Stella Caffe Coffees is an Italian-inspired roaster
by Melissa Allison and Amy Martinez

Rob Wilson is back from the cafe wars in Australia.

The last time he lived in Seattle, Wilson imported coffee and fixed espresso machines. He moved to Sydney in 1999 with his Australian wife, Josie, who could not bear another Northwest winter.

For several years, they ran a small chain of cafes in Sydney. After battling coffee suppliers over the delivery of beans, Wilson sold the coffee shops and became a roaster battling other roasters for cafe business.

At one point, a large competitor tried to lure away one of his customers with the promise of trips to Italy for the cafe's owners and their spouses and, for good measure, a plasma TV. It didn't work, but the pressure was intense.

"In Sydney, we had to struggle for every client," Wilson said.

He finally talked Josie into returning to Seattle, where he wants to raise their 5-year-old son, Alex, who has spent enough time around coffee to know a decaffeinated green coffee bean when he sees one.

Last fall, the couple launched Stella Caffe Coffees south of downtown Seattle. They have more than a dozen clients, including Queen City Grill, Frontier Café and Frontier Room, all co-owned by Robert Eickhof.

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