About Us
How did Two Before Ten first start?
We first opened in August 2008 as Enter Café - a standard little city café, selling coffee and gourmet sandwiches. We rebranded as Two Before Ten in 2011 when we began roasting our own coffee. After ‘popping up’ our ‘Ten Yards’ Regional Produce Restaurant and the ‘Walt and Maz’ Centenary Shipping Containers, and opening A. Baker in 2013, we spent 2014 moving to the Aranda Shops, which had been empty for almost two decades.
The Aranda Shops project
The Aranda Shops project fundamentally changed the focus of Two Before Ten and clarified our purpose as a business. The revitalisation of the site relied heavily on support from the community and the re-use of materials from everywhere imaginable. The community are what made the project possible and they are what continue to make it worthwhile. So, now we are in business to build communities. We only work with people who share our values and support their community. For us, business is about engaging with our clients on product, service and knowledge to help them be as successful as possible so they may then give back to the communities that support them. Our approach is sustainable, in the broadest possible definition of that word. It’s not just about saving the planet; it’s about caring for its people – our suppliers, our customers and our staff.
How we grew
The success of the Aranda project has allowed us to expand in recent years, opening in Canberra City, Brindabella Park, Greenway, Barton and Dickson. Yet, the expansion we are most proud of is the number of our staff we have helped to open their own stores, including: JJ at Twelve Espresso in the City, Ruaidhri at Nomad UC, Blake at The Front in Lyneham, and Tim and Tristan at Atlas on Hibberson in Gungahlin. Our Greenway site is a collaboration with Tim and Tristan.
