Throughout Australia, the all-day cafe is an essential part of the culture, beloved for its breezy, light-filled space serving great coffee, food and “everyone knows your name” hospitality. When Sydney-born musician Henry Roberts arrived in NYC in 2011, he couldn’t find anything like it. Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. Within three years, Roberts, also an avid home cook, opened his first Aussie-style cafe, Two Hands, in Nolita (north of Little Italy.) New Yorkers quickly embraced the place not only for its delectable “brekkie” bowls and superb espresso-based drinks but for its light-hearted, community-driven spirit.
“We started small and learned as we went,” Henry says. “If you are passionate enough, New York has a certain energy that empowers you. And I said, ‘why not!’”
Eight years and six…
