A taste of Down Under opens in Portsmouth

PORTSMOUTH — A new cafe’s ultimate goal is to bring something that’s never been seen in Portsmouth, according to Mikayla Mercier, the culinary and catering manager of the newly opened Sydney fronting West Main Road.

“We are Australian-inspired,” said Ms. Mercier, 25. “The owner, Jordan Boslego, has done a lot of traveling to Australia for business. He loved the coffee culture. More than 95 percent of their coffee shops were privately owned. Larger companies such as Starbucks have not fared well in Australia. He liked the food and decor, so he brought it back to Rhode Island.”

The cafe is located at 8 Russo Road, the former location of a Subway. 

With the exception of a couple of Dunkin’ Donuts and a few other independently owned coffeehouses, Ms. Mercier said local residents are limited in their coffee choices unless they want to drive further north.

“You don’t have a lot up here until you hit Newport," she said. “We wanted to bring the Australian coffee culture. We love our location, especially our porch, which we plan on opening in the spring. Unfortunately, like our Providence location, the interior is small." 

Ms. Mercier has been working for the coffeehouse since October 2016, when the original Sydney location first opened in downtown Providence. A series of successes has allowed the coffeehouse to expand into the East Bay area, and the Portsmouth cafe held its grand opening on Saturday.

“We were really busy this past weekend, and a lot of people came and showed up to support us," said Ms. Mercier. 

In an effort to stand out from other nearby coffee shops, Sydney offers speciality drinks and other seasonal beverages. Breaking away from the traditional pumpkin spice latte of the fall season, Sydney also offers an apple cider chai and an eggnog latte during the colder months. 

The coffeehouse also makes other “superfood speciality drinks” such as its “hippie juice” and “vanilla bean root.” Ms. Mercier said the beverages are not only healthy but different from the norm and aesthetically pleasing. 

The coffeehouse also makes its own baked goods in house (with the exception of croissants), and also offers gluten-free options. With the recent introduction of “smoothie bowls” at its Portsmouth location, Ms. Mercier is hopeful that the company will continue to thrive. 

The long line at the entrance was one promising sign of just that. 

Sydney is located at 8 Russo Road (fronting West Main Road), Portsmouth. It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call 401/648-4994, e-mail contact@sydneypvd.comPortsmouth, or visit www.sydneypvd.com.