Haven Coffee is a familiar name among Sydney coffee lovers, with five cafes across the CBD (Barangaroo, Darling Quarter, Haymarket) and inner south (Green Square, Rosebery). The business began in 2015 with a simple mission that remains today: to provide a ‘third space’ that makes guests feel happy.
How Haven came to be
Known for its specialty‑bean coffee, Haven serves rich, flavourful brews at every location. Haven Haymarket is a dedicated espresso bar, while the other four cafes add brunch offerings that mix familiar tastes with Asian-inspired twists.
Kit Tran, Haven’s founder, launched the first cafe in Surry Hills. “Opening the first Haven was all about love, about passion. Honestly, I didn’t think much about money or finance,” chuckles Kit. The second shop followed in Haymarket in 2019, and the original Surry Hills location eventually relocated to Rosebery a year later. Since then, Haven has expanded steadily, opening in Darling Quarter in 2022, Barangaroo in 2024, and finally in Green Square in 2025.
Kit’s vision for Haven stems from a desire to do something meaningful for the people around him, a feeling he’s held since childhood. “I cannot do massive stuff like making a rocket, but I can do something at least for my friends, for my family, who I really care about. I can always make them feel happy and comfortable, so they don’t feel alone,” shares Kit. “When we started Haven, I thought that Haven could do that, too.”
Herman Chiu, a director at Haven, joined a few months after the first cafe opened. Before that, he worked in advertising, a career he enjoyed but eventually questioned after travelling solo to Tibet. He witnessed how people there lived simply but fully, and his perspective on happiness and success changed – as well as his career path. “I wanted to do something to do with craftsmanship, something with my hands, and grow with the industry and profession,” he recalls. “It also needed to be something that I truly love.”
The two first met when Herman dropped into Haven as a customer. As Herman was about to leave, he asked if they happened to be hiring, then came back the next day with his CV. After a chat, Kit recognised his knowledge and passion for coffee. At the time, Kit was also searching for someone who could help steer the young business. Herman came on board as a barista, and today, he’s a co-director alongside Kit, contributing to Haven’s ongoing vision and growth.
“So yeah, I just landed in Haven and then got stuck there,” Herman says.
“Sorry!” laughs Kit.
The friendship behind the fit-outs
Visit any Haven cafe, and the first thing you notice is the lightness. White walls and veined marble surfaces pair with soft timber accents, while tall windows let natural light pour in. The minimalistic designs let the spaces breathe, creating calm spots where people can visit, pause and escape the rush.
This ambience came to life as Kit and Herman planned their move from Surry Hills to Rosebery. They turned to their longtime friend and interior designer, Teresa Peng, for help. Working with them inspired Teresa to launch her own design studio, MOYA & CO. At their encouragement, she entered the Rosebery store – her studio’s first project – into the DrivenxDesign Sydney Design Awards 2021. “I didn’t think anything would come of it,” she admits. To their surprise, it won Silver.
Their next collaboration was Haven Darling Quarter. That fit-out went on to win the Interior Hospitality category at the Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2023.
The partnership has since become a two-way exchange. “People come in [to Haven], they love the design, love the food, and then [the] guys keep referring jobs. It’s a very synergetic relationship,” Teresa says.
MOYA & CO continues to help shape future Haven builds, with the latest and largest project at Green Square. Here, a central counter creates an interactive experience where customers can observe the team at work. Around it, large communal tables and booth seating accommodate both small and larger groups, fostering a welcoming environment that reflects the area’s friendly vibe.
The flagship store also houses a brew bar, inviting guests to sit up close, watch and chat with a barista as they craft and pour coffee in front of them. A sample roasting station prepares beans on the spot, giving guests a glimpse into the coffee journey. Coffee cupping – the process of tasting and assessing in-house roasts for quality and consistency – also takes place here weekly.
In the back of house, food prep is split across the venues for efficiency. And it’s where Executive Chef Tarek Adham brings his love of Asian fusion into the brunch menu. The Kra Pow Gai Kai Dao burger, for instance, reworks a traditional Thai basil, chicken and egg stir-fry into a handheld delight. Regulars can’t get enough of the XO Prawn Spaghetti, either. “Prawn pasta is a go-to dish. Here, we do a slightly different version,” Tarek says. “It’s something that people cannot have somewhere else.”
