Cheeky Monkey.

A neighbourhood cafe on Swan Street, loved by its loyal locals.

Cheeky monkey has been part of the Swan Street fabric for many years, with an established loyal customer base. They had a clear identity, existing operations set-up, and customers who wanted continuity in their daily coffee experience.

Client Brief

A quick turnaround project, the original successful cafe had to relocate as its current site was undergoing redevelopment. The business owners found an available site a few doors down and needed a new design with a short construction period to reduce operating downtime.

Project Challenges

The new space was too large and had many layers of construction work done over its history, and the tight time frame also posed a challenge for this project.

Our Solution

Our clients decided to sublet part of their space to a local florist. This existing business had operated successfully in the neighbourhood and was part of the Swan Street retail community.

Stripping back all the layers of construction built over time, we could see the original bones of the building. Beautiful red brick arches and detailed steel beams were left exposed. We then designed around the existing original structure. Connecting the florist and cafe via an existing large archway allowed the colours and texture of the florist to become part of the cafe space. The overall result was a simple, pared-back, warm and textured cafe.