WHEN Dan Brown arrived in the Hunter three years ago, he ran a pop-up cafe in Newcastle West which quickly became known as Browny's.
The talented surfer, model, one-time reality TV contestant and self-branded Mullet Lord was getting back on track after a bleak period of addiction in Sydney which nearly cost him his life.
READ MORE: Dan Brown's journey from addiction to businessman
By late 2017 he'd launched his first cafe, Lords Coffee & Associates, in Hamilton, taking the barista skills and five-star hotel service he'd learnt in the big smoke and adding his unique human touch.
"I thought we would just open a coffee shop but it's turned into a community, everyone knows each other and comes down to chat and we have memorised their orders. It's an authenticity I have been yearning, which is special," he says.
It was there that Brown met his fiancee, Nicola Black.
Now the duo has opened a new cafe in Parry Street, Newcastle West, not far from the original pop-up.
"We've called it it Browny's because Nicola is about to become a Brown and we are going for the power couple of the year award, we are on fire," quips Brown, adding that Black, a visual communications student and keen photographer, designed the signage, menus and more.
The pair roast their Mullet Lord Speciality Coffee locally with help from Glitch Coffee Roasters. Brown says selling coffee beans and other merchandise helps him look after his staff, paying them as full-time for a four-day roster.
The Hamilton cafe trades daily, closing at 1pm; Browny's trades Monday to Friday only, closing at 2pm - all of which ensures Brown has time for his beloved surfing, yoga and meditation.
Brown, who works between the two cafes, believes everything happens for a reason and the best things that do aren't planned: "I am letting the universe run my life and I am sitting in the passenger seat just going with the flow," he says.
The new cafe has coffee, healthy meals and quick service: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it - but we have a bigger menu here," he says.
Brown is also setting up a foundation to help youth in need: "I was lucky to have a few people who helped me, and gave me inspiration."
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