The owners of Sublime Coffee and co-developers behind Bridge Street Studios, Emma and Dan Hennah, have helped shape some of Nelson’s more distinctive buildings. We chat with Emma and take a look at the collaborative space they have created on Bridge Street which opened at the end of March.
What first drew you in to the Bridge Street sites?
Dan and I have always loved old buildings. We have wandered around many of Nelson’s empty old buildings over the years. We first looked at the Bridge Street building, which now houses our roastery, in 2016. It was very different back then. You needed torches to see anything and there was debris everywhere, but it didn’t feel like the right time for that project. Fast forward to 2024, and we were ready to be on the move. We looked at 131 Bridge Street on a wet, dreary day in December. It was raining outside and inside and looked like an abandoned nightclub. Everything was dark, shut in and wet.
Our real estate agent suggested we take a look next door to see the work Simon and Miko had done to the building we had looked at originally. Seriously – it was like magic had happened! Those guys are legends. They had developed the building into a beautiful, airy, light space that had a really special vibe to it. Simon and Miko had always wanted to add in a coffee element. The transfer of building ownership felt very seamless and organic. It felt like the perfect place for Sublime to put down some permanent roots.
When you think back to before the transformation, what did this building feel like and what did you see beyond that?
Each building was like the total opposite of each other! One had an emerging community of creatives and makers and an exciting, bubbling feeling, and the other was just ick. Yet somehow, we felt like they were meant to click together and become part of something better together.
We sat down and made a huge plan. There are places we have both visited that we drew on. Like a paint colour from one place or an experience from another place. We wanted to layer these into the space, as well as consider what the existing community in the building needed, what Sublime needed, what we loved about the buildings, what worked and didn't work. We got some good concepts for different spaces together and came out with a three-phase plan. Luckily, some family members thought the plan wasn’t too bad either and so in March 2025 we bought 131 Bridge Street with Dan and Chris Hennah, and Nancy and Ra Vincent.
As the space began to change, was there a moment where it started to feel like Bridge Street Studios was truly taking shape?
Yes – that was such an exciting moment! Our move from the old roastery space had to be fast so we had the roastery and coffee bar space mapped out and tradies all lined up ready to go. The initial move and install into the space had to be done in three weeks. We achieved so much in such a short time.
At the end of the last week when I looked around and it felt like everything I had spent weeks walking around in my mind was suddenly physically in front of me. With the coffee bar finally sitting just beautifully in the building as though it had always been there, the studio felt like it had a central gathering place anchoring the building. It was a pretty special moment.
Today, the studios are home to a growing collective of creative businesses, can you share how the design and layout of the studios shape the way people work, create, and interact within it?
There were already nine creative businesses in the building when we came along – Sublime made 10. From very early on we were approached almost weekly by people who were looking for affordable creative spaces in the CBD. The initial building was fully tenanted, but it was clear that the demand was there. It helped encourage us to develop the second building. In this development, or ‘Phase Two’, we intentionally kept the spaces small to keep them affordable. They were designed as a kind of a stepping stone for people looking to move their business into a commercial space without the risk of taking on a large footprint. We wanted to incorporate spaces within the main buildings where people could leave their own industrious, often solo spaces and gather, meet clients, or even take an online meeting away from their own workspace. A sense of community has really driven the design.
What do you love most about working from this location?
Community and collegial support. I love coming to work here. We are all very supportive of each other. In the small business world, you can feel a bit like you're swimming against a tide at times, but in the studios there is always someone around to run an idea past or share a challenge with. We really look out for each other.
What exciting changes will people see for the future of Bridge Street Studios?
We hope to develop the shared spaces more. There are a few experiential concepts we have from our original plan that we will layer in when the timing is right. In the long term, it would be good to be able to connect the buildings in a way that people can walk around freely, grab a coffee, wander around and see what is on offer from each of the individual businesses.
