Two decades of coffee, community and staying true to who you have kept 4th Avenue Café thriving.
- 22 hours ago
- 4 min read
In my journey as a writer and entrepreneur I have learned and experienced how safe, motivating and inspiring it is to sit down in a coffee shop and work on your personal or business work. And most people would agree with me that coffee shops should never die, as these are spaces where not only entrepreneurs, but people from all walks of life, find rest and a moment to refresh by taking a pause over a cup of coffee, whether alone, with a friend, or for business.
But do we sometimes pause and try to understand the people and the journey behind building a coffee shop that has been in business for two decades? It’s okay if we haven’t. But sit down with me as I had a chat with Max Ziervogel, who shared with us the journey of a coffee brand started by his parents years ago.
The story of 4th Avenue Café is not simply about coffee. It is a story about family, consistency, community and the decision to remain authentic in an industry constantly chasing what is new.
The brand’s roots go back to a Parkhurst garage, where Max’s parents began roasting coffee while their children were still young. What started as experimentation eventually became a café, and ultimately a Johannesburg institution.
“My parents are the masterminds behind the brand and everything it is and has been,” said Max. “They started roasting coffee in the garage of our Parkhurst home while we were very young.”
Interestingly, neither Max nor his husband, Stephan Le Roux, originally set out to build careers in hospitality. Max’s background is in marketing and advertising, while Stephan is a wealth manager with an independent franchise. Stephan’s passion for food, cooking and the idea of owning a bar eventually brought him closer to the family business.
He initially agreed to help at the café temporarily. “The few weeks ended up being years and here we are with this love, passion, excitement and busy life around a café,” said Max.
That accidental transition became a defining chapter. Stephan brought new energy and ideas, while the family’s existing legacy provided a strong foundation. Their journey into hospitality was less about following a textbook and more about learning through experience.
That experience has also shaped how they think about longevity. For a business that has existed through changing customer preferences, economic pressures and constantly evolving coffee culture, 4th Avenue’s approach is surprisingly straightforward: don’t lose yourself trying to become something you are not.
Two decades of coffee, community and staying true to who you have kept 4th Avenue Café thriving.
“I don’t think we remain relevant because we keep up with trends,” said Max. “We are just true to what 4th is… it’s just 4th.”
That philosophy is particularly relevant in today’s competitive business environment, where brands can easily become distracted by competitors, trends and the pressure to constantly reinvent themselves.
For 4th Avenue, consistency has become a competitive advantage. The café has also benefited from the loyalty of the Parkhurst community, where the business has been part of the neighbourhood’s identity since its early days.
“We are not just neighbours - we are family,” Max said. That relationship between place and business is one of the strongest lessons from the 4th Avenue story Customers are not simply buying coffee. They are returning to a familiar environment where they recognise staff, meet friends, conduct meetings, celebrate milestones or simply enjoy a quiet morning.
At the centre of that experience is Legendary Pink, the coffee blend that has become synonymous with the 4th Avenue identity. The blend was developed in 2004 after Max’s parents struggled to find the quality and flavour they wanted locally. Inspired by Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, they experimented until they created a smooth, approachable blend designed for everyday enjoyment.
Today, Legendary Pink is a 100% Arabica blend using carefully selected beans from six origins across Africa and South America. Its cocoa, hazelnut and dark chocolate character comes from the balance between those origins.
But maintaining consistency is not as simple as putting beans into a machine. The coffee is roasted in small batches on the brand’s iconic pink Diedrich roaster, with the roast profile closely monitored. From green bean quality and seasonal changes to grinder settings, extraction and barista technique, every stage influences the final cup.
For the business, this represents more than product quality. It represents stewardship of a legacy. When Max and Stephan became more involved in the business in 2024, they recognised that 4th Avenue had the potential to extend beyond its physical cafés. The roastery, wholesale offering and mobile coffee experiences now allow the brand to reach homes, offices, hospitality businesses and corporate events.
“Bigger does not simply mean more locations,” said Max. “It means allowing more people to experience the coffee, character and sense of connection that 4th Avenue has built over the past two decades.”
Growth for 4th Avenue is not about expansion at any cost. It is about finding opportunities that preserve the character that made the brand successful in the first place.
And behind the polished café experience is a much less glamorous reality. “GLAMOUROUS? WHERE?” Max laughed. “No, it’s not glamorous at all. It’s hard work. It’s never-ending work.”
There have been late nights, early mornings, mistakes, pressure and emotional moments. Yet those challenges have reinforced another important lesson: businesses are ultimately built by people.
The advice Max offers is therefore refreshingly simple, “Make the mistake. Try. Do it. Don’t look at the competition and just be nice.”
Perhaps that captures 4th Avenue better than any business strategy could. Twenty years from now, the ambition is not merely to have more cafés. It is to preserve the feeling customers associate with the brand while allowing Legendary Pink and the 4th Avenue experience to reach more people.
“We hope people remember how 4th Avenue made them feel,” said Max.
There is a powerful lesson in that statement. Businesses can compete on price, product, technology and convenience. But the brands that endure often compete on something harder to replicate - trust, consistency, identity and human connection.
4th Avenue Café has spent two decades building exactly that. And perhaps that is why, long after the coffee has been finished, people keep coming back.
For more, visit: 4th Avenue Café
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