“I have mixed emotions to announce Paddys Lantern will be no more,” owner Sam Carey wrote back in June. The post was met with a flood of sad reacts and messages of condolence from neighbours and customers of the much-loved Gilbert Street cafe. It concluded with a prompt to “Keep an eye on 219 Gilbert St”, hinting there was still life in the old spot yet.
While the site currently lies dormant, come spring it will relaunch as Leisurely Coffee, under the custodianship of longtime Devour barista Ibrahim Yu.
It’s a passing of the mantle. When Covid lockdown kicked off, Yu – like so many hospitality staff – found himself stewing at home, eager to get back to work. Noticing that Paddy’s was closed, he reached out to see if he could be of service. “I had known Sam from Paddys Lantern for a long time,” Yu says, “So I contacted him to see if he needed some help.” But the answer came back a polite, “No thanks”.
A few weeks passed before Carey hit him back with an invitation to catch up and chat. “I arrived [at Paddys Lantern] and all the tables and chairs were packed up,” Yu says. “He asked me to take the shop.”
“I wasn't really thinking about opening a new business [at the time],” he continues. I was even thinking of going back to study and changing my hospitality life completely.”
His familiarity with the venue, and the strong community that surrounds and supports it, convinced Yu to take the plunge. Sitting just beyond the CBD, the place runs a beat or two slower than most city espresso bars, which he says allows for a more easy-going – dare we say, “leisurely” – approach to service.
Today, the cafe is little more than a shell: empty and quiet, even a little spooky. But Yu brings it to life as he talks us through technical drawings and steps out the new floorplan. A brand new commercial kitchen is on its way as well as a brew-it-yourself filter coffee bar, and plenty of plants.
A timber arbour will frame the rear of the space, while at the front the focus will be on comfort. A small retail section and outdoor common tables are being added. “I want people to enjoy great coffee, great food and an environment that is unique to this shop – it gets so much beautiful sunlight through the six-metre-high ceilings,” Yu says. “I am going to green up the place and make it beautiful again.”
Leisurely Coffee is Yu’s first solo venture. He’s poured and roasted coffee at Bar 9, Cibo and Local Grind. The last five years he’s worked alongside Quang Nguyen at Devour, and says he couldn’t have taken the leap into business ownership without his help and guidance. “I’m still a little sad to be leaving everyone,” Yu says of his Devour crew and customers. “I really enjoyed making doughnuts in the early mornings. The reward of customers having their first bite and tapping my shoulder to say, “Well done Ibz” is the same feeling as people telling me their coffee tastes great.”
Coffee can be so much fun,” Yu continues. He finds real connection in customer service and wants to engage with people in ways that feel authentic – including handing over the reins (or at least the tools) to patrons who might want to brew their own filter coffee and coaching them in brewing processes they can use at home.
He is also dedicating time each week to exploring coffee with anyone who shows an interest, hosting after-hours events and cuppings, Q&As with local roasters, and brewing classes.
We’re used to seeing numerous roasts available for black coffee or filter drinkers, but latte lovers are often left out. Not here. “Our milk-based coffees will go in two different directions,” says Yu. “One blend tastes like milk chocolate and is very smooth and balanced, the other will push people’s boundaries a little with hints of fruit.”
The food menu will feature ingredients from local suppliers in dishes that reflect different cultures. “It will be halal and vegan-friendly,” Yu says. Expect handmade noodles and dumplings, as well as familiar brunch dishes with subtle tweaks, such as halal “beef bacon” in place of pork.
With so much uncertainty lingering around daily operations, Yu is taking things slowly and carefully. He expects the new fit-out to be complete and doors open within eight weeks.
