Birthday Week So Far... WOW!

We're halfway through our birthday week and it's been smashing. The celebrations have been in full swing — free pastries, app coffees, cinnamon buns — and the response has been brilliant. Here's where things stand:

The Numbers So Far

Midweek and we've handed out 600 mini croissant & cinnamon buns, with over 600 free coffees claimed through the SAPHI app so far. Last week we saw 248 new app sign-ups — more people are now part of what we're building.

Why We Did It

A few customers have asked how (and why) we've been so generous with the giveaway this week.

The honest answer is that we've been able to do it because we're independent — and as the owners, we feel a debt of gratitude to every person who has walked through the door this past year.

Launching SAPHI was a very real risk personally and professionally (and remains to be).

This week is our chance to give something back, and frankly, we think this kind of thing should be more normal. If you've been buying from us all year, giving you a few coffees and mini pastries to say thank you feels like the least we could do.

Being independent matters to us. Without VC backers squeezing margins or a boardroom to answer to, we get to make decisions like this ourselves — decisions based on what feels like the right thing to do, not just what looks good on a balance sheet.

Our measure of success has been - and will continue to be - happiness and longevity, not just profit and loss. This week is a reflection of that. It's something we plan to write about more in upcoming journal entries — our approach to running a hospitality business, and what independence really means in practice.

In the Shop

It's been a great week to be in the shop. We've been on the floor meeting regulars and catching up with familiar faces, and the team have been brilliant — early starts, full energy, and keeping everything running smoothly throughout.

The Week Isn't Over Yet

Free pastries and coffee giveaways continue through the rest of the week — so if you haven't been in yet, you know where to find us. As the only independent coffee shop at Denmark Hill station, weeks like this one are a reminder of exactly why we do this.

What's Brewing Behind the Scenes

While the birthday week is in full swing, the work on what's in your cup never stops. Tomorrow we head to the Coffee Roastery with our partners at PLOT Roasting to cup our upcoming batch of filter coffees — tasting, evaluating, and deciding what makes it onto the SAPHI menu next.

Our current filter coffee lot, Worka Chelbessa, is coming to an end soon. Sourced from small independent producers, selecting which coffees we brew next is something we work on all year round, and a visit to PLOT is one of our favourite days in the calendar. More on that soon.

We're looking forward to the rest of the week for more of the same! Thank you to everyone for joining in the party!

See you at the bar.

— Sam & Elise

PS

This week we've received 18 reviews (thanks team), which are gratefully received.

For an independent business like ours, reviews really do make a difference.

If you've enjoyed SAPHI we'd love to hear about it! [it only takes 30 seconds and really does make a difference] 

Thanks again.