Open Now Mon–Fri 7am–4pm · Sat–Sun 8am–3pm · 118 Smith St, Fitzroy VIC
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Est. 2016 · Fitzroy, Melbourne

A café that
takes it seriously.

Not in a precious way. In the way that means we care about the coffee we serve, the food we make, and the people who walk through the door.

The Corner Press
2016
Est.

The Printing Factory on Smith Street

The Corner Press occupies a space that used to press blueprints for architects and engineers. When Sarah and James took the lease in 2016, they kept the pressed concrete, the warehouse windows, and the name.

The idea was simple: a neighbourhood café that doesn't compromise. Good coffee means knowing where the beans come from and how they were processed. Good food means cooking from the market, not from a frozen supplier.

"A café that takes its coffee as seriously as a restaurant takes its wine."

Nine years later, the regulars still know the staff by name. The menu still changes with the seasons. The espresso machine still runs on beans we've tasted ourselves. Some things shouldn't change.

The Team

The People
Behind Your Cup

A small team. Knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely happy to talk about coffee for longer than is probably normal.

SW

Sarah Whitmore

Co-founder & Head Barista

Former Q Grader. Has visited coffee farms in Ethiopia, Colombia and Honduras. Picks every bean we use. Will tell you more about fermentation processing than you asked for.

JK

James Kovač

Co-founder & Head Chef

Trained in restaurant kitchens before deciding he'd rather cook breakfast. Designed every dish on the menu. Obsessed with fermentation, pickling, and the Fitzroy market on Saturdays.

MN

Maya Nguyen

Senior Barista

Victorian latte art champion 2023. Known for remembering every regular's order. Makes your coffee the way you like it before you finish asking.

How We Think

Three Things We
Believe In

Not a manifesto. Just how we make decisions every day — about what we serve, who we buy from, and how we treat the people who come in.

I

Source with Intention

We know the farms our coffee comes from. We pay above Fair Trade minimum. We change origin when quality dips — never for price.

II

Cook from the Market

The menu follows what's good, not what's cheap or easy. If something's off-season, it's off the menu. That's why we're always slightly different.

III

No Rush

We're a café, not a production line. Stay as long as you like. Bring a book. Come back tomorrow. The corner doesn't move.

Come In

See It
For Yourself

Open daily. Walk-ins welcome. We'll save you a spot by the window.

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