By Megan Pilditch
Vintage Coffee is quite simply unlike any other coffee shop South Africans have encountered- it’s a non-profit coffee shop.
The concept is simple. Every month three non-profits have the chance of taking home the coffee shop’s profits. With every purchase a customer makes, they receive a nifty two cents coin. The customer then chooses which non-profit they want to support by “voting” with their token, and the non-profit with the most coins at the end of every month goes away with a happy heart.
The husband-and-wife team team behind Vintage Coffee are South African born Kevin and his Brazilian wife Rebeca Clark. After living abroad they returned to South Africa and decided to open up a non-profit coffee shop that combined their two of their biggest passions, coffee and helping the those less fortunate.
Kevin learnt to drink good coffee and for the past ten years, has been “falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole!” Rebeca grew up with her parent’s coffee shop in Brazil, a country where coffee is part of the culture. At seventeen Rebeca even owned a coffee shop!
“If you go anywhere in Brazil, you only get one option: coffee. Most people drink Italian coffee and throughout the day, Brazilians can be found sipping espresso's (with about three sugars added to it!). Coffee is just a part of life in Brazil. However, the culture is slowly changing to artisanal coffee with drinks such as cold brew becoming more and more popular,” explained the Vintage Coffee team.
They have also connected with local do-gooders
Roast Re:public, who roasts their house beans to perfection. “Everything that Roast Re:public stands for resonated with who we are. Roast republic gives 50% of their profits to fund education and we want to partner with people who want to give back and help add value to our city.”
Kevin enthusiastically explains the metaphor behind Vintage Coffee’s robust roast of blended Brazilian and Tanzanian beans, “Just like our marriage our coffee is a blend of South American and African origin. The Brazilian bean and the Tanzanian bean produce a flavour that is fruity at first but with a powerful overtone of smooth chocolate. It dances on your tongue!”
Who knew coffee could bring such joy!
You can find Vintage Coffee at 69 Freight Road, Centurion, Gauteng 1683.
