Issi (pronounced like the Issey in Issey Miyake) was founded in 2014 and is the joy of its three young owners: Jeremy, Nicolette and Gerald. We put together all our various ideas and experiences and set out to bring to our beloved Bree Street the warm and inviting coffee shop experience that we have always wanted.
Through Issi we live out our own passions and collective desire to contribute progressively to the city that we now call home. We do so through four foundation pillars:
• Coffee – we’ve teamed up with Mischu from Byblos trading and pride ourselves on serving incredibly good coffee made with consistent care and precision.
• Connectivity – we grew up part of a generation who worked and lived from coffee shops around the world, and we consider high speed free internet a non-negotiable. So we installed a fibre line, free for all.
• Conversation – we are passionate about good conversation and encourage more of it by venue-hosting numerous meet-ups and exhibitions that share and transfer knowledge or support social causes.
• Books – we love books! And we share this love through the Issi Book Exchange, a simple concept aimed at spreading and sharing literature. How it works? Well, if one of the books here catches your eye, take it with you! Give it a good read and then, on your next visit, either pop the same book back or one you’d like somebody else to enjoy.
To complement all of this we’ve crafted a simple and wholesome menu. We make your meals with meticulously sourced fresh ingredients and top quality local produce: all-day breakfasts and the most delicious salads and sandwiches, beautifully rounded off with one of Oatley’s sensational cakes, brownies or muffins.
Issi is all about comfort and happiness; a space where Capetonians and guests (to this most amazing city in the world) can make themselves at-home-for-real.
