Primal Coffee Roasters’ founder Dan is full of surprises. Upon first meeting him, you’d be just as unlikely to guess he’s a devoted practitioner of yoga as to glean his extreme passion for coffee. A charmingly rough-hewn Aussie with a background in construction, he’s in possession of both a quiet, unwavering ambition and the undeniable gratitude that comes with giving up the day job to pursue a passion full-time.
While Dan modestly asserts that Primal is still a startup, his operation has made enormous strides since he began roasting coffee beans in his backyard in Fremantle, Western Australia. Now operating out of Mackay, Queensland, Dan’s company has evolved from roasting single 600-gram batches to producing up to 800 kilograms per week for the over 130 customers he supplies. He even has his own café delivering Primal coffee directly to the public.
Along the way, Dan and co. have seized unexpected opportunities with support from the American Express® Velocity Business Card, enabling the business to grow without compromising its commitment to delivering good coffee made by good people that has been there from the very beginning.
From Crop to Cup
As we walk through the entrance to Mackay’s Primal Coffee Roasters Café, the place is a caffeine-fuelled symphony; the high-pitched hiss of a steam wand, the drumming of baristas knocking out used coffee grounds, and the friendly chatter between staff and regulars create a soothing din that couldn’t feel more welcoming.
Behind the counter, Dan is in his element. He has an easy way with the locals who’ve made Primal their go-to coffee destination, and he clearly has immense affection for his team and the operation he’s built since those days of roasting small batches.
“I live a dream, y’know?” Dan smiles. “I’m lucky enough to have a hobby turn into a passion, a profession, and now a business that’s quite successful. We’re still in the startup phase, I believe. There’s still plenty of room to grow, but every good roasting company globally started off with a single roaster in some backyard somewhere.”
It might seem an unexpected pivot for a man who’d spent years working in construction, but coffee had long been a passion for the founder: “I wasn’t much of a drinker, so anywhere I went I was catching up for coffee, whether it was with mates or working internationally. I was lucky enough to get stuck in a few places and walk through some plantations. There, I met some roasters, found them to be really cool people, and I thought, this is a great industry and an amazing commodity from crop to cup.”
As the man who’d turn up to friends’ houses with a bag of coffee in place of a bottle of wine, Dan’s passion for the humble bean was deepened by a trip to Indonesia, where he discovered its power beyond helping you shake off the cobwebs first thing in the morning.
“While spending a bit of time there for yoga—every yogi loves a good cup of coffee—I ran into a plantation owner, and we sort of hit it off,” he explains. “Through that meeting, I discovered that at a grass-roots level, the commodity of green coffee changes communities. It brings them together, because there were a few families supported by this one little plantation.”
Laughing, he continues that he also made his first attempt at roasting beans at that time, and it wasn’t a promising start: “I roasted my first coffee there over fire and burned the life out of it. It was horrible, but I learned along the way.”
Now or Never
Fortunately, Dan stuck with it, and after slowly growing the business from his yard, he ultimately made the plunge, devoting himself to Primal Coffee Roasters full-time. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was a life-changing one.
“I never had a big pipe dream, or a big plan,” he reveals. “I said to my accountant, ‘Look, I don’t know if I can afford to go away and keep working in construction when I have this small roaster to run.’ He told me it’s that story where you can’t afford to go away, and you can’t afford not to. You’re in limbo, and you have to throw away the day job in order to do the dream job. Luckily for me, it worked!”
When asked if calling the boss to say you’re quitting was all it’s cracked up to be, Dan’s response is unequivocal: “It was awesome! I’d been working FIFO [Fly-In, Fly-Out], carrying 30 kilos of coffee that I’d bagged on the lounge-room floor from Western Australia to Mackay, and it got to the point where I thought I just can’t work a full-time job and then spend weekends roasting and bagging anymore.”
Dan’s ambition to open the Primal Coffee Roasters Café ultimately made him pull the trigger on leaving construction for good, although the COVID-19 pandemic had to intervene to get him there.
Despite having committed to building the new café space, he had no plans to manage it himself: “My sister was moving back from the US, and she was going to manage the café, but she got stuck there because of COVID. She just couldn’t get out of the country. Still, the café had to open; I’d built it, had the roastery in there, so I had to do it, and from day one it just didn’t stop.”
Keen as a (Coffee) Bean
Dan’s enthusiasm is infectious, and he says his all-in approach may not always have been possible without the reliable backing of the Amex Velocity Business Card along the way. With the unpredictability of supply chains and customer payments, having that ace up his sleeve has empowered Dan to keep Primal Coffee Roasters in rude health.
“We opened the café on a shoestring budget right in the middle of the pandemic,” he says with an amused hint of disbelief. “Today, we’re roasting 800 kilos a week for over 130 customers, and managing that cash flow can be a challenge. For us, having up to 51 days to pay1 for those upfront bean orders gives us the operational flexibility we need. It gives us the confidence to keep tons of coffee on the road and product coming in, even when unexpected rain events stop our trucks, or we’re waiting on delayed payments from smaller accounts.”
