Meet the multimillion-dollar barista

Julien Moussi never thought he'd forge a career as a barista.

Football was his passion. He played for the in the Victorian Football League, but a knee blow-out dashed hopes of a professional career. "At the time I was devastated."

Getting a foothold

But being sidelined turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. From here, he noticed caffeine-starved fans swarming around the coffee cart.

"It looked like an opportunity to me. I asked the league if I could take over the coffee cart when the lease was up, which is how I started."

This gave Moussi a foothold into Melbourne's bustling café scene. Since leaving the coffee cart, he's opened 11 cafes and sold five. Soon, the university drop-out will open two more cafes – Bentwood in Fitzroy and Stanley in Mt Waverley.

"I tried studying business, but classrooms aren't for me. I was having too much fun at uni, so I had to leave. I do love property and creating a venue from scratch."

There's money to be made

It's an inspiring story of professional courage and careful financial planning that proves that there's money to be made in the hugely competitive hospitality industry.

Moussi's portfolio of cafes turned over $7.5 million last financial year. Projections for next financial year hover around $11-$12 million, he says. Read more