Kelly's World

Last night after dinner I went over to C’s place for the evening. When I got there I found that he was pretty tired, but he was happy enough to go for a walk down to the beach to get a coffee and just chill out a bit on the sand. It was sSomething different from sitting in front of the tv at night anyway.

When we got there, we knew we had made the right decision.

After buying a coffee from Starbucks in Mooloolaba, we kept walking towards the beach and began to hear the beat of some drums. Initially we thought it might have just been some music playing through speakers at one of the nearby restaurants, but as we got closer to the landmark “Loo with a View” the sound grew louder. As we rounded the corner to the wooden deck downstairs we came across a group of 20 (possibly a few more) drummers sitting in a big circle.

Drums ranged from your basic bongo drum to the kind you would usually see in a band parade. They weren’t playing anything in particular, but rather they all joined in together as they saw fit, changing the pattern or having “solo” moments whenever they thought it was appropriate. C and I were mesmerised, as were the large crowd that quickly grew. We finished our coffees and watched the finale, when the drummers all pointed us to a busker standing by, ready to start his own set.

He was a juggler, and his tools included some regular juggling balls, solid glass balls and even the good old yoho diabolos.

Remember these?

At the end of his performance he brought in some flaming sticks, which proved to be quite a challenge in the windy conditions. He still entertained us though, and his antics were a hit with the kids in the audience.

At the end of the night, C and I both agreed that going for a walk was a great idea. I’m so glad that C has moved into a house where it takes only a few minutes to walk to Mooloolaba beach, because it means that we can enjoy nights like this on a regular basis. When you can experience a beautiful view, great coffee and even better company, why would you want to stay inside?

Took a quick break from work today and walked up to the bluff at lunch time. It was an absolutely stunning day, but alas all I had with me was my iPhone.

Starbucks Mooloolaba

A well-known chain coffee brand, Starbucks usually has its critics. It also hasn’t had the best run in Australia, recently having to close 60% of its shops on Aussie shores.  However “large scale” they may be, I think they have still managed to capture a small business feel through their outstanding service.

Price: $3.80 for a tall takeaway skinny cappuccino

Presentation: 5/5 – They got a couple of bonus points here for the presentation of the takeaway cup (which is hard to make unique). There was the standard takeaway cup with lid, but I was happy to see they’ve embraced the festive season through the use of Christmas themed cups. The clincher to get them to a 5/5 rating was they put on a cardboard band around the middle, which helps to hold the cup while it’s hot. It’s been quite rare to find this in Mooloolaba, and when you’re walking back to the office with a coffee it can sometimes be unpleasant. Or maybe I just have girly hands…whatever.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – It’s the typical “Starbucks” affair, which doesn’t change much from store to store. Inside was a big display of food items, and everything was fitted out with the red/wood theme. There are some comfortable couches surrounding a number of tables and chairs (including some couches facing the beach), and for the corporate clientele there are some power points available. If you’re an iinet customer, there’s also wi-fi available as well. It’s well placed on the esplanade, having a great view of the beach and situated within the beautiful Sirocco hotel complex.

Service: 5/5 – The lady who greeted me had a smile, and a ton of personality. She made my visit seem personal, and we had a bit of a laugh together. Definitely a reason to come back.

The taste: 4/5 – Good temperature, decent coffee. Not enough to make me scream “that is an awesome coffee”, but it definitely satisfied my need for caffeine.

Overall score: 18/20

**Update**
I wrote this update yesterday, went back this morning to get a coffee and it was the same lady that was working yesterday. Amazingly, she remembered my name. I knew she had great service skills, but that just made me even more impressed.

Starbucks Mooloolaba
Shop 108, Sirocco
51-57 Mooloolaba Esplanade,
Mooloolaba QLD 4557

A takeaway coffee from Jamaica Blue

I was attracted to this shop because of the words “Fine Coffee” after the company name, and was impressed by the range of the coffees available on the menu board.

Price: $4 for the second smallest size, which looked like a large to me? I couldn’t see anything that explained what each size was.

Presentation: 4/5 – Nicely branded coffee cups, but again, nothing spectacular. In itself, that’s a good thing. I think it’s probably a good thing that I don’t have much to say in this section, because the negatives or extreme positives are the standouts. No news is good news, right?

Atmosphere: 4/5 – A nice coffee lounge feel. This is the kind of place that would appeal for those with laptops, looking for a quiet place to have a coffee and get a bit of work done at the same time. There’s a couple of tables inside, while outside a giant shared eating area (shared amongst a few cafes) is also available for those looking for a view of the beach.

Service: 4/5 – Immediately served when I stood at the counter, and greeted with a smile. Can’t ask for much more than that!

The taste: 3/5 – Almost burned my mouth when having the coffee, so that affected the score. However, once I had brought the coffee back to the office and let it cool down a bit, I enjoyed the coffee. Still not fantastic though.

Overall score: 15/20

Jamaica Blue
Zanzibar Resort, 47-51 The Esplanade, Mooloolaba
Website: http://www.jamaicablue.com.au/

Olivers Cafe Mooloolaba

For the first review I thought I would go to a coffee shop that I hadn’t tried yet. Maybe I should have waited.

Price: $4 for a large takeaway skinny cappuccino

Presentation: 3/5 – It had all the basics. Takeaway cup, chocolate on top, no mess on the sides. Didn’t rock my socks, but it was sufficient.

Atmosphere: 4/5 – Compared to the rest of the places on Mooloolaba, this one had a very low-key casual vibe about it. The music was maybe a little bit loud, as I had to repeat my order to the waitress (she didn’t hear me the first time). Bonus points for being a pet-friendly cafe; as a dog lover I definitely appreciated the gesture. Dogs are limited to sitting around the outside tables with their owners, but one of the staff members brought out a water bowl for a dog laying down, which I thought was pretty great. The seating area outside felt (and looked) a little bit chaotic though.

Service: 3/5 – Maybe a little harsh, and could be pushed up to 3.5. The waitress was nice, but she thought it was a good idea to refill the not-empty straw jar while making my coffee. Huh? But again, nothing to rock my socks off and it was sufficient service.

The taste: 1/5 – The most important part of the whole review, and what determined if I will be buying coffee there again. Put simply, I won’t. The waitress asked if I wanted any sugar (I have one teaspoon with my coffee), but when I got back to the office it was pretty clear she had forgotten to add any. The coffee was bitter, and I didn’t enjoy it. The proof was the fact that I found I had left almost half of my coffee in the cup when I looked at it an hour later in the office. There just wasn’t enough there to make me want to keep drinking it.

Overall score: 11/20

Oliver’s Cafe
Unit 116, 57 The Esplanade Esp, Mooloolaba