Walking down Albert Street today is a very different experience from mid 2025. The street works are largely complete, buses and cars can drive the full stretch, and Midtown is beginning to hum again. At the centre of this renewed energy sits Formery – now with its ground floor complete, leasing near capacity, and businesses capitalising on the final few spots available ahead of one of the biggest changes Auckland has seen in decades.
One such business is Sergeant Coffee Bar, providing a new daily hub that represents more than a place to grab your morning flat white. It signals the area entering its next chapter.
The CRL Will Change Everything – And Smart Businesses Know It
The coming City Rail Link will bring thousands of people through Midtown every hour, reshaping movement, activity and opportunity in ways Auckland hasn’t seen before.
Footfall will surge. Street-level energy will lift. And the businesses already here – from office tenants to retail operators and coffee bars – will be the ones best positioned to ride the wave.
Sergeant Coffee Bar has arrived at precisely the right moment, meeting the demand for places where workers, visitors and neighbours can connect.
More Than Coffee: A Culture Builder for Midtown
Coffee bars today are more than caffeine stops. Across New Zealand, they’re becoming modern “third spaces” – places that blur work, social connection and daily ritual.
Sergeant taps directly into this shift.
You’ll see freelancers tapping away between meetings, small teams gathering to plan the week, or office workers enjoying a moment of calm before a packed day. It’s a place where conversations spark, ideas form, and the rhythm of the workday takes shape.
Five Tips for Groups Working from Coffee Bars
As coffee bars increasingly become informal workspaces, a few simple habits can make them better for everyone, from teams collaborating to the communities around them.
1. Keep meetings light and mobile
Coffee bars are ideal for brief check-ins, quick planning sessions, or casual catch-ups. Save the long presentations or sensitive conversations for meeting rooms.
2. Choose the right time of day
Mid-morning and post-lunch lulls tend to be more relaxed. Peak takeaway rushes are better left for solo coffees rather than group work.
3. Buy with intention
If you’re taking up space, support the space. Ordering coffee, food, or a second round helps keep the ecosystem healthy – and ensures these places remain welcoming for work.
4. Respect the shared environment
Keep voices down, headphones handy, and laptops compact. Coffee bars thrive when they feel open, calm and communal rather than crowded or chaotic.
5. Know when to move on
Great coffee bars spark ideas – they’re often the starting point, not the finish line. When conversations deepen or teams grow, transitioning to a dedicated workspace keeps momentum flowing.
A Signal of What’s Coming
The opening of Sergeant Coffee Bar in Formery is more than a moment – it’s a sign of a precinct shifting into gear. With the CRL approaching, spaces leasing fast, and new energy returning to Albert Street, Midtown is preparing for a transformation.
Sergeant is a taste of that future: a coffee bar poised for business, fuels the workday, and reflects the city Auckland is becoming.
Just as Midtown rises, Sergeant is helping lead the way.