Hi, this is Talen Hignett—though many of you now know me as Barista Binks. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve officially taken over the Front Room Café, rebranding it as Barista Binks Café! We opened our doors on the 23rd of September, and it’s been an exciting start to this new chapter.

I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting so many of you who’ve come in to test my barista skills and try my (if I do say so myself) very tasty coffee! For those of you who are new or haven’t stopped by yet, I’d love to share a bit about where the name ‘Barista Binks’ comes from.

So, the ‘barista’ part is pretty straightforward—I make coffee, and I make it well. But the ‘Binks’ part? Well, that’s a little story of its own. It all started with my younger brother, Rewan, whose first attempt at saying my name, Talen, came out as ‘Tata.’ That became my first nickname at home. Fast forward a few years, and we were watching Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. When everyone's favorite Gungan, Jar Jar Binks, appeared on the screen, my dad immediately turned to me and said, ‘Tata Binks!’ And that’s how I’ve been known as ‘Binks’ ever since. So, when it came time to rename the café, Barista Binks felt like the perfect fit.I’m excited to keep welcoming you all to Barista Binks Café.

Looking forward to seeing you at the café