After months of preparation refitting a shop front that’s a dream come true, owner John Giuliani officially opened his debut cafe, Doppio on Friday, 4 July. The cafe is serving up Italian panini and other Italian-style brunch food “just how Nonna does it,” with a focus on warm service at the forefront.
Owner John Giuliani has managed cafes across Adelaide for the past decade, but Doppio marks his first venture into business ownership. For Giuliani, it’s a personal milestone years in the making.
“I’d say it was about three years ago,” he said. “I had that realisation: ‘Right, I’ve got what it takes.’ I felt like I had everything I needed to do my own thing.”
Doppio pays tribute to Giuliani’s heritage, with his grandparents once running a number of restaurants across the state.
“I’ve gone down the path of the new modern cafe setup, just to do something a bit different from them, but I’m still trying to use the Italian background.”
Giuliani says some of the menu will reflect the kind of food his Nonna used to make. Think panini filled with fresh local ingredients, plus a cabinet stocked with Italian-style sweets. Also on offer will be grab-and-go deli snacks and classics like ham and cheese croissants.
There will be vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options across the menu. A soft opening menu will run for the first month, with a full kitchen launch to follow, featuring brunch favourites.
The front counter is decked out with a Victoria Arduino Black Eagle T3 espresso machine, which will anchor the cafe’s coffee service and produce beautiful shots of espresso.
While the food and coffee are key, Giuliani says it’s the service that comes first.
“My number one thing is customer service. I’ve always been big on that. So the first thing I want, as soon as you walk in the door, you’re going to be greeted with a big warm hello.”
The layout of the cafe has been designed with that in mind, placing the coffee machine and counter front and centre so customers are welcomed immediately.
“Sometimes you walk into a place and you’re not sure where to go. That’s why I made it pretty obvious. You walk in, the counter’s right in front of you.”
With outdoor seating and a dedicated takeaway window, the cafe is also ideal for busy mornings or quick lunch breaks. But even before renovations, it was the corner location that stood out. Paired with the sage green and off-white tones of Doppio’s branding, it makes for a striking exterior.
Although the café has been fully renovated, it’s the small details that stand out, in particular, the custom Napoli jersey gifted by his friends and former team at Zeea’s, where he managed before opening Doppio. The jersey is embroidered with the cafe name and the number two, representing a double shot, the English translation of Italian word ‘Doppio’.
“It was pretty emotional when they gave it to me,” Giuliani said. “A lot of thought went into it.”
Doppio is officially open, with the coffee window, cabinet goods, and limited menu available from day one.
Doppio Cafe
Where: 1/219 Glynburn Road, St Morris
When: Monday – Saturday 6 am – 2:30 pm | Sunday 8am – 2:30pm
For more information, click here.
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