Who’s your daddy?
BRAAMFONTEIN - New kid to the coffee culture block, Father Coffee, is the latest secret of the Braamies’ coffee shop nooks.
It’s hidden away in a passage at 73 Juta Street waiting to be explored by young coffee lovers.
Owned by Nick Christowitz, Angie Batis, Chad Goddard and Barry Weedon, the shop exudes young energy with its chic white walls and wooden panels. This lends itself to minimalistic Scandinavian style décor while still being inviting to customers.
A chat with Father’s Nick Christowitz shared some light into the concept behind the place name. “When we thought of the name we wanted to be an authority on coffee culture in Joburg and ‘father’ works with that,” he said. “It’s an authoritative and educational figure.”
Christowitz explained that his co-founders chose Braam because it’s their playground. “This is the place we party and where we chill.” He explains that they had considered the Star bucks approach but felt that it didn’t have a vibe.
The team was offered a bigger space but this is all they wanted. “We wanted it to be of a very European style, where you go in, get your coffee and have a quick chat. The place was designed to ensure this.”
The owners of the shop are hands on and they are always at the store. “We like interacting with our customers.”
Their signature drink is called The Scatado, which is an ode to the Scotani culture. It’s a culture of excess and wasting money and the drink lives up to its inspiration as it costs R100. “They pour Ultra Mel custard on their hands and rinse it off with red bull, so we decided to use that in the drink.”
“The drink has Ultra Mel at the bottom topped with the first half of an espresso and served with a small side glass of Red Bull,” he said. “Now we are just waiting for a Scotani to buy one and throw everything on the floor.”
The shop also has a roaster and the team makes its own blends of coffee to sell. “We’ve already got a few orders now where people are buying for their offices and that is where the heart of the business is. The shop is just an introduction to the brand.”
“This is the only place to be.”
Details: 082-513-4258, www.fathercoffee.co.za
