Named after the first dog to go into space, Laika Coffee strives to be on the “frontier of the unknown”.
Owners Darwin Jarrett and Ricky Singh acquired the business from its former owners in 2021 and have since expanded the Perth specialty café, gaining an enviable reputation for its house blends and emphasis on brunch.
With 10,000 customers passing through per week and a venue capacity of 250 people, Laika Coffee Venue Manager Ash Parnham puts her 15 years of hospitality experience to good use.
“It’s hectic managing a place that holds 250 people,” says Ash. “It’s challenging, but very rewarding. We have a big team and on weekends we have about 17 front of house staff, not including kitchen staff.
“There are lots of inspiring individuals who work here that treat hospitality as a career.”
The café sits opposite the West Coast Eagles oval, and footy and sports fans frequent the space pre and post match.
“The area is also full of young families. The café is very child friendly as we don’t serve alcohol,” says Ash. “We see a lot of corporates coming for lunch as well – there are lots of businesses in the area.”
Mainly focusing on brunch, Laika delivers a modern Australian take on Asian cuisine. Popular dishes include the likes of sticky black rice pudding, chilli crab scramble, and kimchi mac and cheese croquette.
“We do a bit of everything and change seasonally,” Ash says, “but lots of people just want eggs and coffee too.”
To complement its brunch lineup, the team offer two house blends: Laika 1 and Laika 2.
“Laika 1 pairs well with full cream milk and Laika 2 pairs well with any alternative milks with low acidity,” says Ash.
The team at Laika also rotate through single-origin coffees from roasters around Australia.
“We have a specialty espresso menu with some more exotic finds for people who want to try niche coffee,” she says.
To craft the espresso menu, the baristas use La Marzocco’s Strada and ModBar machines, which Ash says deliver quality and consistent results every time.
“The key to high-volume coffee is making sure everything comes out as expected,” says Ash. “You can really tailor the Strada to match the coffee you want to brew. It’s a fantastic machine.
“We have a pecking order at the café where we make sure everyone goes through the right training before we let them on the Strada. It’s all about respecting the coffee and the machine.”
Laika Coffee
11 Lathlain Place, Lathlain
Western Australia, 6100
Open daily 6am to 2.30pm
This article appears in the June 2025 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
