Ali Slotemaker and husband Stephen Lee were both working in high-paying and comfortable jobs 11 years ago when they decided they wanted to drop everything and start their own business. The couple eventually settled on a coffee business – they believed it was the perfect way to help contribute to their community in Cairns in a more meaningful way.
As a Kiwi, Ali felt the Cairns coffee scene was way behind New Zealand’s at the time. So, she decided to take the experience of what cafe culture could and should be like and got educated in coffee roasting.
Ali and Stephen spent three years in New Zealand running another cafe and roaster before coming back to Cairns. They then decided whether or not they should go back to their old jobs or push themselves with a small business.
“Our vision is to make a positive difference to people, communities and the environment through coffee,” Ali tells us.
The couple decided they’d put everything into their business White Whale Roasters to give them their best chance at success – and it certainly has succeeded. In the years since the pair also launched a coffee bar called Teddy Espresso.
While Covid hasn’t been kind to many small businesses, essential workers kept Teddy Espresso and White Whale Roasters’ takeaway business busy. Ali and Stephen also saw a huge increase in the retail side of the business as more and more people began buying their own beans for machines at home.
One thing that has made running their business much smoother has been going cashless and using the all-in-one Square register. This one change has made a dramatic difference and has sped up their sale process dramatically. No doubt, this is very important when you’ve got a line of people waiting for their coffee order!
Ali explains that another of the positives about Square is that she can use the all-in-one Square register at both of their stores, which are run as separate companies. Before they used Square, they had to pay a subscription for their POS and hire the EFTPOS machine. This meant paying transaction fees for every purchase – all of which were different depending on the card customers were using. Sounds like a headache!
“Square streamlined everything, improved speed and efficiencies, and let me use the same account for two companies, where everything could be customised,” Ali tells us. “I am really impressed with this all in one solution.”
PTV: Tell us a little bit about your company and the inspiration behind it?
Ali Slotemaker: Ten years ago, Stephen and I had well-paying comfortable jobs, Stephen as a carpenter and myself as Environmental Protection Officer; however, something was pulling us in a different direction. One where we could make a difference and business seemed like the vehicle to take us there. So, we resigned from our jobs to start a coffee roasting business in Cairns, Far North Queensland.
We had zero business experience, not even a friend or family member who was in business. We had no hope of getting a bank loan (it was post-GFC), so we liquidated our only asset, our home, and put everything we had into starting Cairns’ first specialty coffee roastery with the loose goal of making a difference to the world in which we lived.
PTV: You learnt about coffee roasting and cafe culture in New Zealand. How has this shaped your company?
AS: Growing up in New Zealand, I was surrounded by great coffee and coffee roasters in my hometown of Nelson, which in the ’90s had about eight coffee roasters for 30,000 people. My first job at 14 years old involved making coffee, something I continued part-time while studying science at uni. After finishing uni, I spent some time on the Gold Coast, which was also a great training ground.
When I came to Cairns in the mid-2000s, I was surprised by the lack of cafe culture and great coffee. I really missed the vibe and energy local café provide (and the good coffee, of course). We saw a huge gaping hole in the market, and we set about filling it. We took inspiration from the successful business models we had seen in New Zealand; small-batch coffee roasting with a thriving espresso bar at the front.
Cairns being a tourist town, people did find our industrial location quite unusual; however, we wanted to focus on a local and reliable trade. It didn’t take long before the coffee caught on and if people didn’t drink coffee before, they now did!
PTV: Why is it important for you to import coffees beans from overseas?
AS: Over the past decade, I have seen the barriers between coffee roasters and coffee growers reduce significantly, removing the middleman and increasing the producer’s return. We purchase coffee from several growing regions to create unique and exciting blends; however, one origin that is close to my heart is Timor Leste.
I was first introduced to this origin by Wayne Green from Wholemeal Cafe in Takaka, New Zealand. He was directly importing about six tonnes of green coffee per year, and he shared with me how his purchase supported three villages and that they relied on him for their whole annual income. It made me realise how a small business like ours could positively impact other lives by simply being thoughtful about sourcing our raw products. We now put this principle in place when making all our purchases.
PTV: How did you gain the confidence to walk away from your desk jobs and launch your own business?
AS: I am a natural risk-taker; Steve is not; however, we both felt strongly that going into business was something we wanted (despite total lack of experience). We were even looking at buying a stockfeed business at one stage! We had about $80K in cash after liquidating everything we owned and were prepared to lose it and start again if it came to that. I knew the statistics; there was every chance we would fail. I think being young-ish helped. I turned 30 the same week we opened our doors.
We spent the next seven or so years in survival mode, then slowly but surely, we grew in experience and confidence. Business life became less consuming, and the light at the end of the tunnel grew a little brighter. We are now in year 11 and couldn’t think of doing anything else.
PTV: As you established your business in Cairns, have you noticed a change in cafe culture since starting up?
AS: Yes! Over the past 10 years, the coffee and cafe scene in Cairns has exploded. There are about eight coffee roasters in Cairns now, and good coffee is everywhere. The skill base of baristas has also skyrocketed since we started. I believe cafes and coffee shops add so much to the fabric and vibrancy of communities. The city’s food and beverage scene has matured, and I love the more grown-up version of Cairns to the one I found when I first arrived.
PTV: How can everyday Australians support a business like yours?
AS: Every purchase is an opportunity to support your local community. It sounds corny, and we hear it a lot, however, it is so true. I get that not every purchase can be from a boutique store, organically-grown or hand-made; however, even swapping one or two of your weekly purchases to local will make a huge difference. Look to support the locally-owned business in your community whenever possible.
I would love to see more cafe businesses in Cairns supporting local roasters as there is still a lot of coffee coming from down south unnecessarily. We have the quality and diversity up here for locally-roasted to be the norm. I started a campaign called Roasted Up Here to promote local-roasted coffee.
PTV: How do you use Square for your business, and what are some benefits?
AS: We have two stores, run as separate companies, and use the all-in-one Square register at both. Before Square, we paid a subscription for our POS; we paid to hire the EFTPOS machine and paid transaction fees that were different for every different type of credit card on the market. Just adding up the costs involved in processing our payments gave me a headache. We also process hundreds of small transactions every day and often have a line of people at the till; the 2-second delay between our old POS and EFTPOS machine was problematic. Square streamlined everything, improved speed and efficiencies, and let me use the same account for two companies, where everything could be customised. I am really impressed with this all in one solution.
PTV: What are some goals you hope to achieve in the near future?
AS: Looking forward, we are excited about White Whale’s future and how it can continue to make a difference to the Cairns community through coffee, with a focus on the environment. Our big picture plans include establishing a commercial compost service or facility to process food waste and compostable packaging.
Be sure to check out White Whale Roasters and Teddy’s Espresso.
