Naked Espresso Bar has landed among the hustle and bustle of city life, a newly established espresso bar with an american flair and bold coffee flavours to match.
Decorated with a yellow mustard wall, Naked Espresso Bar is all about love of coffee and a learning environment for its customers. Established by Shanny Sena, Tom Ervin-Ward and business partner Jason Berley, together they have launched their coffee dream.
Both Shanny and Tom have entered the coffee industry after leaving corporate careers; Shanny was in finance and Tom was a web and graphic designer.
A recent coffee tour through Georgia and Atlanta in America ignited Shanny and Tom’s passion for the industry and they opened Naked Espresso Bar in June 2011. “I love this industry, I love the new generation of baristas who are sharing their knowledge and everyone wants to learn,” Shanny says
The café has only been open for a few months, yet already there is a large influx of regular customers and corporate clients who are attracted to the café’s open, relaxed, bright space and dedicated coffee focus.
“It’s not just about getting the best cup of coffee and the best food; it’s about the experience and getting people to come back,” Shanny says.
Naked espresso Bar uses the new hand-made Mirage Kees Van Der Westen coffee machine from the Netherlands. The house blend is Toby’s estate coffee that is a combination of three different blends including Ethiopia Djimmah, a Colombia supremo and Honduras, which is described as a “strong, punchy flavour” that sits well with both black and milk- based coffee.
Siphon and pour over are also available and increasingly popular with the Melbourne clientele.
An American and German-inspired menu includes black forest waffles and bagels served with red cabbage, sauerkraut and German swiss cheese.
For anyone wondering about the café name; there is some truth to it. While it’s inspired by the naked porta-filter used to make the espresso coffee, nudity is also part of a Monday ritual where the staff wear boxer shorts for ‘no-pants Monday’. Naked espresso Bar invites customers to do the same and promises a free coffee for bravery.