The Merlo Family:

Merlo has been a household name in Brisbane for decades, and that is the result of hard work spanning generations.  This name has also been familiar to the Foundation since its inception. Back in 1986, Gino Merlo was one of the Foundation’s inaugural Board members, helping shape the organisation in its earliest days. Forty years later, that legacy continues through his son, Dean and Merlo Coffee.   

For the past 12 years, Merlo Coffee has partnered with the Foundation’s social enterprise operations, with the partnership generating more than $1 million in value for the Foundation.

It’s a relationship that has come full circle – from Gino helping establish the Foundation in its earliest days, to Dean and the Merlo team continuing his family’s connection to our work today.

Gino and Mary Merlo, Italian immigrants who grew up in Central Queensland, both learned the importance of diligence, dedication and making a difference from a young age – and this was the example they set for their children. 

In the early 60s, Gino opened Milano café in Brisbane to office workers and city shoppers, giving people the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee – even sourcing Brisbane’s first authentic espresso coffee machine. 

By the 70s and 80s, Gino and Mary were wowing the city’s residents with one of the country’s most premier dining establishments, Milano. The restaurant welcomed many famous faces, along with judges and politicians – many of whom became advocates for the restaurant and friends of the family. 

“The harder I worked, the luckier I got,” Gino used to say. 

It became such a well-known restaurant that in 1982, the Merlos were invited to cater to dignitaries from around the world for the Commonwealth Games, including Queen Elizabeth II herself and her husband, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh. 

“The restaurant won lots of awards. It had the best cellar in Australia for many years and had 37,000 bottles at one stage. We served Pope John Paul ||, and I personally served the Queen at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games,” Dean Merlo recalls.

“It was one of the most rewarding experiences of our time in the hospitality industry. How many other cane cutters from Mackay have prepared meals for the Queen?!” Mary recalled. 

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Gino joins the board of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation

Four years after the Commonwealth Games, Gino made a decision that would also prove incredibly rewarding: becoming one of the inaugural members of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation’s board. In this role, he was integral in helping shape the organisation in its earliest days. 

Dean says a personal connection to the hospital made it even more important to Gino and the Merlo family. 

“We had an affinity with The Prince Charles Hospital because my sister was an asthmatic as a child and she was admitted there a couple of times and I think they had a soft spot for the hospital,” said Dean. 

“I was only young, maybe 9 or 10 years old, so it was a big thing if your other sibling goes to hospital. And so, when the foundation approached dad, he put his hand up.” 

A new generation, a new path 

Growing up in a family synonymous with Brisbane hospitality, Dean initially chose a different path, beginning his career as a lawyer. It didn’t take long, however, for the pull of hospitality – and a long-held idea for a coffee business – to bring him back. 

“I was in the law field for a couple of years, but I always had a coffee business in my mind. I loved coffee; I loved the idea of it. And I’d been in America, and I’d been around trying different business ideas and came across this amazing chain of cafes. I thought, ‘You know what, there have never been cafes at the bottom of city buildings,’ and so that’s when I came back and started 344 Queen Street – our very first store.” 

That first store would become the beginning of Merlo Coffee and, ultimately, create a new chapter in the Merlo family’s connection with the Foundation. 

Merlo Coffee partners with the Foundation 

In 2014, the Merlo family’s connection with the Foundation entered a new chapter when Merlo Coffee became the coffee partner for our social enterprise operations. More than a decade later, the partnership extends well beyond the supply of coffee. 

Their support has backed our teams with training, sponsored fundraising events, donated product and worked alongside the Foundation to help maximise the impact of our social enterprises.  

One of the biggest ways Merlo has contributed to positive outcomes is by supplying their coffee at a significantly reduced price. That means more of the proceeds from every coffee sold can be directed back to the Foundation and invested into life-changing research, equipment and patient-care initiatives.  

“Together, our partnership has generated more than $1 million in value for the Foundation since it began. Every dollar we’ve saved has been another dollar we’ve been able to invest back into our purpose,” said Vincent McFarlane, Chief Financial and Commercial Officer, The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. 

“That investment has helped support incredible research into areas like rejuvenating donor hearts, advancing the future of artificial heart technology, and improving the early detection of dementia… That’s a pretty remarkable legacy for a cup of coffee.” 

For Dean, however, the partnership is about more than its financial contribution. 

“Our people love it. They love being involved with The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation; they love coming on the bike rides and seeing what we help to do firsthand.” 

And there have been plenty of coffees along the way. 

Last year, Merlo supplied 11.5 tonnes of Merlo beans, powering nearly half a million coffees poured for a good cause across our five social enterprise sites. That included over 143,000 Flat Whites, over 132,000 Cappuccinos and more than 93,000 Lattes. 

The Merlo family’s lasting legacy at the Foundation 

From Gino’s involvement as an inaugural Board member in 1986, to the partnership with Dean and Merlo Coffee today, the Merlo family has been part of the Foundation’s story for 40 years. 

“One of the things I love about this partnership is that it actually started long before Merlo became our coffee supplier. It’s not often you see a family support an organisation across generations, and I think that’s what makes this relationship so unique,” said Vincent. 

And while much has changed since Gino helped shape the Foundation in its earliest days, the relationship between the Merlo family and the Foundation remains as strong as ever, with both organisations committed to continuing the partnership into the future. 

“I think if you’re going to donate money to medical research, The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation is a great place to start. The work they do is simply incredible,” Dean said. 

What began with one family’s experience of care has become a 40-year legacy of giving back and a relationship that continues to make a difference for patients and families today.