By Robert Hentschel
In a time when Australian small businesses are experiencing higher failure rates than ever due to rising operational costs, increased competition and reduced consumer spending, one small business is bucking the trend.
Indonesian couple Suli and Henry (their Australian names) own and operate Cozy Corner Ultimo. The cafe opened its doors on October 27, 2025, and, just over four months on, business is exceeding the couple’s expectations.
“Slowly, slowly, day by day, we’re getting busy, busy, busy,” said Suli. “We didn’t expect that in this (sic) four months we’d get this busy.”
A combination of great customer service, the fact that almost everything is made in-house, and the couple’s willingness to continually experiment and innovate is what makes Cozy Corner Ultimo stand out from other cafes.
Customer service is Suli’s passion.
“I love to talk to customers. I like serving and getting a compliment from them – ‘Oh, your food is nice, your coffee is nice’. It just makes me so happy,” she said.
Everything except for the croissants, and the sourdough bread used for preparing sandwiches, is made on the premises. This gives the couple the flexibility to regularly try out new baked goods, sandwiches and salads and see how customers react to them.
“Testing. That way we know everything,” said Henry. “We try it out ourselves, we feel confident with (sic) it, then we go with it. If it’s not working, we pull it back and try again. That’s how you improve yourself. It comes from the failure.”
One innovation that Suli and Henry have introduced is a machine that cans the cold drinks they make. The can even has the cafe’s logo on it.
“One of the reasons that we’re selling a lot of drinks is because of the can,” said Suli. “Because it looks so nice, and it’s very convenient as well.”
Having worked in establishments ranging from fine dining restaurants to cafes and sandwich bars has shaped how Henry thinks about and operates his own business.
“It gave me a bigger picture of what it’s like when you run a business,” he said. “Every place I worked had a different type of customer … and a different kind of food. You have to understand who you are selling to.”
The couple’s complementary skills and their ability to work well as a team is another factor in the cafe’s success. Suli focuses on customer service and making drinks, and Henry works the kitchen, but all business decisions – from what products to sell, to pricing – are made jointly.
Henry and Suli have noticed that, especially since COVID, people are eating out less and buying fewer coffees. They attribute this to more time spent working from home, an increase in online versus face-to-face study, and Sydney’s high cost of living.
Asked why, despite these factors, Cozy Corner Ultimo has been experiencing positive growth, Suli said: “I think we’re getting busy because of recommendations. We’re grateful for the customers who come back bringing their friends.”
Featured image: Feature image: Working well as a team is crucial to success. Photo: Robert Hentschel
