Meet Our Partners: Tidal Coffee

Can you tell us a bit about your journey in hospitality so far? 

Tori: I’ve been working in cafés for a long time. I actually started in a café that was connected with a nursery – Newtown Station Nursery – and I feel like it’s come full circle with Tidal, which is also located in a nursery setting. I’ve always made coffee, but it wasn’t until about ten years ago that I got into specialty coffee. Since then, I’ve worked in a few different cafés and have done some pub gigs too. Chris and I actually met working at a pub.

We’re not chefs, but we do know coffee and customer service. So we thought, let’s open a café. We also knew we didn’t want to do it in the city. We just wanted to slow the pace down. There’s nothing wrong with the city! We just didn’t want to look at grey buildings every day. 
 

Your shop is in a really beautiful and unique location. How did you come to open Tidal Coffee here? 

Chris: We always liked the idea of running our own business, so it was something that we’d been thinking about for some time. We were driving through Seven Mile Beach in 2019 and just thought, “This place needs a good coffee shop.” But we didn’t pursue it immediately because of COVID, and we were also building a house at the time. 

Tori: Planning properly started around 2023, and we finally opened in 2025. It was a long process! 

Chris: The idea was to be close to nature, near the beach, with a chill vibe. Somewhere people could take a walk, have a coffee. And it’s been amazing how many people are actually choosing to dine in – we thought we’d be more grab-and-go. 

Tori: We wanted to open something specifically down this end of the beach, where you can have dogs here all year round. We wanted it to be a really dog-friendly space. People can go for a walk, then come sit here with their dogs. We have our dog here sometimes too, though she’s a bit too high-energy to bring all the time! 

You built your café from the ground up. Can you tell us about the design and build process? 

Tori: It started as a pretty simple idea – just a shipping container café, maybe with a cut-out window and a bench. But then my brother (who built it) and our planner got involved and took it to the next level. It turned out to be a much bigger project than we originally imagined. But we love it! 

Chris: The insulated roof especially was a game-changer. Without it, it would’ve been too hot for people to sit comfortably. Now it’s a really welcoming, comfy space.
 

What can customers expect when they visit Tidal Coffee? 

Tori: Chill vibes! That’s our goal. Chill, sit a while, you don’t need to rush off anywhere, just enjoy your coffee and stay a bit longer. We just really wanted to bring a relaxed atmosphere, and we hope it comes across like that. And of course, we wanted to serve really good coffee.

Chris: We’ve already had so much positive feedback about the coffee. People love it.

Tori: I think it helps that we’re really intentional about how our drinks are made. And the space helps, too. People just want to sit, enjoy their coffee, and hang out. 

What’s your daily coffee ritual at home? 

Chris: Pour over! 36g of coffee, 600ml of water. Double batch. That’s our go-to, especially on weekends or when we’re not rushing out the door at 6am to open the café.

Tori: We were using a hand grinder for the longest time, but we now have a Fellow Ode Grinder at home. It makes things a lot easier first thing in the morning! 
 

What’s your favourite coffee on the menu right now? 

Tori: I’ve been loving the Santa Isabel as espresso. It’s been great to offer that as an option for people ordering black coffee.

Chris: We also do a drink called the High Tide Spritz – grapefruit soda, rosemary syrup, and a single shot of espresso. It’s super refreshing and absolutely lovely.

What are your favourite things to do around Hobart when you’re not working? 

Tori: Running, exploring Kunanyi/Mount Wellington. It’s such a beautiful area with lots of trails. And of course, spending time at the beach with our dog.

Chris: Yeah, beach time is big for us. We also love going out for breakfast or dinner when we can. Hobart has so much to offer!