Meet the founder
I started Boutique Coffee at Work in 2008 with one job: make great coffee easy for Melbourne workplaces. Seventeen years later, I'm still doing that same job, and still picking up when you call.
2008
Founded in Melbourne
17 years
Doing this, just this
200+
Active workplace clients
1 phone
Mine. You can call it.
No call centres. No account managers. No “someone will get back to you.”
In 2008 I was watching Melbourne offices put up with coffee that didn't match the city they were in. Outside the door, some of the best cafés in the world. Inside, a tin of instant and a kettle. The gap didn't make sense to me.
So I started Boutique Coffee at Work with a simple idea. Rent a proper commercial machine to a workplace, install it, keep the beans coming, service it when it needs servicing, and actually answer the phone when something goes wrong. No big contracts. No lock-ins. No hiding behind a support ticket.
Seventeen years on, we've grown, but the model hasn't changed. I still do the site visits personally. I still pick the machines that suit the team. I still answer the phone. If you rent a machine from us, you get me. That's the whole point.
“I'm not trying to be the biggest coffee machine company in Melbourne. I'm trying to be the one that still gives a damn.”
Operating principles
Four things I've been consistent on for 17 years. If these don't sound like what you want in a supplier, I'm probably not your guy.
Before any quote or contract, I come and look at your space. Where the machine goes, where the power is, how many people will use it, what your morning rush looks like. Thirty minutes, in person, no obligation. I've been doing this long enough to know a spec sheet doesn't tell you what a real office needs.
When something goes wrong, you call me. Not a helpdesk. Not a ticket system. Not whoever happens to be rostered on. Most fixes I can talk you through in two minutes. Anything bigger, I'm usually on-site the same day or the next. That's the service the rental fee pays for.
A broken machine causes havoc when the office is busy. Chris is easily contactable and the service is reliable and regular, which means our team has coffee when they need it most. Genuinely grateful for that.
Our rentals are month to month. If we're not doing the job, you give me a month's notice and we pick up the machine. I'd rather you leave happy than stay stuck. In 17 years that policy has never cost me a client I wanted to keep.
If your team is 12 people, you don't need a $15,000 Eversys. If your team is 80 people, a home-grade Jura will fall over in a month. I'll tell you what fits, even if it's the cheaper option. Long-term clients are worth more to me than one big first invoice.
Numbers that are actually real, as of 2026.
200+
Melbourne workplaces currently renting from us
5+ years
Average client relationship
24 hours
Typical response time on any service call
I'll give you three client references on the first call if you want them. Most suppliers won't.
A 10-minute call is usually enough to work out if we're a fit. If we are, I'll come and look at your space. If we're not, I'll tell you honestly and point you somewhere better.
Call me direct
0411 876 625
Email me direct
chris@boutiquecoffee.com.au
Book a consult
Schedule a 10-minute call
Chris personally responds to every enquiry within one business day.