Since its inception, Only. Specialty Coffee has focused on providing a top-notch coffee experience for the time-poor inner-city crowd. In 2018 the tandem of Arthur Graczyk and Paul Crossland established the brand with its first outlet on Queen Street, selling Five Senses coffee and a rotating selection of salads. Over the next two years, Only. established smaller satellite sites in Woolloongabba and South Brisbane, tapping into smaller coffee-craving clusters outside of the CBD. As 2020 approached, Arthur and Paul decided to take their coffee experience to another level and expand the concept to cater for those seeking coffee and food. Desiring to create a beautiful space where coffee could be enjoyed without the go-go atmosphere of its quick-service locations, the duo downsized their portfolio – closing Queen Street and Woolloongabba to focus on establishing a new Only. Specialty Coffee site in the heart of the storied T C Beirne building in Fortitude Valley. While the coronavirus lockdowns rendered Brunswick Street largely idle, the Only. team linked up with Woodsters Constructions to assemble the space, which boasts a marble-topped coffee and food service area surrounded by light timber benches (boasting built-in charging ports) and a scattering of tables. While chic in look and feel, the space also incorporates heritage elements of the building such as its original support pillars, while the timber is recycled from the building’s recent renovations.
When it came to enhancing Only.’s food and drink offering, Arthur and Paul were keen to showcase local producers, simple eats and a larger selection of coffee roasters. Coffee is still key, and those seeking a flat white will be catered for alongside the batch-brew or pour-over crowd. The fit-out includes a high bar equipped with a few Marco SP9 filter-coffee brewing systems, which is where a rotating selection of single origins from various roasters will be showcased (Five Senses remains for espresso coffee). Only.’s debut food menu is concise, but boasts a number of tasty favourites made from quality locally sourced ingredients. Early standouts include the breakfast burger (filled with free-range thick-cut bacon, fried free-range egg, cheese and tomato chutney), toasted croissants filled with local mortadella, cheese and chutney, avocado on rye with bush native dukkah and probiotic goat-milk labneh, and handmade crumpets with Pepe Saya butter. Additionally, Only. stocks HRVST ST juices, organic tea from Love Tea and four kinds of shakes.
Only. Specialty Coffee in Fortitude Valley is currently open from Monday to Friday. Head to the Stumble Guide for operating hours and other details.
