Sunday, December 20, 2009

Kappy & Wright’s

A comment on the blog posting for Kappy’s Café prompted Merkel to investigate the Kappy & Wright’s outlet on Compton Street a few doors down from Bliss. Kappy’s was once a large establishment on the North side of Flinders Street. The Café moved across the road to the current establishment in 2005 and in 2007 the wholesaling business then moved Compton Street. The old building on the North side of Flinders Street has since been demolished. At some point Kappy’s seemed to split. Merkel speculates that the owners at the time of the split went with the wholesale business to Compton Street. Apparently Kappy’s naming rights, some of the furnishings and the goodwill of the Café stayed with the Café in Flinders Street. Now it seems that Kappy’s Café has ceased to use the Kappy & Wright’s wholesale product and Kappy & Wright have started their own Café in competition with the Flinders Street Café.

Kappy & Wright’s on Compton Street is a very unassuming coffee shop. In fact it was only three tables stuck out the front of their warehouse. Think of drinking your hot chocolate in your neighbour’s carport and you get the idea. There was no food served at this shop but a reasonable selection of coffee’s and teas. There is plenty there reminiscent of the old Café on the North side of Flinders Street. The huge coffee roaster takes up a lot of the space of the warehouse. Two of the tables are from the old Café, constructed using tree stumps and tea chests. The wide selection of exotic teas and coffees are there.

Merkel ordered the iced chocolate. Both the iced chocolate and hot chocolate were $4.50 so the iced chocolate seemed good value. It came in a very elegant tall glass topped with ice cubes and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The drink was sweet with a coconut flavour. It was not as interesting or as varied as some iced chocolates. Myrtle had a cappuccino which was too strong and made with too much water rather than milk. It was served in the same green mug as they have in the current Kappy’s Café.

In conclusion Kappy & Wright’s is not your usual Café experience. You might go there to try an exotic coffee or tea, but it is not the place for food, cappuccino or an iced chocolate.

3 comments:

  1. I totally disagree with your comments about the outlet in Compton St. I go there regularly and drink there coffee with is made with 6omls of water as all coffees are double shots ( thats why they are strong) and I have had many hot and iced chocolates of which both are made with only pure Tweedvale milk and Nestles Alpen, nothing else. If you have an iced chocolate there is a scoup of Golden Noth Vanilla Icecream in there. I don't know where you get the coconut flavour from. They don't do food but you are welcome to bring your own. Remenbers they are mainly manufacturers and wholesalers with a small retail arm and tastings. This is how the large shop at 58 Flinders St started out.

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  2. Jackie and I read this report so went to try the new and real Kappys in Compton St and what an experience. We took their advice and turned up with our own lunch from home and were immediately asked if we would like plates to eat it from. I loved the Hot Chocolate but couldn't taste any coconut and Jacki had a Cappuccino which was as always ( in the old shop) made with 14g of coffee and 60mls water which came to 40% in the mug and 60% milk. JUST how she expected it. Fantastic, I would recommend it to everyone.

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