Juddy Roller opens in Fitzroy

New cafe owners are normally chomping at the bit to talk about the type of coffee bean they’re using, where they were sourced and the whiz-bang methods used to extract the most flavour from each ground. Not so Shaun Hossack, owner and barista at Juddy Roller, Fitzroy’s newest cafe.

When I stop by the week-old cafe and started asking about beans and such, Shaun politely answers my questions, but I can tell he’d rather be talking about other stuff. Stuff like the towering murals adorning the cafe’s interior by Sydney artist Ears. And stuff outside, where the walls are covered with the work of local and international street art crews that Shaun hosts in his studio upstairs.

You see, while Juddy Roller might serve a fine cuppa and good food, it’s all about the art. When I visit two local artists are comparing notes and war stories, while a British photographer Shaun met that morning is talking about a collaborative project. A natural extension of his studio, Shaun sees Juddy Roller as a communal space for people interested in local art to come and have a chat in an inclusive, non-pretentious way.

But this is supposed to be a cafe review, so I should mention they use Supreme Beans and serve a breakfast-centric menu divided into ‘carnivore’ and ‘herbivore’ sections with eggs and sandwiches that all look good. There’s also an awesome mosaic of Ken and Ryu by the coffee machine.

On August 25 Shaun and a bunch of local artists including Ironlak will be holding Ill Logic, a free street festival where Juddy Roller’s corner of Chapel Street will become an open air studio with art, video-mapping and music. Anyone interested in contributing should drop by and ask for Shaun. For those of you like me with no artistic talent, ask for coffee and a menu.

Juddy Roller
Corner Johnston and Chapel St, Fitzroy (enter from Chapel St)
Mon to Sat 8am – 4pm