Auckland-based organic coffee roaster Kōkako is opened its first speciality coffee bar in Commercial Bay on June 11. From its intimate, considered space, Kōkako Commercial Bay showcases the company’s vast and varied range of coffee, with the aim to encourage its customers to venture beyond the bounds of their usual order.
Working alongside their trusted design partner, CTRL Space, to bring the concept to life, Kōkako opted for hardwearing, renewable materials like stainless steel and cedar to anchor its u-shaped bar. Simple and practical, the materials speak to the brand’s focus on longevity, while the structure of the bar itself is, as Murphy explains, all about openness and transparency.
“Usually in espresso bars, the working side of the coffee machine is hidden from the customer. We wanted to open it up so that our customers could watch our baristas craft their coffee,” says Kōkako’s Managing Director, Mike Murphy.
One of the most distinctive features of the Kōkako coffee bar is its front counter. A contemporary piece of craftsmanship that speaks to the brand’s values of sustainability and innovation, the counter’s cladding is 100 percent recycled HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) — a fascinating material that is created using over 8000 upcycled plastic milk bottles.
Behind the counter sits the latest in cutting-edge coffee technology. La Marzocco’s KB90 machine — one of only a handful in New Zealand — to deliver its daily brews with unprecedented consistency. And considering that Kōkako Commercial Bay will serve multiple varieties of coffee via various brew methods including batch brews, the Clever Dripper, AeroPress and Chemex, having La Marzocco’s Modbar technology on hand will ensure precision in every cup. The brew counter will also house four dedicated taps with a nitrogenated Cold Brew, Cascara Kombucha and a rotating selection of beverages developed in-house and by guest makers.
For those who don’t drink coffee there will also be a refined selection of teas from local producers Fine & Dandy and Forage & Bloom alongside a rotating Single Origin decaf. Fresh chai will also be prepared daily and paired with Happy Happy Soy Boy Milk and honey harvested from the rescue beehives on the Kōkako roastery rooftop.
As well as being designed using the most innovative and sustainable techniques and materials, the Kōkako coffee bar will feature a reusable cup wash station, to encourage the uptake and use of reusable Keep Cups.
“From the outset we have always been committed to quality, transparency, and sustainability. Everything we do is focused on contributing positively to the specialty coffee industry to ensure a sustainable and viable future for coffee producers and drinker alike,” says Murphy.
Kōkako Commercial Bay is located at Tenancy 53 on Level 1 of the Commercial Bay retail development only a few steps from the Albert Street pedestrian footbridge, next to Three Wise Men. The coffee bar will be open from 6.30am during the week, 8am Saturday and 9am Sunday.
