The Little Marionette, Sydney Australia
The Little Marionette coffee roaster was founded by Ed Cutcliffe with the vision of making great coffee accessible to all. Starting as a hole-in-the-wall café in Sydney's Inner West, The Little Marionette has since grown into a specialty coffee roaster supplying cafés from Tamarama to Times Square.
Their philosophy emphasizes sustainability and supporting coffee growers, placing these principles at the heart of their operations.
In 2018, I embarked on a comprehensive two-year project with The Little Marionette, focusing on the development of a diverse range of café styles. These included an espresso bar, high-volume grab-and-go sites, full-service café and day-to-night model.
My role in this project included:
Concept Development and Brand Creation: Actively participating in the development of unique café concepts and the creation of brand identities for each site.
Design Implementation: Overseeing the design execution to align with the brand vision and ensure a cohesive guest experience.
Operational Systems and Efficiencies: Implementing operational systems and streamlining processes to enhance efficiency across all café styles.
Recruitment and Training: Leading the recruitment process and designing training programs to ensure site managers and staff were fully equipped to deliver exceptional service.
Food and Beverage Positioning, Budgeting, and Forecasting: Overseeing the F&B strategy for each café, including budgeting and forecasting to maintain financial viability.
Mentorship and Guidance: Providing ongoing mentorship to site managers, empowering them to operate each café autonomously while maintaining operational excellence.
This project helped solidify The Little Marionette’s position as a leading player in Australia's coffee industry, ensuring each café operated efficiently and remained true to the brand’s values of quality and sustainability.