Despite his success to date, Dan is aware that he operates in a crowded market, where continuing to set yourself apart makes all the difference. While Primal started with simple packaging, he recognised that the opportunity to stand out had to be seized whenever it presented itself. Whether or not a business is prepared for such an occurrence is irrelevant, as the rewards can be considerable.
“To stand out in the coffee industry, you have to be willing to make bold moves,” Dan asserts. “We wanted to upgrade from basic craft brown paper bags to highly creative, colourful packaging, a major upfront cost. As a small business, you don’t always have that kind of capital in your back pocket. The no preset spending limit2 on our Amex Velocity Business Card supports our changing needs. That single investment drove a massive increase in sales overnight! Having that flexible spending power2 acts like a supportive big brother, giving us the confidence to make those sorts of business decisions.”
Part of a Community
Dan is very aware that a business can rise or fall based on how much it appreciates the people that surround it, and vice versa. With the Amex Velocity Business Card, he has the flexibility to connect with Primal Coffee Roasters’ local community, whether through advertising or more egalitarian means.
“Growing a local roastery means you’re constantly managing physical stock and everyday consumables, but it’s also about investing in the community, like running a local radio campaign that gave us a reach we wouldn’t have otherwise had,” he explains.
“That said, we also put back into the community by sponsoring a sports team, at the moment it’s the Mackay Basketball team, and supporting the local school. Everywhere we can, we try to give back so that we’re living our values.”
Clearly, working smart has enabled Dan to better support those who support him. That means ensuring he doesn’t leave any money (or Velocity Points) on the table, because as the saying goes, take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.
“We basically run everything we can through the Amex Velocity Business Card, and I always dig into the details to see where we can earn Velocity Points on those everyday business purchases3,” he reveals. “Because we’re smart with our real-world business expenses, it all stacks up fast. Right now, we have over half a million Velocity Points, giving us more flexibility to travel.”
Operating out of Mackay, travel is absolutely key to Dan’s business. The ability to earn and redeem Velocity Points has proved an immense asset for connecting with his industry more broadly.
“By redeeming the Velocity Points earned3 on our Amex Velocity Business Card, we’ve been able to take essential business trips with Virgin Australia,” he says. “These trips have helped us cement key relationships, drive innovation with our packaging partners, and connect with industry mentors. Offsetting our travel costs with Velocity Points means we can chase these growth opportunities without compromising our cash flow.”
Many More Cups to Come
Speaking with Dan, the pride he has for Primal Coffee Roasters is undeniable. Even though he takes the opportunity to be humorously self-deprecating when asked how he’d describe his relationship with the Amex Velocity Business Card—miming himself as a little brother having his hair playfully tousled—his business has grown at a rate most would envy.
As for advice to those who are looking to transform their own hobby into a passion, profession, and ultimately a successful business, his advice is simple: “Stick to your passion, but be willing to change and change fast. That’s what will keep your business alive.”
We imagine taking up yoga couldn’t hurt either.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial advice. It has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation, or needs. Before making any financial decisions, you should consider whether the information is appropriate for your circumstances and consider seeking independent advice.
American Express and Velocity Frequent Flyer are the issuers of their respective components of the American Express Velocity Business Card. You should read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Target Market Determination (TMD), and Terms and Conditions available on the issuer’s website before making a decision to apply for or acquire this product.
1 Depending upon when you make a purchase, when your statement is issued and whether or not you are carrying forward a balance on your Account from your previous statement period. If you pay by direct debit, your payment will be processed 10 days after your statement is issued.
2 Unless we tell you otherwise, your American Express Charge Card comes with flexible spending power, also known as no-pre-set spending limit. This means that the amount you can spend is dynamic and can adapt based on your transaction patterns, your Business’ credit rating, and other factors. The way you use your Card can help your spending power grow, particularly in the first few months. To help maximise your spending power, make regular transactions and don’t miss any payments.
3 Velocity Points are earned in accordance with and subject to the American Express Velocity Cards Points Terms and Conditions, and exclusions apply. Eligible purchases do not include Card fees and charges, for example annual fees, interest, late payment, cash advances, balance transfers, traveller’s cheques and foreign currency conversion. These do not earn Velocity Points. For the full list of exclusions, please refer to the American Express Velocity Card Points Terms and Conditions. The earn rate of 2 Velocity Points per $1 spent on Virgin Australia only applies to purchases made in Australia. You will earn up to 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 spent at participating Merchants classified as “government” including the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Postal Corporation, Federal/State and Local government bodies. Industry specific earn rate may apply when you use a payment Account, payment aggregator, services of a third party or online retailers that sell goods for another merchant. For example, a payment made to Local Government bodies processed through a payment aggregator may earn rates at the government earn rate. There may be tax implications associated with participation in the Rewards program. You are advised to check with your accountant or tax advisor for further information.
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