Balancing scale with warmth
Each Haven spot caters to its neighbourhood. The Rosebery and Green Square cafes are places where people linger, while the ones at Darling Quarter and Haymarket move faster with office workers passing through. The Barangaroo cafe sits somewhere in between, with its mix of city workers, residents and tourists.
As the number of locations grew, so did the complexity. Fresh ingredients and house-made syrups are prepared, and each cafe has its own busy periods. Tracking what needs prepping, what’s moving on the menu and how each site is progressing through the day is an ongoing part of the job.
Through all of this, Kit and Herman wanted to ensure the guest experience stayed personal. Kit says, “Every location has a slightly different demographic, different customers. So they will have different needs. But at the end of the day, our mission and culture are the same. We are still aiming to make people happy, feel warm, feel welcoming.”
To help preserve Haven’s culture, the duo needed a way to maintain seamless service, handle the demands of multiple sites, and manage the flow of the day without losing the warmth that makes Haven feel like home.
Creating consistency across the board
Haven chose Square to unify all five cafes, giving the team a straightforward way to take orders and process payments quickly, and keep across sales and daily prep in every store.
For staff, the most obvious benefit is consistency. “The Square setup for each location is pretty much identical, and it works really well for us because some of our team members use the other locations, and they can walk in and feel totally confident with the system,” explains Ellie Wardle, Haven Barangaroo’s bar supervisor.
Square is so efficient and so seamless. I am able to focus more on coffee and service because I don’t have to worry about how our daily system works.”
Ellie Wardle → Bar Supervisor, Haven Coffee, Barangaroo
The system makes it easy to track what’s selling in real time, which has been especially useful for daily peaks, new menu additions and popular items – with a few surprising results. “One time, we had a day where we sold more cappuccinos and more lattes than flat whites, and I felt like I wasn’t in Australia anymore! Flat white’s always on top,” says Ellie.
This visibility on Square Dashboard also helps the team review and organise the week. Kit says he can see how each cafe’s going, make staffing adjustments and plan for busy times. “Every Monday, when I sit in front of my computer, I check how they perform, and I can make a very quick decision and take action if needed.”
We have five stores across Sydney, so it’s very important for us to see how they’re performing every week. Without Square, I don’t think we can actually see that very easily.”
Kit Tran → Co-Director, Haven Coffee
Simple tools, smooth service: Haven Coffee on Square
Keeping Haven’s spirit strong
Combining thoughtful ethos and design with a supportive point-of-sale system has allowed the personality of each cafe to shine. Guests receive easy service while feeling welcomed into spaces that are thoughtfully built for their communities. Without friction from admin tasks that usually take up attention, staff have more creative space to connect with regulars and newcomers.
I think I can speak for the whole of Haven when I say we really do love Square. It genuinely keeps our shop running day to day. It’s so efficient, it’s so simple, and it really is the backbone of how we run our services. We care so deeply about service here at Haven, and we are able to maintain our service thanks to Square.”
Ellie Wardle → Bar Supervisor
Square may be the system that helps anchor daily operations, but the magic is in the people. Staff and guests all play a part in what makes Haven special. Every encounter is an opportunity to foster that neighbourhood feel amid the busyness of city life.
And the best part about work? “The free coffee. I’m kidding!” Ellie laughs.
“My favourite thing about working at Haven is that we have such a great relationship with the staff. It’s so fun. And we have such a deep connection with our guests. And that’s why I love working here.”
Expanding the business has been both fun and stressful, both Kit and Herman say. They learn something new with every store opening. But they’re proud of what they’ve created and still passionate about what they do.
For Herman, the future holds opportunities to deepen Haven’s impact on people’s everyday lives. “I think it’s more important now than ever, where everything is hyper-efficient, everything is optimised, but there’s actually less human touch, less human connection nowadays,” he says.
Kit nods readily in agreement. “We’ve grown from one to five; that’s such a long journey, but we don’t want to stop just now,” he says. “We still want to share our mission, our vision, with the community. We’re really excited about what’s ahead of us.”
