Business Profile

Customs is one of Wellington’s most iconic neighbourhood cafes; just off Cuba Street in the heart of Te Aro. It’s now cemented itself as a Wellington staple and a must-visit for out-of-towners. Introducing Wellington to the vast wonders of single-origin and speciality coffee, sourced and roasted by another Wellington local business, Coffee Supreme.

Tim is the iconic face of Customs; owner, operator, and passionate Wellingtonian. He’s been in and around the Wellington hospo scene for years; spending most of his time at Customs, with a brief break at the iconic Nikau. More recently, Tim’s returned and bought into the business with partner Coffee Supreme.

Running a cafe hasn’t been easy in the last few years, but with good businesses helping one another, things can feel a little less demanding. Most days, you’ll find Customs packed with locals and regulars, picking up a cold brew and a sammy or filling up jars of coffee for the week. And, of course, getting doughnuts when the mood hits.

When Tim isn’t pouring coffee and doing the good work of keeping the neighbourhood caffeinated, you can find him running the town belt or any of the other great trails around Wellington. To rehydrate after a session on the trail, Tim likes to get out to Parrot Dog in Lyall Bay or down to his iconic local; the Welsh dragon.

Mevo’s service helps Tim get the day to day done - jobs like picking up the ingredients for the delicious toast and sandwiches on the Customs menu. He can easily get across town to Moore Wilson’s for the ingredients on their iconic toast options (avocado and radish is highly recommended) or pop up to the roastery to check on the latest beans. He gets excited when there is anything roasting of African origin - which there often is.

Being able to zip off in the middle of the day without planning ahead is the height of convenience for a busy business owner. Coupled with the convenience of parking right out the front, ending the trip, and forgetting about the car is a dream for Tim. It saves him time, money, and hassle versus worrying about a company car that would hardly get used and would need to have expensive parking in the city.

Tim’s passionate about the future of Wellington city and the lifestyle it can offer, especially for the younger generation.

“I love living in Wellington, so much. It’s incredibly compact, but we manage to pack heaps of good stuff in. For me, I’d love to see more young people choosing to make Wellington their home. The weather is actually pretty good, there’s loads of stuff to do, and even though you can’t afford a house, at least you don’t need to own a car! Plus, the people are great. Finally, we have so many really good new bars and restaurants - do your civic duty, young’ins.”

Customs and Supreme’s view of coffee; Better coffee for all is a constant labour of love. This means doing things better than the time before, and making sure quality is built in all the way through. It’s about looking after the environment, looking after each other, and it means choosing a coffee you can trust. If we care for all the aspects of our life, whether it’s the coffee we drink or the transport option we take, we can leave the world a better place.

“Better coffee for all is a constant. It’s matter of doing things better than the time before and ensuring it’s a better experience for all involved.”