Set in the leafy back streets of West End, new addition Doc Brown is part 1980s movie fanatic bedroom, and part chic industrial loft. Doc Brown’s exposed concrete walls are hung with original movie posters, ranging from Jaws to Star Wars, and Back to the Future, which stars the café’s namesake. The matte black coffee machine is swamped with people, chatting and laughing like old friends over the hum of a Beatles song. Among them is Christian Maltby, hospitality veteran and owner of Doc Brown.
Before setting up shop in West End, Christian owned Brown Dog café in Woolloongabba, a “high-rotation, pit-stop sort of café” that he sold a year and a half ago, in search of a change. Now, Doc Brown is where Maltby has found his place. “I think I just wanted to work for myself and create a space that was just a friendly local hub, and have my own set of regulars,” Christian said. “That’s the part of hospitality that I really like: engaging with your customers, and just making people happy with a simple coffee.”
Hyperlocal hotspot defines Doc Brown to a tee, and it is the café’s communal layout and atmosphere that Christian believes makes the café unique among the plethora of other West End eateries. “It’s like the water cooler of the office. People come down and they might chat with someone from the same building, or grab a coffee on their way to the bus stop. I think it’s an important part of the community.” It has not taken long for Doc Brown to seamlessly integrate into the local culture. In fact, Christian believes the café is creating its own “little pocket” in the West End community. “There are heaps of offices around [the café], and people just want to get out and come here to have a break. It’s the new smoko.”
Inside Doc Brown, Christian has done his best to curate a menu and environment that is relaxed and familiar, offering a talking point for customers and staff. That is where the 80s paraphernalia comes in. Every piece has been collected by self-confessed film buff Christian, whose childhood love of cinema has manifested itself in Doc Brown.
“I think I just had too much stuff; I just had to open a café to put all my things in. Many people who had their formative years in the 80s have these films burnt into their corneas: the likes of Back to the Future, Star Wars, ET, Gremlins, The Goonies. I think it’s something that makes everyone happy, and I just wanted the café to be something that engages with the customers.”
Ultimately, Christian’s intentions in establishing Doc Brown all come down to human connection. “I think people are stuck on their phones too much; there’s less interaction. People just like to have a little place they can go where everyone knows their name. It’s like Cheers, you know. And coffee and movies, why not?”
It might seem counterintuitive, but it is a combination that Doc Brown is pulling off. The café is located in the riverside precinct on Buchanan Street off Montague Road.
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