Square and Entropico release Good Neighbours docuseries celebrating Sydney’s neighbourhood culture

Square and Entropico’s new docuseries

Square and Entropico have launched Good Neighbours, a three-part documentary series that highlights Sydney’s independent hospitality venues and the people behind them. Directed by filmmaker Kaius Potter and hosted by chef Joel Bennetts, the project focuses on how local businesses shape the character and spirit of their neighbourhoods.

Concept and themes

Good Neighbours explores what it means to be a good neighbour in the fast-paced, competitive world of hospitality. The series blends elements of travel, business storytelling, and kitchen drama, drawing comparisons to Parts Unknown, How I Built This, and The Bear while remaining grounded in real community stories.

Sydney locations and venues

The episodes move through iconic Sydney areas, from the Inner West to Bondi Beach and surrounding neighbourhoods. Venues such as Happyfield, Lox In A Box, and Earl's Juke Joint feature as examples of businesses that act as social hubs and cultural anchors in their communities.

Visual style and production

Kaius Potter brings a mixed-media, vérité-inspired approach, combining digital interviews with b-roll shot on long lenses, close-up fisheye, 35mm stills, and 16mm film. This textured visual style is designed to capture spontaneous, everyday moments in busy open venues and to reflect the tactile feel of Sydney’s streets and spaces.

Creative partnership and philosophy

The series is part of an ongoing collaboration between Square and Entropico, expanding on previous long-form storytelling work by the studio’s team. Entropico positions Good Neighbours as brand storytelling that merges advertising with entertainment, rooted in Square’s established relationship with local sellers.

Voices from Entropico

Entropico GM Kyle Blanshard describes the series as a distinctive brand story built on Square’s genuine connection to Sydney neighbourhoods. Blanshard also notes that the project reflects Entropico’s mission to create high-craft, emotionally resonant work with real cultural impact for its partners.

Square’s perspective

Square’s Creative Director Kae Yen Wong emphasises that being a good neighbour goes beyond running a business and is about supporting the community. Wong highlights that Sydney’s venues help people connect, belong, and grow, and that collaborating with Entropico and Potter allowed those values to be expressed authentically on screen.

Community-first focus

Entropico notes that it is a community-first company originating in Sydney and that celebrating independent local businesses aligns with its own roots. This shared focus on community underpins the tone of the series, which presents hospitality owners as resilient, generous neighbours who contribute to the city’s cultural fabric.

“Diving into a long-form series to tell grassroots community stories was honestly a dream,” says director Kaius Potter, reflecting on the creative challenge of filming in constantly busy venues and capturing real moments as they unfolded.

“Being a good neighbour is about more than business. It’s about showing up for your community,” comments Square Creative Director Kae Yen Wong, underlining the social role of Sydney’s venues as places where people connect and feel a sense of belonging.

Author’s summary

A vibrant, mixed-media docuseries, Good Neighbours uses Sydney’s hospitality scene to show how independent venues become true community pillars, turning everyday neighbourhood spaces into stories of culture, care, and connection.

Shots — 2025-11-27