David Donde has been described as a brand development guru, a machiavelli, a great ideas man, an amazing entrepreneur, and that’s just the beginning of the list! Before our trip to Cape Town, my husband and I were curating our very own bucket list of places and Truth Coffee was mentioned by a family member as an absolute must.
So there we were, day two in Cape Town and we took an uber from our hotel in Sea Point to 36 Buitenkant St. We opened the door and were immediately consumed by the aroma of fresh coffee, bread, and pastries. We sat down and were lucky enough to meet the man, the myth, the legend David Donde in the flesh.
Today I’m virtually visiting with David, the founder of one of the very first artisanal coffee roasting brands in South Africa. David is the owner of Truth Coffee, The Art of Duplicity, previously named one of the best bars in the world, and his latest endeavor Minimalist Chocolate. To me there is no better way to get to know the Cape Town coffee and craft cocktail scene than to speak to a local. So let’s meet David!
Q&A WITH DAVID DONDE:
Q: Truth Coffee is not only a must visit when in Cape Town, but it is also award winning and noted as a leader in the South African coffee revolution. What were your original goals when starting the roasting company?
A: We wanted to make a ripple in coffee internationally, it was a deliberate objective. Back when we still followed finite games.
Q: You have a knack for taking commodities and propelling these goods to becoming brands. Why coffee?
A: Hell, what a question! Because I fell in love with coffee and it is too complex to ever master!
Q: You are in 3 food and beverage industries: chocolate, coffee, and cocktails, which are universally loved and enjoyed around the world. What differentiates the chocolate, artisanal coffee, and craft cocktail culture of South Africa from the rest of the world?
A: We don’t always follow the rules! We need to try harder in a more challenging market. It is a market both obsessed with quality and stingy with price and adoration. That forces better work! Also the market is not as obsessed with social and ethical considerations, and the challenge is having to hold our own feet to the proverbial fire there!
Q: I know you put a lot of emphasis on taking care of your employees, what are some other values and principles that hold true across your businesses?
A: Making real food desirable, avoiding Junk, creating mindfulness and ultimately healthier living. The customer is our hero.
List Time!
- Quality over quantity
- Honesty and trust as our platform
- Helping us all to be more mindful
- Chasing better not by adding, but by finding the essential
- Making the harder, healthier choices more desirable
- Openness in our beliefs and relationships.
- Not using euphemisms. Saying it like it is.
- Loving our customers, ourselves, our producers, our suppliers and our investors.
- Helping
- Taking our benefit to the world seriously, not ourselves.
- The will to do more with fewer resources
- Challenging the tide of mediocrity.
- Never valuing the short game over the infinite one
- We will inspire those who take shortcuts and sell their customers, suppliers or the planet short, to see a better way to do business.
- Being better than we were before this moment (There is always a better way)
- These principles apply to every facet of what we happen to do, curating more of the world’s most interesting taste experiences
Q: The ambiance is eclectic, funky, and as your site mentions steampunk themed. Can you describe what steampunk means and how you gravitated towards this as the vision for Truth Coffee?
A: Victorian futurism in essence, or when Goth’s discovered the color brown? It was more about creating a holistic experience, built from our 1940’s roaster “Colossus” out. We didn’t build a theme park but a coffee experience.
Q: You are also the owner of Minimalist Chocolate and Art of Duplicity – named South Africa’s Cocktail bar of the year in 2020. So I must ask, if you had to pick: 1) A coffee infused with chocolate and alcohol, 2) a cocktail infused with coffee and chocolate, or 3) chocolate infused with coffee and alcohol?
A: 2. The other two I prefer pure.
Q: From your perspective, what are the top 3 drinks to order off the menu at Truth Coffee?
A: What you the customer are in the mood for. What you usually love. Something you never tried before. It’s not about our cleverness
Q: What’s next for you? What’s the future of Truth Coffee?
A: Not telling!
Q: Since this is a travel blog – I must ask, as a South African native, what are your top 3 recommendations for people who are visiting? Besides stopping by Truth Coffee and making a reservation at Art of Duplicity of course!
A: Go kayaking with the dolphins in Three Anchor Bay, ride the Cape Epic Mountain Bike race, and make a list of the top ten Cape Town restaurants and try them all!
If you ever have the opportunity to experience Cape Town be sure to visit both Truth Coffee and Art of Duplicity. Also don’t forget to indulge in some Minimalist Chocolate. It is a “guilt free guilty pleasure” after all. I loved connecting with David and being able to share the story behind Truth Coffee, previously named one of the best coffee shops in the world. Please reach out if you’re planning a trip to Cape Town and hope you enjoyed learning more about Cape Town from a local!
Photo Credit: Truth Coffee
Xx
Steph
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