FROM THE RAAF TO RISTRETTOS

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” Never has this saying been truer, than for husband and wife team, Scott and Nicole Penrose, who recently opened a Zarraffa’s Coffee store in West Ipswich, Brisbane.

“I was previously an administration assistant with Children’s Health Queensland and Scott is a RAAF reservist and an electrician by trade. It’s a massive career change for both of us,” Nicole says.

Scott has served 17 years of full-time and reservist duties for the RAAF and is currently on his fourth deployment to the Middle East. But that hasn’t stopped Nicole from launching this new chapter of their lives while awaiting his return.

“Nicole has done the heavy lifting of late, with loads of phone calls and emails flying back and forth across the globe. But on my return in April, we will very much be a husband and wife team, dealing with the demands of running a busy Zarraffa’s drive thru store,” Scott says.

Nicole and Scott have been a part of the Ipswich community for 15 years.  In that time they have watched the area change and grow, and identified an opportunity to expand the local retail offering. Three years later, that idea has become a reality.

“The response from the local community has been awesome. We are receiving lovely feedback and already have quite a few regulars,” says Nicole.

During its thorough selection process of franchisees, Zarraffa’s found that Scott and Nicole have the right combination of work ethic, personality and drive to make this career change and has thrown the support of its team behind them.

“Our trainers from Zarraffa’s have been amazing, they are so patient with helping us train our new staff, and nothing is ever a problem,” Nicole says. “All of the girls are just so supportive, it’s great.”

The convenience of drive thru coffee is becoming a must for those enduring morning rush hour traffic. West Ipswich is the first of a number of drive-thru store openings for Zarraffa’s this year.

Scott and Nicole believe this is the reason why their new store is already becoming a local favourite.

“With opening hours from 5am, we’re able to cater to tradespeople or early risers on their way to work, without our customers having to get out of their car,” Nicole enthuses.

Zarraffa’s Coffee West Ipswich is located at Shop 4/242 Brisbane St, West Ipswich, opening from 5am – 10pm, seven days a week.