Built on love, brewed for community.
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Imagine finding a wife or husband and a business partner in your person and building with them in and out of the house to make your lives better. The language may be the same, even when minds differ, but the shared excitement is unmistakable. That is the energy that greets you when you sit down with David and Nicole, the lovely young couple behind My Hometown Café, two entrepreneurs whose partnership feels less like a business arrangement and more like a shared calling.
I met them in Newton Park, in a café that hums with familiarity and warmth, the kind of place that already feels woven into the daily rhythm of the neighbourhood. What struck me immediately is how naturally their personal and professional lives intersect. David and Nicole are not new to entrepreneurship. Based in Gqeberha, they have spent years building and running businesses together under Harris Group (Pty) Ltd, including Voodoo Media, a boutique social media and marketing agency they continue to operate. That background shows, not loudly, but confidently, in how the café is positioned, experienced, and communicated.
Their journey into hospitality was not driven by trend-chasing or romantic notions of owning a coffee shop. It was born from lived experience. Coffee shops, for them, were already places of work, creativity, meetings, reflection, and connection. When the opportunity to take over My Hometown Café presented itself, initially through a marketing relationship, it felt less like a pivot and more like a natural progression. Nicole fell in love with the space first, and within weeks, intention turned into ownership.
Taking over in September 2025, they stepped into a business with an existing heartbeat - loyal customers, established routines, and a team with its own cadence. Rather than rushing to overhaul, they chose to listen. One of their clearest learnings has been that sustainable growth starts with respect - respect for systems, for people, and for culture. In a café environment where unpredictability is part of the job description, adaptability quickly became one of their strongest assets.
Newton Park in Gqeberha boasts a vibrant and competitive café scene, yet David and Nicole are clear that differentiation does not require noise. Their approach is rooted in intentionality. Community-driven events - trivia nights, singles evenings, charity initiatives, book swaps, and collaborations with local creatives, position the café as a hub rather than a pit stop. Their marketing expertise adds another layer, turning staff into storytellers and regulars into part of the brand narrative. Here, customers are not transactions, they are relationships.
On the menu, comfort and creativity coexist. Hearty breakfasts, fresh bakes, and a popular Freezo range anchor the offering, while standout dishes like the Porky Mornings breakfast and peri-peri Sushu chicken livers add character. Their Italian-blended coffees, they insist, are among the best in the bay and judging by the steady flow of returning patrons, the market agrees.
The atmosphere they are cultivating is simple but powerful - warm, welcoming, and unpretentious. Whether you arrive in gym wear after a school run or dressed for a boardroom meeting, you belong. Staff are trained to remember names, preferences, and small details, reinforcing a sense of ownership among customers. It is, quite literally, a café that feels like home.
As they continue building, growth for David and Nicole is not measured only in expansion, but in depth. Deeper community engagement, stronger collaborations, and experiences that embed the café into Newton Park’s identity are central to their vision. My Hometown Café, they believe, should be remembered not just for good coffee, but for connection, and in a city like Gqeberha that’s built on community, that may be its most valuable offering.
For more, visit: My Hometown Café
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