at the newer Friday Flat area – including all the lucrative mum and dad customers for their kids’ ski lessons (day care). As I understand, Kosciuszko Thredbo (who own the whole joint) know this and are thus planning to redevelop the old precinct – clearly too late for Bean & Grain.

Ate there once and its was not a nice experience taste wise and to me very expensive.

detrimental12 said :

Their Thredbo store was doing exceptionally bad and as a result the Canberra store could no longer support the overall business. They tried to sell the Canberra store but ultimately failed and had to close down as they could no longer afford to run at a loss.

A really unfortunate outcome, the Canberra business was doing fantastically. I can’t fathom deciding to open in Thredbo, it’s seasonal, highly variable and high risk. And this season was apparently quite bad for businesses. Surely there’s heaps of places in Canberra to expand to, the new Kingston precinct is opening just down the road and seemed made for such a business to move to.

detrimental1211:31 am 22 Sep 13

Their Thredbo store was doing exceptionally bad and as a result the Canberra store could no longer support the overall business. They tried to sell the Canberra store but ultimately failed and had to close down as they could no longer afford to run at a loss.

MummaBear said :

Unfortunately another good coffee/breakfast spot that has gone bust. Maybe tried to dip in to the Thredbo scene too early. Quite sad as their breakfast and lunch menu was brilliant. 🙁

Unfortunately another good coffee/breakfast spot that has gone bust. Maybe tried to dip in to the Thredbo scene to early. Quite sad as their breakfast and lunch menu was brilliant. 🙁

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