Andrew and Matt started Empire Coffee in 2016 with an idea to make great coffee accessible anywhere. What started as a single coffee cart grew into three carts, and when Riverside Market opened in 2019 they took the opportunity to create a permanent site in what would turn out to be one of Christchurch's best hospitality venues. 
In 2020 a coffee roastery was added to the operation, trading under the Heron Coffee Roasters brand. 
These days the coffee carts are bought out occasionally, with the majority of events being run on a custom built desk more suitable for fast service.