Old Whangārei refuse dump and recycling depot kiosk transformed into Easy Bean drive-through

Katrin Laser hands over a coffee at the drive-through Easy Bean. Photos / John Stone

When German-born Katrin Laser first moved to Whangārei last year with her partner Daman Groshinski, a born-and-bred-local, they went for a stroll around the Hātea Loop where he pointed out sites he'd known as a kid.

When they crossed the bridge to the Pohe Island side Groshinski pointed out the old refuse dump and recycling depot where he often went with his father on Saturdays to drop off rubbish.

Laser admits to not finding the former depot terribly exciting at the time, until she saw the old toll kiosk and weigh station.

''Wow, that would make a great drive-through coffee place,'' she told him.

Which was how the busy and unique-in-Whangārei coffee stand Easy Bean came about.
The drive-through opened in February this year after several business proposals were put to the site's owners, Whangārei District Council.

''It took a bit of convincing but in the end they were good to deal with,'' Laser said.

In a good example of repurposing, the former recycling centre's kiosk is now a drive-through coffee shop.

The couple now have a yearly, hopefully renewable, lease on the welcoming, refitted toll kiosk where Laser works from 6am until 2pm on weekdays and 6am to 12pm on Saturdays.

''Actually, I'm meant to open at 6am but there are always customers waiting when I get here. The first coffee usually gets handed through the window at 5.45am. I set the coffee machine to turn itself on so there's no wait.''

Those early morning customers are mostly truckies and tradies.

''Sometimes there is a row of tradies with loaded trailers behind them, heading either in or out of town for work.''

As for day traffic, Laser has been mostly surprised at the number of mums with small children who pull in off either Dave Culham or Riverside Drives. Many comment on how easy it is to stop at a drive-through that sells good takeaway coffee rather than find a parking space, and unbuckle and steer the kids toward a cafe.

Jessica Andela, left, buys a hot chocolate from Katrin Laser at the Easy Bean.

People using the dog park across the road are also fairly regular customers, as the Advocate found on the day it visited and Laser offered dog treats across the window counter along with a hot drink, its lid topped with a couple of sweets.

''We're still a little off-set from the loop walk so we don't get many walkers. That will probably change when this section of the path is done.''

But the truck trade continues all morning, and Laser said on one occasion even the man cutting the grass around the site pulled up on his ride-on mower and ordered a coffee.

As well as having its visible location and easy off-road access on a busy worker traffic routes, word grew quickly about Easy Bean, attracting day custom from other suburbs. And they're on Instagram, a website and Facebook.

''Quality is my main thing,'' Laser said. ''We spent days here and there testing coffee. We wanted organic beans but they can sometimes be a little bitter so we approached Altura and now they do our own blend, just for us.

''My focus was on, a) organic coffee and, b) biodegradable cups and lids.''

It's all ticking along nicely now, but disappointment crashed through the couple's hard work and good start when, after a short time of turning the has-been into the Easy Bean, the kiosk was twice attacked by vandals. Laser and Groshinski upgraded security and installed some fairly funky night lighting.

As with many sound businesses, the decision to build a drive-through coffee shop was based on inspiration, imagination and vision. It's Laser's first foray into owning a hospitality business but she worked for a few years in the industry in Glenorchy, 45 minutes from Queenstown, and then a resort in the Coromandel, where she met Groshinski.

Those experiences gave her the know-how, but at the heart of the business is the owners' and the customers' appreciation of a damn fine cup of coffee - or hot chocolate, tea, chai ...

• Northland businesses come in all shapes and sizes. If you have a business story to share please contact Lindy Laird, Ph 09 470 2801, or email lindy.laird@northernadvocate.co.nz .