Staff Bio: Duke

When you enter Duke’s Lounge you will see the various items that have inspired the creation & influenced the design of what is not only a café & restaurant, but a second home to the Duke’s Lounge team.

From the cafe chic, & constantly polished chrome designer chandelier and Wega coffee machine, the Yamaha Upright Piano, the motorcycle and guitars on display, to the Numero Uno Altitude Premium coffee blend, A2 Milk, The Grumpy Baker and TeaCraft artisnal teas, Duke has hand-picked it all.

The founder & namesake of Duke’s Lounge has many passions. Besides growing up and spending most of his childhood in the kitchens and dining rooms of Sydney’s very first Thai Restaurants in Bondi and Randwick, up until his early 20′s, it comes at no surprise that the hospitality industry comes as second nature, and a passion that has been instilled in him since he could walk.

Ever the quintessential jack of all trades and published Barista, not only did he stem the idea of Duke’s Lounge from his motorcycling roots – in 2007 he started a motorcycle group named Sydney Riders http://www.sydneyriders.com and riding the lengths trying to find the best breakfast and coffee, as well as the perfect roads for motorcycling, he also has extensive history as a nightclub DJ, as well as competing in Latin American Ballroom Dance competitions – & of course winning (you can see the medals hanging on the wall!) for Logan Dance Sydney.

True to his personality, when you come to Duke’s, he might be behind the coffee machine adjusting the grind or playing mad scientist at the coffee laboratory table – chasing that elusive ‘perfect shot of espresso’ or practising his latte art, planning and implementing new menu ideas, playing the guitar or piano that sit in the cafe, or even cooking your food!

Whatever Duke’s doing, it is obvious to see that although he is a man of many passions, Duke’s Lounge & our regular customers, come first on the list.