Proud Mary Coffee
Proud Mary Coffee is an Australian specialty coffee company and café brand with locations in Melbourne, Portland, and Austin.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Proud Mary Coffee is an Australia-based specialty coffee company and café brand founded in Collingwood, Melbourne, in 2009 by Nolan Hirte and Shari Hirte. The business combines coffee retail and café operations with a food-led brunch offering. Its Australian base established the brand's identity, while expansion into the United States gave it a wider international profile and connected it with specialty-coffee and destination-brunch audiences. The company opened its first United States outpost in Portland, Oregon, in 2017. The Portland café operates on Alberta Street in the Vernon neighborhood of northeast Portland. A second American location opened in Austin, Texas, in 2022. The Austin café is located in the Zilker neighborhood and occupies a reported 2,500-square-foot site. Together, the two American cafés have extended Proud Mary's presence beyond Australia while preserving the brand's focus on coffee quality, highly presented food, and a distinctive hospitality experience. Proud Mary's food menus have included Australian-influenced and contemporary brunch dishes such as pancakes with lemon curd and eucalyptus, avocado toast on sourdough, potato hash with bacon, eggs and cream sauce, yogurt with granola, ricotta and vanilla pancakes, meat pies, pork belly satay sandwiches, juices, smoothies, and dandan noodles. The exact menu varies by location and over time, but the combination of specialty coffee and visually distinctive brunch has been central to the brand's public reputation. The cafés have also attracted attention for premium coffee offerings. The Portland and Austin locations have sold individual cups priced at $150, positioning selected coffees as rare or luxury experiences rather than ordinary daily beverages. These high-priced offerings have contributed to the company's visibility in food and coffee coverage, although no financial performance figures are available from the supplied sources. Proud Mary has received favorable coverage from restaurant guides and reviewers. Lonely Planet described its coffee positively and highlighted its presentation-focused brunch. The Portland location appeared on Yelp's 2024 list of the top 100 brunch spots in the United States. Eater Austin included the Austin café in a 2024 overview of notable coffee shops, and The Infatuation placed it in a 2025 list of the fifteen best coffee shops in Austin. The available material does not establish a separate corporate parent, public listing, or wider franchise network. Based on the supplied references, Proud Mary remains an active, privately held, founder-associated coffee and café business operating across Australia and the United States.
History
Proud Mary Coffee was established in Collingwood, Melbourne, in 2009 by Nolan Hirte and Shari Hirte. The business developed as an Australian specialty coffee company with cafés that also served substantial food menus. Its Melbourne identity combined coffee with contemporary brunch and dishes that could include dandan noodles, pancakes with lemon curd and eucalyptus, and other presentation-focused offerings. The company's first major international expansion came in 2017, when it opened a café on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon. The site is in the Vernon neighborhood of northeast Portland and became Proud Mary's first United States outpost. Its menu has included avocado toast on sourdough, potato hash with bacon, eggs and cream sauce, yogurt with granola, ricotta and vanilla pancakes, meat pies, a pork belly satay sandwich, juices, and smoothies. The location helped establish the brand in a U.S. city known for specialty coffee and independent food culture. Proud Mary later expanded to Texas. In 2022, it opened a roughly 2,500-square-foot café in Austin's Zilker neighborhood. The Austin location continued the company's coffee-and-brunch format and broadened its exposure to another important American food and beverage market. The supplied material does not indicate that either U.S. site operates as a franchise or that the company has been acquired by a larger hospitality group. Both U.S. locations have offered unusually expensive individual cups of coffee priced at $150. These servings represent a premium and experiential part of the business rather than the ordinary café transaction. The practice has helped distinguish Proud Mary in coverage focused on specialty coffee, rarity, and high-end preparation. The brand has generally received positive critical attention. Lonely Planet praised the quality of its coffee and the visual appeal of its brunch food. Proud Mary's Portland café appeared on Yelp's 2024 ranking of the top 100 brunch spots in the United States. In Austin, Eater included the business in a 2024 selection of leading coffee shops, while The Infatuation named it in a 2025 list of the city's fifteen best coffee shops. The available references do not provide detailed information about sourcing practices, roasting facilities, employee leadership, financial results, ownership structure beyond Nolan Hirte's ownership, or the company's current number of Australian locations. Proud Mary is described as active and operates across Australia and the United States.
