Most people dream of a short commute to work, but Lawson man Sovithyea ‘SV’ Sar has the shortest commute of all – from his house to the café he runs from his front yard. SV started his eponymous business, SV Coffee & Bakery, six months ago during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, originally from inside his house.

He’s since seen a groundswell of support for the venture, which has now moved to the front yard to accommodate the locals and regulars. It’s almost invisible from the road if not for the sign advertising his newest drink: an ice coconut latte.

At first, SV says people didn’t know the café was there, “because it’s a house”.

“I had a scooter, it was two degrees, and I letterbox dropped all the houses in Lawson,” he says.

“And then people started coming … two guys came to my place and knocked on the door and said ‘is there a coffee shop here?’ … and those were my first two customers.”

SV says after that first day, he would make between two and 10 coffees a day.

“Sometimes I’d make 20 … I’d say ‘ah, so busy today, I made 20 coffees!’”

SV now dishes up 150 to 200 coffees a day – made from Lonsdale Roasters beans – and house-made treats (literally made in his house), all available for takeaway.

An experienced barista, SV took his blend of beans to the National Barista Championships last year and finished third in his category. It’s because of his passion for coffee and community that SV Coffee & Bakery was born.

“This place, I’m tyring to bring the community together. In Lawson we didn’t have any cafés before and we felt so isolated.

“There was no place that we could gather.

“This is not a normal coffee shop,” he smiles, “it’s a community café”.

Visit SV Coffee & Bakery at 23b Swagman Street, Lawson. Open Monday-Friday 7am-3.30pm and weekends 8am-3.30pm.

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