The Breakfast Club

‘Today is going to be a good day’ has been a part of who we are since we first painted it on the front of the Spitalfields caf in 2011.

At first, they were just intended as ‘feel-good’ words to kick start your day. Then confusion ensued as people began to ask is ‘What is this ‘Good Day’ cafe on Artillery Lane?’

A good way to start your day or a misunderstanding - those words have come a long way since 2011. It’s now our frame of reference for everything we do. We believe it’s how we should treat everyone that comes into contact with The Breakfast Club.

It’s also the guiding principle behind our industry-leading community programme, something we are immensely proud of.

We don’t donate money. We donate time, space and skills.

Our ‘get togethers’ are events held across The Breakfast Club, where we host local community groups in our cafs for tea and cake (sometimes Prosecco!), uplifting conversation and good company. They are older groups who often experience isolation, loneliness and feel excluded from day to day life. It’s a simple premise; come and spend an afternoon in one of our lovely cafs, meet wonderful people, eat, drink and leave thinking ‘Today is Going to Be a Good Day’ (or at least a better day).

Our team lead the events and spend a couple of hours eating, drinking and chatting with groups of older people from all walks of life, local to our cafs. Whether it’s Islington Pensioners through Age UK, the older LGBTQ+ community in Brighton or a local group in Croydon.

There’s our annual Christmas knees up for turkey, party frocks, carol singing and a few risqué party games (we’ve been known to strip George the FD to an apron for a ‘life’ drawing class. Age is not a barrier to a sense of humour).

They’re not always the biggest charities, but that’s why this is important, because they’re people that get overlooked in life. The afternoons bring people together who often live alone and help build deep lasting relationships with each other and with our team. This is a community program with depth, substance and heart.

We’ve won a stack of awards (which is lovely) but that’s not why we do it. On every level, we are in the business of ‘taking care’ of people – whether it’s our customers or the communities we serve.