- 2025
Austin location included in The Infatuation's coffee guide
[1]The Austin café was included in The Infatuation's list of the fifteen best coffee shops in Austin.
- 2024
Portland location recognized by Yelp
[1]The Portland café was included in Yelp's list of the top 100 brunch spots in the United States.
- 2022
Austin café opens
[1]The company opened a 2,500-square-foot café in Austin's Zilker neighborhood.
- 2017
First U.S. café opens in Portland
[1]Proud Mary opened its first United States outpost on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon.
- 2009
Proud Mary established in Melbourne
[1]Nolan Hirte and Shari Hirte established Proud Mary Coffee in Collingwood, Melbourne.
Products and positioning
A quality-focused specialty coffee and destination-brunch brand combining premium coffee, distinctive food presentation, and hospitality-led cafés.
Coffee · 2009
Specialty coffee
Specialty coffee is the core offering across Proud Mary cafés. The brand's reputation is built around carefully prepared coffee served in a hospitality setting, with coverage emphasizing quality and the distinctive character of the café experience. The company has also offered selected coffees at highly premium prices, including reported $150 cups at its Portland and Austin locations.
Food service · 2009
Brunch menu
Proud Mary's brunch offering complements its coffee program and has been a significant part of the brand's public profile. Reported dishes include avocado toast on sourdough, potato hash with bacon, eggs and cream sauce, yogurt with granola, ricotta and vanilla pancakes, meat pies, and pork belly satay sandwiches. Menus vary by location and may change over time.
Brunch dish
Pancakes with lemon curd and eucalyptus
This Melbourne-associated dish illustrates Proud Mary's Australian café style, combining a familiar brunch format with lemon curd and eucalyptus. It reflects the company's broader approach of pairing specialty coffee with distinctive, visually considered food rather than operating as a beverage-only coffee bar.
Café food
Dandan noodles
Dandan noodles have been served at Proud Mary's Australian operation. Their presence shows the breadth of the café menu and the brand's willingness to include savory dishes beyond conventional Western brunch staples.
Brand decisions
2022
Further U.S. expansion into AustinStrategyBackground
Proud Mary extended its U.S. footprint after establishing its Portland operation.
Action taken
The company opened a café in Austin's Zilker neighborhood.
Aftermath
The Austin location broadened the company's U.S. operating presence and was subsequently included in local coffee-shop guides.
2017
International expansion into PortlandStrategyBackground
After operating in Melbourne, Proud Mary pursued an international café strategy by entering the United States.
Action taken
The company opened its first U.S. café on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon.
Aftermath
The Portland site became the first step in the brand's U.S. presence and later received recognition in brunch coverage.
Recent events
- 2025
Proud Mary included in The Infatuation's Austin coffee-shop list[1]
Other
The Infatuation listed Proud Mary among its fifteen best coffee shops in Austin.
- 2024
Proud Mary Portland included among the top U.S. brunch spots[1]
Other
The Portland location was included in Yelp's list of the top 100 brunch spots in the United States.
- 2024
Proud Mary included in Eater Austin's notable coffee-shop overview[1]
Other
Eater Austin included Proud Mary in an overview of the city's best coffee establishments.
- 2022
Proud Mary opens a café in Austin[1]
Other
Proud Mary expanded its United States presence with a café in Austin's Zilker neighborhood.
- 2017
Proud Mary opens its first United States café in Portland[1]
Other
The Australian coffee company opened a café on Alberta Street in Portland, Oregon, marking its first United States location.
Sources1 sources
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