Kristine Becker – cafe and bar owner
Kristine Becker has a passion for expensive jewellery and fast motorbikes. Her heritage is German and indigenous Chilean. She co-owns and co-manages a famous inner-city cafe, a hip new nightclub and a suburban coffee shop/wine bar/delicatessen.
Melbourne is her city and Hairy Canary, her flagship cafe, has been synonymous with inner-urban cool for more than a decade. Flamenco-themed city nightspot Canary Club and classy Dino's Deli in Windsor are further examples of Kristine and her team's aptitude for 'just right' venues.
Kristine Becker was born in Santiago, Chile, and grew up in Melbourne's inner north. She studied graphics and marketing before immersing herself in filmmaking, a vocation that was interrupted when she fell in love with a 'crazy Spaniard, Francisco (Cisco)' who was planning his own cafe venture. He soon became Kristine's partner in life and business.
Hairy Canary opened in 1997. The dynamic duo built on its success with a range of other ventures including organic eatery Zucchini; Suma Suma, an Asian-style eatery; and Tiger Bar in Elwood. Of the current projects, Canary Club opened in 2004 and Dino's Deli started business in late 2007.
Kristine herself is an avid devotee of city life. 'When I'm shopping I don't like being enclosed,' she says. 'I like to experience all of the environment around me, the sights and smells. I like to know that, when it's time for a coffee or a Negroni, there is somewhere perfect just around the corner.'
