New Coffee Shop Opens In Portlaoise

Thursday, 16 July 2026 14:43

Side Street Coffee aims to serve specialty coffee

A new independent speciality coffee shop has opened on Railway Street, Portlaoise, with a simple ambition: to serve the best and most consistent coffee in town.

Side Street Coffee is the latest addition to Portlaoise’s growing independent business community and is led by experienced coffee professional Rich Lilley.

Rich spent several years teaching at the renowned Dublin Barista School, helping to train thousands of aspiring baristas around Ireland in the art and science of exceptional coffee.

Now, after years of teaching others, Rich is bringing that expertise to his own cafe, where every Coffee is prepared with precision, care and consistency. “Coffee has always been much more than just a job for me,” said Rich. “It’s something I’ve dedicated years to understanding from sourcing and roasting beans to perfecting espresso extraction and milk texturing.

We wanted to create somewhere people can rely on, where every cup is made properly every single time. Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth, the quality should always remain the same.” Working alongside the owners of Ramsbottom and Sons in Portlaoise, Rich has helped shape every aspect of Side Street Coffee, from the choice of coffee supplier and the equipment to staff training and customer experience.

Side Street Coffee proudly serves specialty coffee roasted by award winning Irish coffee roasters Badger & Dodo, whose commitment to quality reflects the team’s own philosophy of consistency and flavour in every cup.

Rich believed consistency is what separates a good cafe from a great one. “I’ve always believed great coffee shouldn’t be a lottery” he said. “Every customer deserves the same fantastic cup every single time they visit.

That’s exactly what we’re striving to deliver here at Side Street Coffee.” Conveniently located on Railway Street, just 2 minutes away from Portlaoise Train Station and one minute away from Lyster Square, the cafe is designed to serve commuters, local workers, shoppers, families and anyone looking for exceptional coffee in a welcoming environment.

As well as serving premium coffee, the team at Side Street Coffee hope that it will become a meeting place for the local community and another example of independent businesses continuing to invest in Portlaoise town centre.