With ultra-hip, almost punk branding, Work brings a new energy to the city cafe scene. “It’s a little bit fun, a little bit tongue-in-cheek,” owner Matthew Raymond tells Broadsheet.
Drawing on his design background as creative director of Banta (the team behind the branding of Carton Deli, Blk Mrkt Coffee, Antic Pizza, and more) and his hospitality background (as former manager of Hindley Street nightclub Big Window), Raymond is confident his diverse experience will give him special insight into what customers want from their daily ritual. “I’ve worked across a lot with hospitality spaces, helping people build their brands and helping businesses find their niche within such a busy space. We certainly hope that’s going to help [when running Work],” he says.
Step one is to pour great coffee. Work’s signature blend comes from iconic Adelaide roastery, Rio Coffee. “We’re not selling ‘specialty coffee’. We’re just doing good coffee, really well,” he says.
Food-wise, Work offers a handful of elevated cafe staples and an extensive grab-and-go selection. Think chicken cotoletta focaccia with “Nonna’s sugo”, parmesan, mozzarella, rocket and olive oil; or the Italian chopped sandwich with pork and beef, peppers, chilli, provolone and pickles; or the vegan tomato sandwich, which is simple and tasty with fresh tomato, dill, basil, sunflower seeds, a squeeze of lemon juice and a creamy vegan mayo.
Fresh bread is delivered daily by Prove Patisserie, whose range of perfectly laminated pastries and crispy croissants is also available at the new spot.
For breakfast, Raymond recommends his take on a sausage and egg muffin, made with pork and beef Italian sausage, free-range egg, American cheddar, pickles and a house-made Work sauce.
After he bought the cafe (which was trading as Kicco Coffee) but before it shut for renovations, Raymond spent 12 weeks behind the counter brushing up on his coffee skills, meeting the regulars and scrubbing dishes to really get a feel for the place. Even now, he admits there’s more to learn. “I never want to think I know it all,” Raymond says. “I try and surround myself with the right people [and] have brought on a couple of the old staff, because they’re wicked. They know the lay of the land, and that’s going to be super important.”
Work
100 Pirie Street, Adelaide
Hours:
Mon to Fri 6am–3pm
