Review: Motherland Coffee in Rosebank

Motherland is one of those coffee places that seem to pop up in Johannesburg. You know the kind, quite friendly, fair coffee, nice logo, warm colour scheme and in the end ... soulless.

I feel a little bit bad about dissing them as they are really quite nice. However I have had enough of "quite nice" coffee shops. I want amazing cafe's, I want incredibly beautifully designed shops, I want an owner who is there making coffee, chatting, remembering my name and greeting me as I walk in. I want brilliant coffee locally produced (or near as dammit) that is made with care and love for the produce they are using. In short, I want a Cape Town Cafe.

Its pretty devastating to say it. How dare JoziReview start on about how CT has better cafe's than we do? Well I say it because its true and we need to address it. I can think of only 2 places in jozi that I have been where I get that feeling. The first is Post at 70 Juta. Post is brilliant and achieves all the things I required. The second is Love and Revolution in Melville which provides all those things minus the coffee specialisation, which is it must be said, not their focus. I can think off the top of my head 3 places within walking distance of each other in CT who have what I want: Haas, Bread Milk and Honey and Yours Truly. Three! off the top of my head!

Here it just seems like people open places with the desire to become chain stores. I am tired of chain stores, I WANT MORE.

Comment by Cover Girl on February 9, 2012 at 9:31: I so agree with you Jozi!!! Everywhere I look I see chain stores. I am not saying they all lack love, but it is a business model. I want Love when I get served a coffee in Jhb too:)

Comment by Jozi Review on February 9, 2012 at 9:32: LOVE!! you said the word, thats exactly right

Comment by Socratis Avgitidis on February 9, 2012 at 9:40: We don't have that street type culture needed for these kinds of coffee shops in Jhb. Unfortunately shopping centre after shopping centre, which creates chain store mentality. I am all for expansion, but when you roll out concepts, they lose the flair.

Comment by Socratis Avgitidis on February 9, 2012 at 9:42: One thing I do have to say about Motherland is that it attracts a great crowd on friday mornings!

Comment by Jozi Review on February 9, 2012 at 9:50: I disagree Socs. We have area upon area that provides the kind of of street culture that is required for the aforementioned cafe culture:

Melville

Norwood

Greenside

Parkhurst

Parktown

Parkview

Braamfontein

all of those provide an appropriate location for cafe's (good ones)

All of them have crappy ass Vida's and the like. If vida's can survive/thrive so can good coffee shops

Comment by Socratis Avgitidis on February 9, 2012 at 9:54: @Jozi, point taken. I meant as a general culture in Jhb. Unless you live in those awesome areas, which I really do frequent, you rely on your car. Problem is they are small pockets, the one that really does have a street culture for me is Parkhurst everyday of the week. And yes about Vida.

Comment by Jozi Review on February 9, 2012 at 9:57: .... and yes about Vida :)

as a general culture you are most certainly correct. I like to think the growth of these areas over the last 3 years will bring that vibe. I loath that CT has brought the cool stuff here. Things that "shouldnt work" but do. Like Neighbourgoods.

Comment by Socratis Avgitidis on February 9, 2012 at 10:01: What I do like a lot is 'Arts on Main'-truly joburg concept 100%

Comment by Candice James on February 9, 2012 at 10:11: I enjoy Motherland Coffee in Rosebank and I think their branding is awesome. I agree with @Socratis that this country doesn't have the quick grab and go coffee culture that exists in europe. In Jhb we like to sit down and have a coffee, after our lunch or breakfast, so it is usually a cafe type place. Even though we have beautiful cafe culture areas, we don't really have the cafe culture mind set.

Comment by Shaamila Cassim on February 9, 2012 at 10:57: Capetown is a village, people spend most of their day in coffee shops, they need the intimacy,its their kitchen. I dont believe joburgers need owners and love (however, im sure there are plenty of places that we havnt discovered,that have both) good service and great coffee is good enough.. got to go, got things to do!

Review: Motherland Coffee in Rosebank

You need to be a member of neofundi to add comments!