Former Wallabies hooker selling Belconnen cafe in Republic precinct

A former Wallabies hooker is selling his popular cafe in the heart of Belconnen, offering potential investors a unique opportunity to own the business and the building it occupies – and what an impressive building and location it is.

The owner of Society Coffee Co, Marco Caputo, who played for the national rugby team in 1992, has invested about $180,000 in the cafe.

It’s an architect-designed, glasshouse-like building with custom joinery and stone benchtops, Velux skylights and pendant lighting.

No expense was spared, with state-of-the-art equipment including a La Marzocco KB90 coffee machine, an Ubermilk milk foamer and quality coffee grinders.

Caputo says even a “novice barista could work here”.

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The 123-square-metre Society Coffee Co is the only coffee shop in the Republic precinct. Neighbours include Woolworths Metro, BZ Burger, more than 1200 residential units and 152 hotel rooms in the Abode Belconnen hotel.

“It’s an opportunity to own a freehold business – and an established one at that,” says selling agent Frank Walmsley of Capital Commercial Business Sales.

Caputo has been running the business for the last year but is selling it to pursue a coaching opportunity in Italy.

“This is the fourth cafe that I’ve opened,” he says. “My cycle over the last 20 to 30 years has been: If I’m not running a coffee shop, I’m somewhere on the footy field, coaching.

“But I’m keen to pursue another opportunity in Italy and get back into professional coaching. I’ve been at it for a couple of years now, having just finished a three-year stint at the Gungahlin Eagles, but an opportunity is there for me to jump back in professionally.

“In the past, I’ve coached in Ireland, Japan, France and the UK and have had coffee shops running while doing that, but it wasn’t easy. What I’d like to do this time around is be clear of anything that is tying me down.”

What Caputo has enjoyed most during his time running Society Coffee Co were the friendships he made with his customers.

“There’s a good customer base here that I’ve come to know,” he says. “You could almost set your watch knowing what times they come past, whether that’s on the way into work or on the way out from the gym – or the teachers at Lake Ginninderra College sneaking a coffee between classes. I’m definitely going to miss that.

“At the end of the day, it’s a bloody good industry to work in. People are cheerful and great here and it’s a nice space to work in.”

Business activity statements show the cafe made about $60,000 plus GST per quarter in the last three quarters.

“It’s consistently doing well every quarter and has the potential to do so much more,” Walmsley says. “If you wanted to re-engineer the business, you could. This is a rare opportunity. There’s a free kick for potential.”

Price guide: $900,000

Auction: 2pm, June 9

Agent: Capital Commercial Business Sales, Frank Walmsley 0400 446 605