General Manger / Fonzie Abbott
Nerida Kong

Nerida is the General Manager of Fonzie Abbott, bringing more than 20 years of experience across the coffee and hospitality industry.

At Fonzie Abbott, she plays a key role in guiding the growth of the business across its café, drive-thru, wholesale and coffee roasting operations, with a focus on maintaining quality, consistency and a strong brand identity as the business evolves.

A self-described “people explorer”, Nerida’s leadership approach is centred on building strong teams, meaningful customer relationships and a culture of collaboration and continuous growth.

With extensive experience across both the operational and commercial sides of hospitality, Nerida brings a people-first perspective to what it takes to grow a successful coffee brand without losing what made it special in the first place.

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The Café Brand Playbook: What it Takes to Win at Scale
Monday 12 October 2026
12:00 pm - 12:45 pm
Café Success Stage
Chris Ravlich
Executive General Manager
Gloria Jeans Coffee and Cibo Espresso at Retail Food Group
Adam Caracciolo
Supply Chain General Manager
Zarraffa’s
Nerida Kong
General Manger
Fonzie Abbott
Kristie Booker
FMCG Director
Imagine Collective