Founder, Di Bella Coffee
Phillip Di Bella’s love for coffee stemmed from an early age, when he would prepare and serve Italian-style coffee to guests at his family’s Brisbane home.
His natural people skills led to a career in hospitality and nine years at Brisbane landmark Cosmopolitan Cafe where he earned a reputation for his coffee skills and outstanding customer service. During this time he completed a Bachelor of Commerce at Griffith University, piquing an interest in business and marketing.
In 2002, Phillip’s passion for coffee and entrepreneurial spirit led him to start up a small coffee-roasting operation in the suburbs of Brisbane; he named his company Di Bella Coffee.
While steadily building up Di Bella Coffee’s wholesale customer base, Phillip sold his house and established a commercial premise in Bowen Hills from which to run the operation, living onsite and dedicated all of his waking hours to building the business. Phillip very quickly secured his place as a key player in the local coffee scene.
Over the following 8 years the company continued to thrive and expand. The speed of this growth was recognized in the 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 BRW Fast 100, where Di Bella Coffee is the only coffee company to make the list in consecutive years.
Phillip Di Bella’s entrepreneurship has been celebrated on several occasions; he was a finalist in Ernst & Young’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2005 and went on to win the award in 2008. In 2010 he was the winner of Brisbane Business News’ Young Entrepreneur Award and in 2011 he was recognised as the Griffith Business School Outstanding Alumnus of the Year.
In 2010, Phillip Di Bella became the world’s youngest recipient of an Italian knighthood, bestowed with the ‘Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity’ for contribution to the Italian Community.
Phillip Di Bella’s success story is fuelled by passion, commitment, and innovation- qualities that continue to earn him recognition and respect amongst both his employees and his peers, and qualities that will ensure that much of his story is yet to be written.