The first Fuel Espresso outlet was opened in 1996 by Sanjay Ponnapa on The Terrace in Wellington. It was Wellington's first street espresso cart, and over the years it has become a much loved landmark for the thousands of people it has introduced to the Fuel Espresso experience. Sanjay's intention from the start was to create a new kind of espresso experience - an uplifting moment in busy urban lives based around perfect espresso, jazz music and a special relationship between each customer and their barista. Fuel Espresso now has ten espresso bars around Wellington.