a case study featuring the strada s, swan, jay and puq press pro

C4 Coffee Roastery Café has been a mainstay in Christchurch, ideally located on the Eastern edge of Christchurch’s city centre. Thirty years in, they’ve remained independent and family-owned, catering to a discerning crowd.

Quality remains at the heart of C4 to this day, and the roastery is always looking abroad for ways to raise the ceiling of what’s possible in coffee, and set the trends locally. Not ones to compromise, their insatiable quest for the perfect brew is naturally supported by the best equipment.

We connected with Oliver Griffith-Jones, Business Development Manager at C4 Coffee, to find out how they built a bar that could sustain their uncompromisable approach to coffee, without sacrificing consistency and efficiency.

the space

The equipment immediately draws the eye upon entrance. The Strada’s distinctive visual presence, and the wall of Swan and Jay grinders immediately signal that C4 offers something different from the average café: range and uncompromising quality.

While both espresso and filter are on offer, each has its dedicated space on the counter, ensuring they are not competing for the barista’s attention. Both integrate seamlessly, with the natural colour of the Strada S flowing into the cooler steel finish of the rest of the brew bar. The machine’s low profile also means baristas can interact with customers, and keep an eye on the café floor at all time.

equipment and workflow

C4’s customers trust them to keep showing them something new, while providing them with great brews every single time. So the team’s approach to equipment was two-prongued: keep it streamlined and easy for consistency, and make space for flexibility of offering.

One thing that makes C4 truly stand out is its deep and varied range of coffees available on the bar: four espressos, running at all time. Offering that many coffees at once while working at reasonable pace can be a real challenge. That’s where the La Marzocco Swan and Jay grinders make a difference. Both offer consistency in grind particle size and ease of distribution in the portafilter, and are easy to adjust. The low retention means changes in grind adjustment appear immediately, helping with consistency and wastage.

On the espresso machine front, C4 found the perfect match for their ambition in the Strada S – customizable yet consistent, shot after shot. The La Marzocco app gives the team remote access for monitoring and programming whenever they need, and helps with dialling in.

Puq Press pro provides a final layer of consistency, keeping tamping pressure streamlined on busy weekends, when multiple baristas are working behind the machine.

the results

The C4 team have yet to reached the limits of the Strada, Swans and Jay in terms of volume. “The Strada reflects the same focus and care we bring to every cup we extract, backed by the design quality and generational expertise behind some of the best coffee experiences” says Oliver.

Thirty years in, C4 still isn’t compromising on range or consistency. The Strada S, Swan, Jay and Puqpress Pro make that possible, cup after cup.

Thinking about your own setup? Get in touch with the La Marzocco NZ team at sales.nz@lamarzocco.com