CAFÉ SCENE

PRIDE OF REDFERN

115 Lawson St, Redfern, New South Wales, 2008 Open 4.30am – 6pm Monday to Friday, Saturday 6.30am – 3pm (02) 7900 9664

Danny Magliveras puts his customers first, even if it means sacrificing a bit of sleep.

When he first opened Pride of Redfern in 2013, right opposite Redfern station in Sydney, train operators asked if he could open at 6am so they could get a coffee into work. Then, the nearby Redfern Police station and its associated motorbike highway patrol unit asked if he could open at 5am to cater for their early start. Again, he obliged. Now, to keep the local community happy and caffeinated on their way into work – including the tradies – George opens his doors at 4.30am.

“We even arrive at 4am and have people waiting out the door,” he says. “We get a lot of the local police business. We’re the safest place in Redfern.”

Danny says the suburb of Redfern was once a “pretty rough” neighbourhood, but over the years he’s watched it transform dramatically into a thriving café hub.

“We were the first specialty café in Redfern and our café has become part of the community – it’s a friendly, homey, and relaxed place to meet,” Danny says.

Each morning Pride of Redfern has a line of customers spilling out into the street, but Danny and his staff know most by name and order. “We don’t just consider them customers, but friends,” he says.

It’s not just the customer interaction Danny enjoys. He’s made lifelong friends through a shared love for coffee, including barista George Sidiroeoulos.

Using a La Marzocco machine, the team serve Campos Coffee’s award-winning Superior Blend