Postie Toasties
A NEW LITTLE GEM has popped up on Bennett Street in Darwin, serving hot and chilled coffees, authentic chai teas and some of the tastiest toastie combos getting around. Despite its tiny size – and only being open for a few weeks – Postie offers full flavours served with a smile, proving once and for all that size isn’t everything.
For owners Kurt Bartlett and Rachel Craggs – partners in biz and in life – it was their growing family and the desire for a work/life balance that inspired them to open Darwin’s newest takeaway foodie haunt.
“The idea of creating a place for us had to be inline with our family,” Rachel says.
“We didn’t want to create something where we had to work ridiculous hours, because our two young boys are our main priority and we want to be there for them.”
With a mix of hospitality experience between them, opening their own café was a long time coming for the pair, despite 2020 being a notorious year for the hospo industry.
“We’ve been wanting to open a business for quite a few years, and the opportunity just kind of presented itself,” Kurt says.
“Although we were always planning to open, the pandemic triggered the opportunity for us – I got laid off and we just had to do something for ourselves.”
Having split their time over the past seven years between Rachel’s hometown of Darwin and Kurt’s home of Fremantle, starting a family inspired the pair to settle down and open up shop.
“We saw this building pop up at the start of the year, and it ticked all of the boxes. It was built in ’68, so it’s survived a few cyclones,” Rachel says.
“The previous person had a barber shop here for about 30 years, but unfortunately, he passed away. His customers often come in and tell us funny stories about their haircuts, which is nice because it gives us a connection with them as well.
“His wife came by to see us and I like to think she blessed it, as she blew us kisses. When Kurt pulled one of the walls off, a little picture of Jesus fell out, so we’ve still got him pinned in there because you can’t throw Jesus out!”
Postie’s toasties are fast gaining a loyal fan base, their changing menu including tasty combinations such as roast beef, mustard, house-made sauerkraut, cheese and pickles, and straightforward grilled cheese. Rachel says their popularity is all in Kurt’s secret recipe.
“The difference with our toasties is Kurt’s secret five-cheese blend – he’s nailed the perfect ratios!”
The response from the community has been a warm one, the tiny café already attracting a bevy of regulars popping by for a cuppa on the way to work or a toasted sanga at lunch.
“In the mornings here, it’s a really good vibe – there’s always people out here and they chat with each other while they wait for their coffees. It’s lovely that it’s worked out like that,” Kurt says.
With sustainability a topic close to Kurt and Rachel’s hearts, every decision has been made with this in mind – from the repurposed furniture made by Rachel’s dad, Harry, to the discounts offered to customers bringing their own cups.
The duo says playing their own tunes has been one of their favourite things about working for themselves, but at the end of the day, it’s knowing they’re doing something for their family that makes all the hard work worth it.
“Hospitality can be pretty brutal sometimes, so we wanted to create a really happy and nice environment to work in,” Kurt says.
“The pushing point to create something for our family is why we decided to open, and we feel like we’ve done the right thing.”
Postie
WHEN MON – FRI | 7AM-3PM
AT 11 BENNETT ST, DARWIN
INFO instagram.com/postie_darwin
