For a dollar and some change, Patchy makes paper cup orders out of a supermarket trolley using instant coffee, boiled water stored in a Thermos, white sugar, and blue cap milk. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson
In the shade of Auckland's Britomart Square, Jon Low - known better by his customers and fans as Patchy - prepares a cup of $1.50 street coffee.
For a dollar and some change, Patchy makes paper cup orders out of a supermarket trolley using instant coffee, boiled water stored in a Thermos, white sugar, and blue cap milk.
Pay $2, and Patchy will throw in two biscuits for your troubles - a stark difference in price compared to the cafés sitting above him in Commercial Bay, where you're more likely to purchase a coffee and cookie for $10 and above.
Patchy was told on Thursday morning by Auckland Council he will need a permit to continue operating his wallet-friendly business.
Luckily, sudden TikTok fame and his can-do attitude has won him over a group of supportive fans - some of whom have even set up a Givealittle page to help him pay for the permit and the tools needed to make his business official.
After building hype in his first few weeks of (unofficial) trading, Patchy said he was now moving into "phase two" of the business: build, officialise, and create a coffee empire.
Patchy has these ambitions because he has been homeless in Auckland since June 2023, living in car parks across the city.
"It taught me a lot actually, being here hustling and homeless in the city, and I want to build this coffee concept - even though it seems so simple - into an empire to compete with Starbucks," he said.
"There's room [in the market] - coming in with the point of difference that it is instant coffee, it's so cheap that I can sell it at $1.50 and still be profitable."
He uses a storage shed on High Street to store his goods, kettles to boil his water, and access to a few supermarkets dotted around the CBD to restock his ingredients.
He says living on the street and having to beg to get by has "humbled" him, and "hustling" every day to survive has furthered his ambition. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson
Patchy said he ended up here, homeless for almost a whole year, following a marriage breakdown within his young family a few years earlier which left him in a "dark place".
"I'm not blameless, I neglected the marriage and I took her for granted," Patchy said.
"The new guy that she's with is really decent with the kids, so I'm very grateful for that."
Eventually, he ended up living out of a car and making a living by delivering Uber Eats orders, before a robbery left him with nothing.
"I ran into Newmarket mall to pick up [an] Uber Eats order, and when I came back down my car was gone," he said.
"It had my MacBook, my clothes, my whole life in it - that's how I ended up here in the CBD."
He said living on the street and having to beg to get by has "humbled" him, and "hustling" every day to survive has furthered his ambition.
He has found a community amongst the other homeless in the CBD, two of whom have joined him as business partners.
The idea for a cheap alternative to café coffee only just came to him a few weeks ago, and despite being in a city with a competitive café culture, his business has taken off - thanks to TikTok.
So, after all of this, is Patchy's coffee actually worth the hype?
He asks how you like yours done - two sugars, a bit of milk - and gets crafting straight away.
The trick, he says, is to use very hot water, and only add a splash a milk - and, yes, it works.
His coffee is creamy, sweet, and made with love and, after pouring, a woman on the street approaches Patchy to show her support.
"I've seen your TikToks," she said. "You're a big inspiration."
This story was first published by Stuff.