MELBA Ellerslie is part of MELBA, a New Zealand cafe collective that has been a cornerstone of the country's cafe culture since 1995. Café Melba first opened in the iconic Vulcan Lane location in Auckland's CBD, quickly becoming a favourite with locals and visitors before the concept expanded out into the wider Auckland area - MELBA now runs 8 stores across the city.
Each MELBA location carries its own personality while sharing the group's commitment to community, connection and consistency - warm hospitality, quality coffee and fresh, locally inspired food from city mornings through to relaxed weekend brunches. The MELBA Ellerslie cafe is run by licensee Stella Sun, one of a network of MELBA licensees who uphold the brand's standards while bringing their own local character to each store.
The wider MELBA Group is led by directors Shawn and Michelle Pope, supported by an operations manager, brand manager and head roaster overseeing quality and consistency across every cafe.
MELBA Ellerslie is one of eight Auckland cafes belonging to MELBA, a cafe collective with roots going back to 1995. The story began when Café Melba first opened in the now-iconic Vulcan Lane location in Auckland's CBD, quickly becoming a favourite with both locals and visitors. It was only a matter of time before the successful format moved beyond the CBD and expanded into the wider Auckland area, eventually growing into the network of cafes MELBA runs today.
MELBA describes itself as a local cafe collective rather than a standard chain. Each location carries its own personality, while sharing a common commitment to community, connection and consistency across warm hospitality, quality coffee and fresh, locally inspired food. The idea is that MELBA works for city mornings just as well as relaxed weekend brunches, bringing people together every day.
The wider MELBA Group is led by directors Shawn and Michelle Pope, working alongside an operations manager, a brand manager and a head roaster to uphold the group's standards of quality, creativity and genuine hospitality across every cafe in the collective.
Rather than being centrally run store by store, MELBA operates through licensees - dedicated individuals who share the brand's passion for people, coffee and community while bringing their own personality and local connection to their store. MELBA Ellerslie is run by licensee Stella Sun, one of several MELBA licensees across Auckland, including others running the Karaka, Manukau, Lunn Ave, Hillsborough, and CBD locations.
Across the MELBA collective, the focus stays on barista-made specialty coffee and fresh, seasonal food made in house, alongside spaces designed for genuine connection - whether that's a quick coffee on the way to work or a longer weekend catch-up. MELBA also runs a Double Shot Rewards loyalty programme and offers meeting room bookings and catering for events at select locations.
Because MELBA operates across 8 Auckland stores, the group asks that enquiries specify which MELBA location they relate to, and recommends contacting stores directly for anything time-sensitive.
MELBA Ellerslie is located at 2/135 Main Highway, Ellerslie, Auckland, run by licensee Stella Sun as part of the wider MELBA cafe collective. For anyone in Ellerslie after quality coffee and a genuine neighbourhood cafe experience, MELBA Ellerslie carries forward the same story that began in Vulcan Lane back in 1995.