How Bowser Bean works as a cafe in petrol and convenience spaces

It is building its brand into a cafe-first culture.

Bowser Bean, a network of cafes, is serving coffee at petrol and convenience spaces that have customers who find servo food as a last resort.

To disprove this perception, the cafe network is offering seating options, free Wi-Fi, and sparkling water. 

They also invest in technology to deliver convenience to their customers at service stations.

In a quick Q&A interview, Bowser Bean Cafe and Vantage Fuels Managing Director Haydn Tierney shared how they operate and survive challenges within these spaces.

QSR Media: What would you like the market to know about Bowser Bean?

Haydn: Bowser Bean was launched in 2017 and is now a network of cafes that operate within service stations throughout regional Victoria and New South Wales. 

Our mission is to provide locations that are worth stopping for. We do this by providing delicious food and great coffee in a stunning café environment. Our food is made fresh onsite every day and our coffee is celebrated from Condobolin to Canadian due to our investment in technology and training.

What's the outlook for the brand

Whilst we operate within service stations, Bowser Bean has a café-first focus we describe ourselves as being very un-servo. We don’t want to be known just for fuelling cars. We want to help our customers power their day. We do this by offering delicious food, and exceptional coffee and we package it all in a convenient and enticing café setting. 

How do you create a strong hospitality offering in the convenience space?

The petrol and convenience space (P&C) is primed for a strong hospo offer – but you first need to convince customers to stop. 

We do this by creating fit-outs that have a café-first focus. We offer a range of seating options, free Wi-Fi, and sparkling water – all signs that we take our food and coffee very seriously! We also train our team and invest in technology to ensure we can still deliver on the convenience promise that is usually associated with service stations.

What have been some of the challenges?

Servo food is traditionally only eaten as a last resort and servo coffee is something you only drink if you have no other options. So, our key challenge has been debunking these perceptions. 

Another unique issue we’ve faced is establishing brand recognition whilst operating under the canopy of major fuel companies.