An electrician jumped at a bright idea to open a drive-through coffee shop in a busy Wodonga location.
Taylah Gerecke opened Murphy’s Lane on Elgin Boulevard prior to Christmas after responding to a friend’s call-out for someone to open a coffee shop next door to her future beauty salon, The Beauty Hub, which is now up and running.
“I came and had a look through the building with her and saw the potential because of the location and there’s nothing really in this spot for coffee,” Taylah said.
Taylah had an answer for her friend, Bree Armstrong, within two hours.
“I knew it would really complement her business, so it was a win-win for us both,” she said.
The 24-year-old was an apprentice sparky before working as an electrical contractor for several years and had previously never worked in the coffee industry.
Her idea to run a coffee shop brewed from the exceptional service at a coffee establishment she frequented while working in Newcastle.
“I stopped and had coffee at a place called Lords for a whole week and they remembered my coffee order and I had great, consistent coffee and the vibe from them was just unreal,” Taylah said.
The experience stuck with her and it’s something she wants to replicate in Wodonga.
“From what I learnt at Lords, I wanted to mimic them and have another version, just because of the experience and how you feel,” she said.
“It’s a great feeling when someone remembers you and your coffee order, because you are creating a relationship with them and you’re not just another number.”
After agreeing to open a coffee shop, Taylah contacted Lords and told them her business plan.
“They remembered me and even invited me to the shop for barista training,” she said.
Taylah was involved in the renovations of the site – a former car dealership - and completed the electrical work for the coffee shop, originally thinking she would create the business and then return to work as an electrician.
Taylah hasn’t ruled out returning to her trade but is enjoying her business for the time being.
“It does get busy and we are starting to grow a lot more with our walk-in traffic during the week, usually the walk-in traffic is on a Saturday because people have more time,” she said.
“We make our own cold brew here and a variety of different drinks like cold-pressed juices, iced lattes, iced chocolates, but pretty much anything you can make as a hot drink, we can make into something cold to cater to the weather.”
The business also sells Frankie’s pastries and is open Monday to Friday from 5.30am to noon and Saturdays from 6.30am to noon.