Gary Au and his co founder Horry launched Urban Coffee Roaster in 2014 after bonding over coffee as dorm mates at Hong Kong University, with Gary leaving his career as a proprietary trader to become a freelance roaster before opening their first location at Wontonmeen Hostel in Sham Shui Po. The operation has since grown into a multi location roastery with a modern plant featuring dedicated sourcing, roasting, quality control, sensory, and brewing teams across several Hong Kong neighborhoods and the international airport. Gary's competitive achievements underscore the roastery's technical depth: he won both the Hong Kong Barista Championship and Coffee in Good Spirits Championship in 2024, going on to place sixth at the 2025 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. The team's innovation extends to product design, with their 2 Way Cup winning the 2024 SCA Best New Product Award for offering dual tasting experiences in a single vessel. Urban Coffee Roaster has evolved from pop up markets to one of Hong Kong's most decorated and forward thinking specialty coffee operations.