Image supplied: Patti at Red Door Espresso’s former Tanunda location
After a decade of coffee, all-day breakfasts and loyal regulars in Tanunda, Red Door Espresso is getting a second life, with owner Patti McGorman preparing to reopen the much-loved cafe name, this time in the heart of Gawler.
The new Red Door Espresso is expected to open in May, bringing a smaller, sharper version of the original Barossa cafe to Gawler’s main street. The offering will be straightforward, with a small, refined menu and a few nods to the Red Door dishes regulars will remember from its Tanunda years.
For Patti’s daughter, Poppy Ellbourn, who is helping launch the new cafe and has led the branding, the return of Red Door feels like a mix of comeback and continuation.
“She was located in Tanunda for 10 years,” Poppy said.
Poppy said Patti eventually closed the Tanunda venue due to family commitments. “It just seemed like the right time to finish up, but I don’t think she felt like Red Door itself was ready to close. It didn’t feel like the end.”
Patti at Red Door Espresso’s former Tanunda location
Patti always had the idea of reopening Red Door, but not in exactly the same way. The original Tanunda cafe was a much larger space, known especially for its all-day breakfast menu, which drew plenty of regulars and patrons travelling to the Barossa.
This new chapter is designed to be more flexible, focused, and better suited to Patti’s life now.
“She always kind of knew that she was going to start up again, but just didn’t really want to do the exact same concept,” Poppy said. “Old Red Door in Tanunda was quite a large space. She wanted to do it again, but just have it as a bit of a smaller location and create a different offering as well.”
That new offering will centre on coffee, bagels and pastries, with Patti drawing on years of hospitality experience and long-standing industry connections. Poppy said the goal is to keep things pared back, but done properly.
“She wanted to have a smaller offering and just do everything really, really well,” she said.
While the menu will be different, Red Door’s Barossa roots will still be very much part of the story. Patti, who lives in Williamstown, remains deeply connected to the region and is planning to feature Barossa products and suppliers heavily.
One former favourite is already being reimagined, with Red Door’s old green eggs Benedict being turned into a bagel.
“A lot of people have reached out with products, so she’s been really, really happy about that,” Poppy said.
The Gawler site is currently being fitted out, with the opening date still to be confirmed. The space will have a different feel from the original Red Door, swapping the eclectic Tanunda cafe atmosphere for something more minimal and fresh, built around a red, white and butter-yellow palette.
Patti has also upgraded the equipment, including a brand-new coffee machine, and the shop will eventually feature bold graphics created by Poppy through her design work.
And yes, there will be a red door.
Poppy said the front door will be painted red before opening, while a rustic old door from the original Red Door Espresso has also been salvaged.
“She had a really old rustic door that she got made into an A-frame sign for the old original Red Door, and she’s kept it,” Poppy said. “I think she’s actually going to put it on the wall as a bit of a feature.”
Hospitality has always been more than a job for Patti. Poppy said her mum has been a chef since she was a teenager and has owned businesses since her early twenties.
“She’s one of those people who can’t really sit still,” Poppy said. “She likes to be busy and she likes to connect with community.”
That community connection is already showing. Even before opening, the cafe has been attracting attention online, with the new Red Door Espresso social pages gaining plenty of organic traction and heaps of people messaging to ask when the doors will open, and even some curious guests wandering into the in-progress space.
“People just keep coming in and wanting to talk to her and ask if she’s ready, and she’s like, ‘I’m not ready’,” Poppy laughs.
The new chapter will also bring back some familiar faces. Two former staff members from Red Door Espresso in Tanunda are returning, including one who first started with Patti in an after-school role before going on to complete a chef apprenticeship.
Now qualified, he is coming back to the business and is keen to learn more about management.
“It’s really nice to have them back on board and have a good team,” Poppy said.
As opening day gets closer, Poppy said Patti is excited to get back to the part of hospitality she loves most: the regulars, the conversations, the familiar faces and the chance to build something that’s part of the community.
“When you are in the hospitality business, a lot of your customers become like friends,” Poppy said. “I think she’s really excited for that aspect.”
Red Door Espresso is expected to open in Gawler in mid-May.
Red Door Espresso
Where: 151 Murray Street, Gawler, SA
When: Expected to open mid-May.
For more info, click here.
