Shop Local: Coffee with Justin Linney of Linneys, Subiaco

1.What was the business economy like when you opened Linneys in Subiaco?

We’ve been in Subiaco since 1983. At the time it was light industry here… where Funtastico is was where Land Rovers were serviced. Subiaco evolved over time but the pivotal point was 1987 during the America’s Cup. From that point it kept growing. 1991 we had the first recession so looking back, we’ve seen Subiaco evolve over time.

2.How has it changed?

Subiaco evolved in the early 2000s in terms of fashion and we were seeing more in the ways of cafes and restaurants. Some of the brands that couldn’t compete with online shopping left but the stronger brands remained. There’s also new offerings competing with venues in the city but people go through cycles… they’ll go to one bar for awhile and them move on but they come back. The obvious change more recently is the footy is no longer in Subiaco. The flipside is that our customers see it as a benefit. We were quieter when the footy was on. It has more impact on cafes and bars.

3.How have you overcome the challenges?

By remaining relevant and we tend to always try to push the boundaries with fashion, art and design in terms of our product offering. We know if we get stagnant then we’ll fall in to a bit of a lull. That’s probably Alan’s (Linneys founder and Justin’s dad) nature, he’s always trying new things and innovating. In terms of clients it’s about service.

4.How do businesses in Subiaco work together?

We have seen so many businesses come and go over the years and Subiaco has always had a really nice community or village feel. We’re always trying to support and eat locally at restaurants and cafes.

5.What is your favourite local coffee shop?

We do tend to visit Architects and Heroes. It’s really close so we go there for meetings. The Lion and Jaguar near the train station is another good one.

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