When Joe Molloy and Matt Hampton teamed up in 2014 to launch Rumble Coffee, they weren’t just chasing good coffee – they were out to shake up the Australian specialty coffee scene from the inside out. With backgrounds in award-winning cafes and hospitality (Joe as a cafe manager/barista, Matt as a chef-turned-roaster), they had the skills (and the guts) to launch something different. The goal was simple: roast knock‑out coffee, build direct relationships with growers and share the pricing truth openly.
From hospo lifers to roastery owners
“We’d run a few other businesses and thought a roastery wouldn’t be that hard!” says Joe.
Spoiler: it was hard. But they say it was worth it. It all began with Joe and Matt both roasting for other businesses and realising, hang on, maybe we do this for ourselves. They knew they could roast great coffee and that their real edge was in service: supporting other cafe owners, because they’d experienced it themselves.
From the get-go, Rumble Coffee set about carving out a distinctive brand. Their early branding (red boxing gloves and native bird motifs) signaled a bold break from the traditional Melbourne roaster aesthetic.
Sustainability that means something
Rumble Coffee mean business when it comes to sustainability. “We’ve always tried to minimise our impact on the planet while still doing the right thing by our people and product,” says Joe.
They publish an annual Impact Report that includes the exact prices they pay farmers, and how much above the Fair Trade or commodity market price those rates are. In 2023, they earned B-Corp Certification, scoring an 85.7 on the B-Lab assessment (well above the median of ~50.9) (link: bcorporation.net). That same year, they joined 1% for the Planet, donating roughly $25K to accredited environmental charities.
Inside their Kensington warehouse, solar panels now power more than half their operations, and they continue offsetting the unavoidable carbon emissions.
On the packaging front, they recently shifted to EcoBarista’s Mono PCR Soft Plastic Bags, which offer a high barrier to maintain the optimum taste window of the coffee while reducing the need for virgin plastic thanks to the use of post consumer recycled materials (PCR). Customers and wholesale partners can drop off used bags at their Kensington roastery after peeling labels and removing valves) — then it’s sent to Reground in Melbourne for soft‑plastic recycling.
“We have spent the last decade looking at the various options and soft plastic is still the best in terms of protecting our product. We spend massive amounts of time and money on sourcing and roasting amazing coffee and need to ensure it gets to the customer still tasting fresh and tasty,” says Joe.
How Rumble made DTC their fast growing sales channel
Reviewers often call Rumble Coffee’s subscription service “one of the best value coffee subscriptions out there”. Rumble’s subscription model started simple: they rolled out their highest‑selling blend first, got it live online and let it run. Since then, they leaned into Shopify-powered DTC (direct‑to‑consumer) as their business’s fastest‑growing sales channel. Their process is a well oiled machine, thanks to Joe investing years learning everything there is to know about e-commerce and marketing. They offer flexible subscriptions, home delivery across Australia and a UX optimised online store experience that invites repeat orders, with easy-to-manage subscriptions.
The secret to business growth? Put yourself out of a job
As Rumble grew, Joe found himself stepping back from the barista tools and into the role of business builder. His biggest lesson? Keep learning. Hire people who are better than you. And never stop investing in your own growth – because your business can only go as far as you do. “No one else will care about growing your business like you do,” says Joe.
Rumble’s playbook for roasters looking to grow
- Keep it simple: start your subscription with your bestselling blend.
No overwhelm, just get going. Momentum happens by starting. - Make e‑commerce a priority.
This is how they unlocked repeat revenue and scale. Learn everything you can about e-commerce. - Be transparent.
Publish what you pay farmers. Report on your impact. Everyone feels good and it holds you accountable. - Commit to tangible sustainability moves.
Install solar. Join 1% For The Planet if you can. Recycle soft plastics with programs like Reground. Make small decisions that matter. - Put yourself out of a job (well, your old job anyway). Scale through delegation, hire people better than you and focus on building the system – not doing every job.
Reach out to our team today to learn more about our Mono PCR Soft Plastic Recyclable Coffee bags.
