Sleepy Bloc

Sleepy Bloc was founded by Osheen, Mike and Camie — three creatives from different backgrounds whose interests converged into what began as a small roaster and evolved into a pop-up outfit with international reach over five years. And after years running the roasting project, the team decided it was time to build something physical. 

And so, their Marrickville outpost was born: an espresso (and matcha) bar, showcasing its own in-house roasted house blend alongside a rotating selection of beans from friends across Sydney, Japan and Korea.

“The concept came after having a roasting project for many years and wanting to create a venue — a ‘home’ for our brand, where we could serve people our coffee firsthand, creating a comfortable space with a real sense of community,” Osheen tells Urban List.

Step inside and you’ll quickly realise this isn’t a typical café fit-out. The space is enormous (a former marble warehouse) complete with a commercial crane that still stretches across the ceiling from end to end. The scale has already allowed the team to host a run club event and a market day within their first month of opening, with more community activations in the works.

But despite the size of the venue, the team is all about minimalism.

“It’s an incredibly humble space,” Osheen tells us.

“There’s nothing flashy or fancy, it’s full of camping chairs, milk crates and coffee tables. There’s no dining tables, no cafe furniture in any shape or form.”

The inspiration comes from friends in Japan, where customer interaction and hospitality take precedence over uniform interiors. The result feels informal and open-ended — somewhere you can sit with a drink, read, work, chat, or simply hang out without pressure.

“We want people to feel like they’re guests in our house, welcomed into a ‘homies place’, and treated like guests,” he shares.

“Something that’s been disappearing recently, especially with a focus on automation and service romanticism without the hospitality element.”

In line with that philosophy, the menu offering is also intentionally simple: rotating jaffles, banana bread and sweet treats, often spotlighting local makers. And the drink you’ll see in most hands? The Espresso Soda.

“It’s made using seasonal florals and fruits, soda water poured over ice and topped with a double espresso using our own roasted house blend,” Osheen explains.

Those florals and fruits come from Inner City Permaculture, a small local farm in Bardwell Valley, keeping the sourcing close to home.

When it comes to broader hospitality trends, Sleepy Bloc isn’t chasing them.

“We’re leaning in the total opposite direction,” Osheen says. “Automation and efficiency are top buzzwords floating around our domestic scene at the moment."

"Our only focus is giving you the best hospitality experience possible — pure enjoyment and love for coffee, coupled with great banter and conversation in a purpose-built space that’s designed for you to engage with us and everything else.”

It’s coffee-first, community-minded, and intentionally low-frills — housed inside one of the largest espresso bars Sydney’s likely seen. 

And if that still doesn't convince you? Tucked at the back of the warehouse is a Cat Lounge run by partners Cha and Zak, giving visitors the option to play with resident cats while they’re there. We'll leave it at that. 

Image credit: Sleepy Bloc | Supplied