Gloucester Road is no stranger to a coffee shop or two and it’s a regular occurrence to wander along the bustling Bristol shopping street and suddenly notice a place you hadn’t spotted before.
One such place you may or may not have seen is School Of Espresso, which is located near to the Alfu International supermarket in what was previously office space for a finance company. Walking past after closing time, when the shutters are up, you may believe this to be another ordinary coffee shop or cafe venue.
But this isn’t the case. School Of Espresso, which opened its doors back in December 2024, is actually a shop selling and refurbishing coffee machines. It’s website also stocks fresh coffee, accessories and gifts – from mugs to beans.
Rather than a coffee shop, this is a coffee showroom, styled as a mock-kitchen. You can explore a wide range of products with the help of expert staff, or even take a Buzzfeed-esque quiz online to find your dream coffee machine.
The people behind it are husband and wife team Rory and Debs who, before opening their Bristol showroom, ran a small independent business called ‘Fix My Coffee Machine‘ at their home in North Bristol. They’ve been repairing coffee machines since 2020 when they say “the domestic coffee machine boom happened and we were all spending more time at home”.
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What started off as a hobby and “something to keep Rory busy” has turned into a physical shop on one of the country’s longest and busiest shopping streets. The couple says: “We hate to see these machines go to landfill and love to get them back up and running for our customers.
“We also try our best to reduce our own waste, where possible we will reuse parts rather than replace and reuse recycled or recyclable packaging where we can.” On their website they have hinted that a cup of coffee may be on the menu soon, however, writing: “We recently renovated our workshop and soon you’ll be able to enjoy a coffee in our cosy coffee shop. Follow our Instagram for updates!
“Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have a broken Sage Barista Express, Pro, Touch, Duo Temp or Bambino, or want a service, we are happy to help! We will also soon be offering Master Classes for you to get to know your machine – follow our Instagram for updates!”
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