Tom Clark’s Coutume Café in France brings Aussie coffee culture
THEREs a typical Sunday morning queue outside the cafe, where people wait for a table and the tattooed barista works frantically behind the counter.
Tom Clark's Coutume Café in France brings Aussie coffee culture
THERE's a typical Sunday morning queue outside the cafe, where people wait for a table and the tattooed barista works frantically behind the counter.
A novelty koala perches on the coffee machine.
But this isn't a suburban cafe in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.
It's in Paris, where a young Australian has embarked on an ambitious mission to bring Australian coffee culture to France.
Tom Clark, a 33-year-old from Canberra, a law graduate more barista than barrister, is seeking to convert the French one cup of coffee at a time.
The atmosphere at Tom Clark's coffee shop in Paris. Picture: Franck Bessiere
Since opening in 2011 on the Rue de Babylone in the 7th arrondissement, Coutume Café has built a reputation as the place to go for the best flat whites, cappuccinos, lattes and espressos in town.
Mr Clark and his business partner and friend Antoine Netien spent the early days working every shift, from breakfast set-up to cleaning the bathrooms at night.
"We had the roaster out the back and Arabica trees growing in the sink,'' he recalled.
Now, they employ 21 people, have a second cafe, a roaster and tasting bar, supply 120 cafes,
restaurants and hotels around France and are about to open two new cafes under licence in Tokyo and Geneva, as well as negotiating another in South Korea.
A waitress serving food at the Tom Clark's coffe shop Picture: Franck Bessiere
The most expensive hotel in Paris, the newly-refurbished Hotel de Crillon, is serving their coffee too, charging the equivalent of $16 for a cappuccino and $13 for an espresso.
"I was frustrated at not being able to get a decent cup of coffee,'' Mr Clark said, recalling his early, lengthy visits to France as a student.
"I couldn't understand why a drink that was so widely consumed … hadn't been elevated to the status we hold it in Australia.''
Returning home, he worked throughout his university years in bars and cafes in Canberra and
Brisbane and became fascinated by coffee – the sourcing, roasting, and creation of the perfect cup.
Paris appealed because he loved the culture and the language – and he'd met a Russian girl there, Elina Grodzinskaya, who is now his wife.
Three days after completing his law degree, he returned to France with the idea of opening an
Australian-themed coffee cart, complete with surfboard.
Tom Clark, from Canberra, whose business Coutume is bringing a new coffee culture to the world. Picture: Franck Bessiere
But he could not navigate the notorious French bureaucracy and get a permit.
"Then I realised I wanted to be part of the culture, not coming in from the outside,'' he said.
French culture is considered among the finest in the world and Mr Clark saw the care they took with their wines, cheese, meats, fashion, jewellery and leatherwork.
But coffee, which used to come in bulk from the former French colonies, was not treated with the same respect.
After a few years distributing coffee for others, Mr Clark took the plunge.
Along with Mr Netien, who had worked in Australia's coffee capital of Melbourne, they bought a centuries-old terrace in the 7th arrondissement which was operating as a kebab shop, stripped it back to its originally, lovely high ceilings and Coutume, which means custom, was born.
Tom Clark's coffee shop in Paris Picture: Franck Bessiere
"Coffee was just left out because of history and the monopoly,'' he said.
"They got free Robusta (coffee beans) from their colonies.
"It never really had the noble image of tea. It was seen as the working man's drink.''
Coutume is now creating its own customs. Mr Clark said he used to sell about two breakfast meals a day before noon, with breakfast not a part of French culture.
Now, the French are holding breakfast meetings at Coutume.
The menu at Tom Clark's coffee shop in Paris Picture: Franck Bessiere
Ex-pats desperate for a good milk coffee also make a beeline for it.
Business people and politicians drop by. The Swedish ambassador comes in most days. Former Australian ambassador David Ritchie was such a regular, Mr Clark still remembers his order – a double shot latte.
"I'm Australian 100 per cent and very proud. Antoine is French but inspired by his time in Australia,'' Mr Clark said.
