Sydney-based coffee roaster Single O is set to open its first day-to-night flagship cafe in Kanda Awajicho, Tokyo Japan on 24 April. After a decade in the Japanese market, the specialty coffee pioneer will expand its offering with a full-service cafe serving cocktails and wine alongside its dynamic food menu.
As Single O’s fourth and largest Tokyo location, the 50-seat venue brings Single O’s signature specialty coffee to the lively, culture-rich neighborhood of Kanda Awajicho, near Akihabara.
Open seven days a week, the new Kanda location, which has a space-age design theme, will feature six free-pour coffee batch taps, serving rotating origins, blends, and seasonal drinks. The opening line-up includes a double fermentation Colombia Gesha by Wilder Lazo in Acavedo, Huila, which boasts vibrant floral and citric notes. A Linea PB espresso machine from long-term partners La Marzocco will serve up flat whites and more featuring Single O’s signature Reservoir blend.
For those searching for something a little stronger, there is also a selection of specialty coffee cocktails, including ‘Let Me Clarity Colada,’ Single O’s sustainable spin on a classic Pina Colada, which is made with washed coconut rum, soda water, and a pineapple and coconut coffee clarification made with spent coffee grounds. There’s also a range of local and Australian independent craft beers and seasonal Australian wines, curated by Dan Cesarano, Single O’s head of retail and co-founder of Newton’s Rising Sun Workshop.
Single O Kanda will offer a wide range of breakfast, lunch and bar snack options, boasting creative twists on familiar favourites. The menu features Aussie signatures from Single O’s Surry Hills and Newstead cafes, including Single O’s cult-favourite banana bread with espresso butter, The Avo Show (rye, achiote cashew cheese, pickled fennel, seasoned crumb, chilli oil, sweet lemon aspen) and the Mothership Bowl (brown rice, caramelised mushrooms, seasonal vegetables, pickles, soft boiled egg). There’s also a Single O Japan take on the classic eggs benedict, the Yuzu Benny (poached egg, sourdough, smoked salmon, yuzu hollandaise, cucumber, mint, coriander, pickled apple, lemongrass sate, chilli oil, crispy rice and shallot crumb). Chef Yoko Kobayashi (Alta Bistro Canada, Bills Australia) has also teamed up with award-winning pastry chef Johnny Pisanelli to create Single O’s first on-site baked goods offering.
“We’re excited to open our newest Single O location in Kanda. We’ve been in Japan for over 10 years now, and it’s unreal to be part of specialty coffee’s growth here and support a thriving independent cafe scene,” says Mike Brabant, CEO of Single O. “It’s a sister to our Surry Hills site in Sydney, seating a community of coffee lovers, locals, and travellers alike. We’re calling it the Mothership and we hope people will come in, discover something new, and feel at home – whether they’re here for our signature Reservoir flat white, experience the latest single origin on tap from our producer partners around the world, or grab an after-work drink.”
Single O’s brand ethos “No Death to Coffee” underscores the new venue’s environmental mission by incorporating details with sustainability at the heart. For an elevated dine-in experience, Single O offers Sludgies Cups by celebrated Australian ceramicist, Malcolm Greenwood, as well as Kinto Japan ceramics for espresso service and reusable Circle Cups for takeaway. The venue also showcases recycled plastic countertops by Defy Design, a reused central communal table, and upcycled plywood chairs from Flange Plywood.
Ushering in this bold new era of sustainability, digitisation, and functional design, Single O Kanda takes on a space-age theme, brought to life by award-winning design firm Luchetti Krelle and expertly built by Bonobo. Bright and minimalist Japanese art from Tokyo-based illustrator Nori Okawa lines the walls, paying homage to the brand’s origins.
“This site is a significant one for Single O. A new ‘mothership’ location, it is the largest store yet,” says Stuart Krelle, co-founder, Luchetti Krelle. “Here, we really leant into the brand’s fun personality, and the local context of near-by Akihabara Electric Town. Mixing futuristic, industrial aesthetics found us celebrating the brand’s DNA, Australian Roots and celebrating Japan’s vibrant culture was deeply important to us.”
Single O is strategically located in the heart of culture and modernity, Kanda Awajicho, providing a central hub for coffee-lovers, locals and tourists. The blend of history and contemporary Japanese culture fosters a sense of community, connection and conversation among its visitors. Single O Kanda Awajicho marks a new chapter in bringing the Australian specialty coffee experience to Tokyo.
Single O’s Kanda location opens on 24 April, seven days a week, 8am-9pm weekdays, and 9am-6pm weekends. The cafe is located at 〒101-0063 3F Waterras Tower 101, 2-chome Kanda Awajicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
