This is us at HBI!

Rita Zhang – Business Partner/General Manager

Rita has been a professional barista for over 7 years and owned and managed 3 cafes. Rita holds coffee classes in Chinese language, writes weekly coffee articles for Chinese newspapers and hosts coffee talks at Chinese radio station. Rita is Australian’s first Café Coach, she has helped over one hundred people to successfully buy, build and sell their cafes and coffee shops.  Rita has been a coffee Judge for the Australian National Barista Championships with AASCA (AustralAsian Specialty Coffee Association).

Marie Meng – Business Partner/Accounts Payable/Recievable

Marie, our new business partner, has been very successful in business in China and has chosen Melbourne for her family’s new home. Marie helped us focus on plans to expand the HBI business. Also, she will be more than happy to help you with any enquiries about all accounts issues, invoices, and business operations, etc.

Fiona Savage – HBI Victoria St Café Manager

You are most likely to be greeted by Fiona if you visit our in-house café at West Melbourne. Fiona is our Cafe Manager and has extensive experience right across the hospitality industry. She makes an amazing cup of coffee so why not come in and try one! She will make sure you are looked after well and make you feel special.

Selina Wang – BDM –Chinese Division/ HBI Victoria St Barista

Selina is our Business Development Manager of Chinese Division. With her bilingual skills, she is dedicated to develop and expand the business within the Chinese speaking clientele. Selina is also a professional barista and a happy girl who won’t let you leave with nothing else than great experience from our espresso bar. 

Pavla Paryzkova – BDM/Professional Barista

If you are to ring our office you will most likely talk to Pavla who is our new team member and she will do her best to help you out with any enquiry you might have. Gift voucher for our coffee classes, purchase of new coffee machines and grinders, beans program, café coaching etc. Pavla is a pastry chef and her business “Pavli’s Cookies” are all home made by hand and to die for.

Deborah Howard-Jones– HBI Queen St Café Manager

Deb is the café manager of our queen street store. She is a complex little critter "her words, not ours. She loves to flutter day and night making coffees for customers, friends and family. Sharing knowledge and passion with customers, or anyone interested, is one topic that she can quite honestly, talk about forever. A self described Coffee Geek, when not up to her elbows in coffee grounds loves to Garden in her mass of Veggies, and Native Plants. Talking to chookies, and her gaggle of pets, as it makes a great way to unwind form the city's daily coffee routine.

Deb has won two Co-Driver P1 titles in the Victorian Rally championship, and looks forward to driving her own rally car that her husband is currently making for her. Deb will try anything once, and her motto is "Live for today, as today is your life"