The Shelflife Cafe
When we opened our new Cape Town store earlier this year, we were really excited about bringing the best to our community and being intentional about everything we do. In July we opened our Shelflife gallery with an incredible Motel Seven exhibition and now we are proud to present our Shelflife Café with the vision we had always intended.
Since the start of September the space has already transformed, and we owe it all to the man behind the Café's exciting new direction, Will Hobson. Will aka Willy Balls, is known for many things alongside his luxurious hair and fun spirit, such as his hand in the Cape Town food scene. As the co-owner of Arthur’s Mini Super, Will is bringing his ethos of “keep it good and consistently good,” to the Shelflife Café.
Will's Food Journey
Will’s passion for food began at a young age. At just 15, he started his first job as a waiter, immersing himself in the world of hospitality. For him, food wasn’t just a job —it was a central part of his life at home, where he was always involved in preparing meals with his family - a tradition Will now passes on to his own children, teaching them the importance of cooking, savouring food, and building stronger connections.
Will’s journey in the hospitality and food scene picked up again in 2010 when he got involved in Field Office - a furniture showroom started by his friends', Luke Pedersen and James Lennard. When exploring ways to draw people into the store, Will thought of the idea to sell coffee, pastries and sandwiches from the showroom to create a community space, kicking off the burgeoning Cape Town coffee scene. With coffee priced at just R10, the shop quickly became a favourite, serving up to 500 coffees a day, alongside creating a buzzing space where people quickly gathered in one of the first “shared work spaces” of its time.
Will’s place in the industry continued for a few years until he moved to Chicago. Though his move abroad took him out of the hospitality space, he fell in love with the city's “delicious, simple, and honest” heritage cuisine and got deeper insight into America’s efficient and friendly approach to service, a perfect complement to his belief in building community through food. Today, Will continues to embrace these values, especially seen through Arthur’s which focuses on making delicious food and keeping things authentic.
Shelflife Café
Will stepping into the Shelflife Café was truly a full-circle moment for him, going back to the early days of Field Office, where yet again, he is able to elevate a space through good coffee, buttery pastries and delicious sandwiches. This, coupled with his love for building a “family” within the space he occupies has let our Café come to life in an almost serendipitous way.
In our constant endeavour to bring the best to our community, the new Shelflife Café menu is one we are extremely proud of. Before even stepping into Shelflife, there are tables set outside where you can unwind and take in the city while enjoying a light meal. Once you enter the store, a waft of coffee fills the space, thanks to our filter coffee which is available for sit down for free, so customers are able to grab a quick cup after securing their pair of sneakers.
The food and drink offering is typical to a classic café - a coffee selection, matcha, teas and hot chocolate, alongside a variety of cool drinks, juices and iced teas. This is accompanied by an assortment of cookies, croissants and other pastries from some of our favourite spots around the city.
Just like a good pair of kicks, there’s nothing quite like a well-made sandwich, and we’re lucky that Will is an expert in this arena. The Café offers classic toasties as well as gourmet sandwiches served on a selection of freshly made breads from some of the best bakeries in town. With the wide offering of fillings, from roast beef to a full vegetable sandwich, bringing the best quality produce is a top priority.
With a great menu and free wifi available, the space is perfect to take meetings, grab a quick coffee with friends or to have a moment to relax during the day. The Café is truly a way for customers to immerse themselves in a uniquely Shelflife experience, and connect with the people and city around them.
We are super excited to officially launch the Shelflife Café and inject the space with Will’s belief of “making this the best version of what it can be.”
We can’t wait to see you there!
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