Ben Ellevsen is working seven days a week in his new business. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Ben Ellevsen was 14 when he got his first job, washing dishes at Peeches Coffee Lounge at Griffith Central, a popular eatery owned by his sister Michaela and her husband Brad Coombe.
Just four years later, Ben and his girlfriend Schapelle Nuumaalii, 18, became the town’s youngest cafe owners when they bought the business just before Christmas.
“We’ve had a great start. January was so busy, we did a roaring trade,” Ben said.
Boss at age 18
Being a teenage boss has its challenges, though.
“Some people don’t really take you seriously because of your age, which isn’t really fair, but something you have to deal with,” Ben said.
“Once, a customer asked to speak to the manager, and when I came along they asked, ‘No, where’s the real manager?’.
“But the staff here are all supportive, nobody is judgmental.”
Ben says the team at Peeches, which includes his mum Tracey (middle, standing, green top), is his biggest asset. Photo: Facebook.
Ben now employs a team of 12 and has the unusual role of being the manager of his own mum, Tracey, who has worked at the cafe for years.
“I have a lot of family working here, which really helps,” he said.
”If I didn’t take over this business, my mum would probably have to go work for someone else, perhaps someone who doesn’t care as much.
“It’s a lot of fun having my mum work for me. She’s got a great sense of humour and is very quick with her jokes.
“We are lucky to have a really good team, who work together nicely. Hospitality is often seen as an in-between job for people, it’s a stepping stone for something else. But we have people here full time, in for the long haul.”
Following a successful legacy
Peeches Coffee Lounge was originally owned by Griffith couple Peter and Cheryl Wallace.
“Some people may not know this, but Peeches is actually ‘Pe&ches’, with an ‘&’ sign for the second ‘e’, so it’s a shortening of their names, Peter & Cheryl,” Ben said. ”That’s something I only first learnt after working here for two years.”
The cafe was later taken over by married couple Brad and Michaela, who ran it for six years before selling it to Ben so they could travel around Australia.
Ben and Schapelle with previous owners Michaela and Brad. Photo: Facebook.
“Brad taught me everything I know. I owe a lot to him,” Ben said.
“I’ve worked here for four years. I started doing dishes, then moved up to being the barista, before serving customers and preparing food.”
Ben’s plans
Ben is now putting his own style into the business during a challenging time for all restaurants.
“We have made a couple of additions to the menu; we’ve added waffles and hash browns to keep it new and fresh,” he said. ”We hope to have slushies soon and I have a couple of other things in mind.
“We try and keep our prices down. Coffee bean prices have gone up, there’s been a lot of droughts and flood where they’re grown. We haven’t put prices up yet, we’ve taken the hit ourselves.”
Waffles are now on the menu. Photo: Facebook.
Peeches is one of the few Griffith eateries open seven days a week, which means no rest for the owner.
“I get to work at 5:30 am and we work until around 6 pm,” Ben said. ”We have a lot of 12-hour days, but it’s worth it. On Saturday and Sunday I get to work about an hour less each day.”
The 18-year-old invites everyone in Griffith to “give Peeches a go” while he maps out bigger plans for his future.
“I’d like to run this business for six to 10 years and then I want to buy some investment properties at some point. That might take a while but it’s the end goal. I’d also like to go travelling, perhaps to New Zealand.”
Peeches Coffee Lounge is located at Shop 11B Griffith Central S/C, 10 – 12 Yambil St, Griffith. They’re open from 6 am until 5:30 pm Monday to Friday, from 6 am until 4 pm on Saturday and from 6 am until 3 pm on Sunday. Keep up with them via their Facebook and Instagram pages.
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