The St Ali customers knew pre-pandemic is very different to the one that presents today. The iconic specialty coffee roaster has been a trendsetter of the Melbourne coffee scene for the past 17 years, and is continuing to be daring and ambitious, but in a new way.
Like many roasters pre-COVID, St Ali’s business focus was centred around its wholesale partners, making up 95 per cent of its volume. When Melbourne went into lockdown, St Ali’s business was decimated overnight. At its worst, the company volume was down 80 per cent.
St Ali CEO Lachlan Ward says it was a huge shock to everyone, but the “electric shock treatment” was the shakeup the company needed to step into action.
“Our business has never been afraid to try
