In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, host Glen speaks with Darren Schultz, co-founder of Stellarossa, at Stellarossa Coffee Headquarters in Brisbane.
Episode Timeline
- 0:00 – Welcome and guest introduction (Darren Schultz, Stellarossa co-founder)
- 0:56 – Why understanding franchise leaders matters
- 2:40 – Discovering career direction through a pre-vocational course
- 5:11 – Early interview experiences and role play training
- 8:01 – Apprenticeship beginnings and early earnings
- 9:00 – Working in fashion retail and returning to hairdressing
- 10:28 – Hospitality experience in London and Covent Garden
- 11:55 – Teaching water skiing and working in Greece
- 14:51 – Returning to London for a management role
- 17:48 – Returning to Australia and Bundaberg stint
- 19:42 – Reconnecting with Sam Canino and Brisbane move
- 22:08 – Lessons from hairdressing applied to franchising
- 23:06 – Running a successful salon business
- 27:27 – Early Brisbane coffee scene at Park Road Milton
- 30:43 – Launching Expresso Mobile Coffee concept
- 31:40 – Why mobile coffee was innovative in Australia
- 34:32 – Challenges of mobile coffee in different climates
- 39:26 – Buying out a business partner and restructuring
- 40:25 – New partnership with Jonathan Payne
- 44:41 – Strategic shifts in Expresso’s business direction
- 45:40 – The origin of the Stellarossa name
- 46:38 – Co-founding Stellarossa and long-term partnership
- 49:00 – Stellarossa today and international growth
- 51:26 – Drive-through concept and future expansion
- 52:18 – Wrap up and closing insights
Darren shares his journey from leaving school in Bundaberg and unexpectedly starting a hairdressing apprenticeship, to working in hospitality overseas, running his own salon, and eventually discovering the coffee industry through Brisbane’s Park Road cafe scene.
His early career shaped his customer service skills, resilience, and ability to connect with people, which later became essential in building franchise businesses.
The episode also explores how Darren launched Expresso Mobile Coffee, one of Australia’s early mobile coffee van franchise concepts, before going on to co-found Stellarossa in 2009.
Darren explains the lessons learned from franchising, the importance of proving a business model before expanding, and how Stellarossa has grown into a recognised cafe franchise brand with around 25 locations, drive-through concepts, and international expansion plans including India and Sri Lanka.
