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Collingwood · Australia

Proud Mary Coffee

Since 2009 · Nolan Hirte, Shari Hirte

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Overview

Proud Mary was founded in 2009 in Collingwood, Melbourne by husband-and-wife Nolan and Shari Hirte; Nolan was an early Australian advocate for filter coffee and painstakingly brewed pour-overs in a country that was then almost exclusively espresso-drinking, and attended his first Cup of Excellence — Brazil's first natural-process program — in 2011. The Portland, Oregon flagship on NE Alberta Street opened in September 2017 as Proud Mary's first U.S. outpost, followed by a 2,500-square-foot Austin, Texas cafe in the Zilker neighborhood in 2022; the Collingwood operation also runs Aunty Peg's brew bar and the Collingwood Coffee College.

Known for

  • Three-country presence: Collingwood (Melbourne), NE Alberta St (Portland), Zilker (Austin)
  • All-day brunch-meets-specialty cafe model
  • Cup of Excellence advocacy from 2011 onward, with sustained Brazilian natural-process focus
  • Aunty Peg's Brew Bar and Kitchen (Collingwood)
  • Collingwood Coffee College training program

Why it matters

Proud Mary helped reframe the Melbourne specialty cafe as a destination where coffee, all-day food, and direct-trade producer storytelling carried equal weight — a model that translated unusually well to Portland and Austin. The Hirtes were among the first Australian operators to open a wholly Australian-style cafe in the U.S. coffee market, predating the Pour Boy / Bluestone Lane wave.

Production

head roaster
Nolan Hirte
roastery location
Collingwood, Melbourne (HQ); separate Portland, Oregon roasting operation

Café

This roaster operates a café.

Recognitions

  • Lonely Planet — described as serving 'stellar' coffee
  • Notable for $150-per-cup specialty offerings at Portland and Austin locations
  • Pioneering Australian operator in U.S. specialty coffee market (Portland 2017)

Sources

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