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Superfreak is the kind of place that turns strangers into locals. With its warm, 70s-inspired feel, this Marrickville cafe provides the perfect backdrop for genuine connection. Their approach is super clear: make every customer feel welcomed and valued. Co-owner Mike Ico shares three guiding principles that shape how their team shows up every single day. And it all begins well before the first flat white hits the table.
1. Hire the vibe, train the rest
“When we hire, we generally hire based on personality rather than skill because we know that we can train skill. But when it comes to wanting to have the eagerness to welcome someone in the door or just to be a good co-worker, the person needs to be positive and happy. That’s the starting point.”
Skills can be sharpened, techniques can be taught – but you can’t teach someone to care. That warm, can-do attitude is what sets the tone for every guest’s experience. Superfreak looks for people who bring something extra to the role and can keep the mood up even when it’s flat-out. That energy lifts everyone around them, customers and co-workers alike. Hire people who light up the room, and the rest will follow.
Consider asking these 10 revealing interview questions to choose the best staff.
2. Stop, drop and greet
“You stop what you’re doing. If someone walks in, you say hello. You know when you walk into a place, and you have no idea what to do or where to go, and you feel like an idiot? Make them know that someone will be with them in a sec. At the very, very least, acknowledge that they’re there. The worst feeling in the world is not being acknowledged. If we ever notice that it’s lacking, we’ll always say, hey, they’re letting people hang at the door a bit too long. We need to stop what we’re doing, whatever it is. If you’re making a coffee, you can stop or you can talk to that person while you’re doing it, but there’s no reason to ever just leave them sitting there.”
First impressions count. And it doesn’t take much to make someone feel seen. A quick nod, a smile, a ‘Hey there! I’ll be with you shortly’ can flip the switch from awkward to welcome in an instant. Almost a quarter of Aussies told a 2025 Square survey that a staff member influences whether or not they’ll go ahead with a purchase. For Superfreak, that initial customer touchpoint is everything. It’s a make-or-break between someone coming in and staying – or bailing.
3. Good meals end, good feelings last
“We believe that service and ethos are above the food offering and the drinks. Let’s say from our experiences as customers, if we go into a venue and the food’s okay, but the service is good and they make you feel good, it makes the food better and you have a good experience. And let’s say you go into a venue and the food’s amazing, but you have a bad experience with service or it’s lacking. For us, it brings the food down. I don’t really want to go back there because I didn’t have a good time.”
Good food might draw a crowd, but it’s the atmosphere, staff and tableside experience that turn one visit into many. Genuine hospitality can transform a meal into a memory. On the flip side? A cold or careless interaction will sour even the best dish.
What leaves a lasting impression is a team that’s working as one and tuned in to the people around them. When everyone’s on the same page, supporting one another, and looking after each and every customer, that becomes woven into your restaurant brand. It’s a feeling people associate with, whether they’re planning their next visit or recommending your venue to a mate.
Great service doesn’t require grand gestures – it’s just consistent, intentional and human. From the hello at the door to the energy behind the cash register, every moment counts. And with intuitive tech tools working in the background to help service flow, your staff can focus on creating experiences worth coming back for.
