Sitting in the light-filled Maido space before work is a top part of my week. There are people reading, chatting and tap-tapping on their laptops; shiba inu Pocari is either snoozing or territorially (and harmlessly) barking. The lo-fi coffee shop – a collab between Provider Store and specialty coffee bar Artificer – was intended as a pop-up. Loved for nearly a year, it’s time to say bye.
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“When we decided to open Maido, we had no idea how to run a cafe,” Provider owner Tara Bennett wrote on Instagram. “We got a small coffee machine, built a new candle lab, moved our warehouse upstairs and hoped for the best. It was a big learning curve, but we loved every minute. It’s been a joy to welcome so many of you into our creative space.”

Bennett is savvy when it comes to biz. First it was the design-focused lifestyle shop on Riley Street. Then it evolved with Tasmanian holiday rental Provider House. “I originally wanted to open more stores, but this market’s hard,” Bennett told Broadsheet when Maido opened. “The house in Tassie is more like a showroom – it’s like our next store but you can stay. And [Maido] is another reflection of what we do, but you get to see how we make things. Each Provider is cohesive, but all slightly different. Instead of opening the same things over and over again.”

Maido’s two-week build time saw a coffee bar replace the candle-making bench, and a glass-walled workshop – ideal for perving on the Provider team pour candles – replace a storage space in one corner. Bennett made garlands of white paper flags that hang from the ceiling, and she draws Pocari’s mood each day and displays it on the counter. Vintage shelves are stacked with a retail offering reflective of Provider: ceramic dishes and signature candles, bottles of natural Japanese laundry liquid and artful tabletop brooms.

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“When a chapter ends, it makes room for more exciting projects,” the post continues. “We’ve got big dreams and plans at Provider in the works.”

In the last year, the space has hosted wine tastings, vintage clothes markets, candle-making workshops and private events, which will continue. It’s also available to hire. “We’ve got cool events coming up, so stay tuned.”

The store’s named after a sweet greeting used in Osaka in the morning, afternoon and night. You’ve got until mid-March to stop in, have a cuppa and say “maido” to the team.

Maido’s final day of trade will be Sunday March 16, 2025.

@maidocoffee
@theproviderstore