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It’s a sunny Tuesday afternoon and Bondi has turned on its usual charm for this time of year. The air is fresh, the sun is warm and the sky is as clear as crystal. I’m here at Harry’s Espresso with the owner/operator, Chris Karvelas. I must give a massive mention to his wife, Maria, who has been an integral part of growing this business for some years now (way before Chris became a part of it)….  And of course not to mention Harry himself, Maria’s older brother and the business’s name sake.
 
Harry’s has been through an incremental, yet substantial transformation of late. Chris, Maria, & Harry decided to ditch the old coffee supplier, give the place a cosmetic makeover, re-launch what was basically a convenience store that did some coffee to a pumping, premium coffee destination. With the help and support of the team at Single Origin Roasters, they have eclipsed their coffee volumes and it continues to rise weekly! Needless to say I was very excited when he called me, wanting to ad Chamellia, single estate, organic teas and Kali premium drinking chocolate to his offering.
 
The food has stepped up too, with breads from Iggy’s artisan organic bakery, pastries and pies from the highly acclaimed Adriano Zumbo, and the freshest and finest produce available.  Chris has had what you could call a coffee epiphany. He’s nurtured a passion that has grown for many years now, driven by his natural gravitation toward quality and sporned from his very early years making coffee for his dad. If you missed the surname, Karvelas is a very strong Greek name, much like the nature of the coffee from which it came. He would make coffee for his father every morning and still admits (even though he has a very tricked out La Marzocco at his disposal) to making it the same traditional way at home.  “Nice and strong, but it’s all about technique” says Karvelas. He tells me that you can really notice the difference between a good and bad one and it takes a well served apprenticeship to earn your stripes.
 
Chris befriended a local roaster a few years ago and really learnt the ins and outs of beans, roasting, and origins of coffee. Now when I turn up to order my favourite coffee, Chris leans over from behind the machine with black hands and face that is dusted with coffee grinds. You see he is always adjusting, tweaking, and making sure his grind is just right, trying new additions to his already unique and distinct blends, and shooting for that elusive place of excellence that most baristas only really hit every other day.
 
This passion for excellence lives in his veins, and when Chris is describing why he does what he does to me over a lazy lunch his eyes ignite and the fire of passion lights up his whole face, it is truly infectious.
 
After (as a very young couple)running their own successful restaurant “Cyane” in Darlinghurst for three years, Maria jumped out of daily double shifts  and back to Harry’s while Chris pursued the next step in his career , front of house at EST, in the Establishment Hotel. He then moved on to The Icebergs, where he spent three years under Maurice Terzini, and most influentially Chef Robert Marchetti. This is where he learnt all about a quality focus, food costing, and a simple and uncomplicated approach to running a business.
 
Chris takes this wealth of knowledge and experience into his business today, and is always pushing the envelope. He truly believes in making mistakes and learning from them.  “Taking risks is what allows you to grow”, he says. Words of wisdom that come from the proof in his own pudding.
 
Chris believes in having a full back to front knowledge of what you do, the food and produce you use and your equipment too. He even drags (willingly) Maria along to intensive workshops on truly knowing your coffee machine. Literally pulling it apart and understanding how it actually works and how that understanding allows you to get the best from your beast.
Chris also understands that you need to have your personality in your product, and that’s exactly what you get at Harry’s Espresso. “This is why I love working with the guys at Single Origin. They have a unique and fantastic understanding of their product and they promote a great barista/roaster relationship which is essential”. In fact Chris says this through-line exists in all of his suppliers.
 
I’ll enjoy looking back at these seminal days in hindsight, as I know they are merely the beginning of great things down there on Wairoa Ave in North Bondi….   It’s always exciting to watch someone passionately grow a business and enjoy their own success - Great work Chris, Maria, & Harry!