You Can Roast You Coffe Now

Tasmanian Gourmet Coffee has listed its premises. Owners Carlos and Nikki Kindred said they were planning to re-open Oomph! in the city next month.

They said they appreciated all the support they got throughout their council battle to keep roasting coffee. But there were now too many reasons not to stay.

He said Battery Point residents had appealed a decision by the Hobart City Council to allow the roasting of coffee beans at the Hampden Rd site. The thought of another council battle was daunting.

Oomph! gained nation-wide media attention after local residents complained to the Hobart City Council about its "burnt" smell, caused by roasting coffee beans.

More than 700 people signed a petition supporting the coffee roaster and three weeks ago the council approved its operation.

Mr Kindred said, however, the council was now planning to put a 10kg limit on coffee roasters in the area, which their new roaster wouldn't comply with.

Mr Kindred said one of the main reasons for moving was simply to expand business prospects. Oomph! will re-open on Liverpool St, next to Hudsons Coffee. "With the Royal Hobart Hospital nearby and being close to Hudson's, it's better for business," Mr Kindred said.

He said this would give he and his wife Nikki more time away from the shop to promote their award-winning coffee and they were also moving out of courtesy to one Battery Point complainant, whose comfort was concerning them.

Asked why they fought the council battle if they planned to sell anyway, Mr Kindred said: "We hoped in the long-term we would be able to stay here. But more than that, we were fighting for the right to roast coffee here, and for anyone else wanting to roast coffee here."