Sunny Boy adds a shot of colour, and specialty coffee, to Moonee Ponds

Coffee roaster Sunny Boy has opened a cafe in Moonee Ponds, brewing high-quality, responsibly sourced coffee in a head-turning retro space.

Shades of orange, brown and yellow create a time-warp effect in the small shopfront, which also functions as Sunny Boy's roastery.

Co-owner Jake Bicchieri also plays in bands and spends a lot of time in music venues around Collingwood and Brunswick with a heavy 1960s and '70s slant.

"I thought, why not transfer that to what I do in the AM?" he says.

Bicchieri has worked at cafes Assembly Ground in Essendon and People's Coffee in the CBD, while his business partner Erkan Selek has eight years' roasting experience at Rosso Coffee. They founded Sunny Boy in 2019 with principles of fair farm-to-cup prices, showcasing coffees from Guatemala, Ethiopia and beyond.

Their first cafe on Mount Alexander Road offers three different roasts across espresso and batch brew, with a takeaway window, standing bar and room for 10 people on swivel chairs and leather couches.

The Sunny Side blend is butterscotch-forward and plays nicely with milk and black coffee, while Goodfella is the same blend roasted darker for a more traditional espresso. Razzle Dazzle is a half-and-half mix of two single-origin coffees roasted differently, creating a creamy, strawberry profile that Bicchieri says is "a bit out there" but quickly becoming his favourite.

Richmond bakery Penny for Pound supplies filled croissants, such as raspberry and almond, savoury pastries and bread for a rotating sandwich line-up. Think avocado, tomato and feta with herb oil, or turkey and cranberry.

After receiving a "groundswell" of support from locals, Bicchieri and Selek are hoping to chase their pipedream of opening more Sunny Boy cafes.

Open Mon-Fri 5.30am-3.30pm and occasionally weekends (check social media).

736 Mount Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds, 0434 274 424, sunnyboycoffee.com.au