The priority at Axil Coffee Roasters is high-quality, ethical coffee. And when Axil's Anthony Douglas took out the number one spot at the 2022 World Barista Championship, it helped solidify the business as one of the pre-eminent coffee purveyors in a city that takes its caffeine awfully seriously.
And during Random Acts of Kindness Week, running from February 13-17, Axil intends to help rejuvenate the city by handing out 25,000 free coffee cards across the CBD. Keep an eye on Axil's social media for daily clues on where the team will be handing out free coffee cards at landmark locations.
"We want to give back to the city that has helped us get where we are today, [as] without the support of our customers and the wider coffee community, we wouldn't be the Axil we are today," says founder Dave Makin. "[W]e are excited to give back to the community and treat them to a free cup of coffee."
Axil's environmentally and socially friendly beans are labelled Direct Trade, which means they must meet certain criteria. For example, Axil has guaranteed to pay 25 per cent more than the fair trade price to develop stronger, long-term relationships with the producers.
The Axil empire has continued to expand, with stores popping up across all corners of Melbourne, from Flinders Lane and Bourke Street to Melbourne University, Melbourne Airport, Wesley Place and all the way to Chadstone.
The staff at Axil are always happy to talk shop – where the coffee comes from, how it’s made – but it’ll be a short lesson, as the stores are inevitably busy with regulars and passers-by looking for a cold drip or a batch brew. With crispy pastries, solid sangas and tasty brunch and lunch options available at various stores, Axil is as good a place to grab a takeaway coffee and an almond croissant, as it is to settle in for a morning of reading the paper over rocky road waffles.
