On Saturday 12th March, the local Chislehurst community joined together to witness the opening of the new shop Coffee on Camden. Manager Mubby was especially relieved to ‘open up a coffee shop for the local residents’ after 1 and a half years of preparation and planning.
Despite being a specialist in the art of dry-cleaning, manager Mubby was persistent in setting up a coffee hub due to debt being accumulated at his dry-cleaning shop during the pandemic. After living in Chislehurst for 15 years, Mubby decided to provide a favourable service for the locals serving tea, coffee, pastries and other delights. ‘It was difficult to find the right builders as they were all busy during the Covid pandemic and worked too slow’ he stated. ‘It could not be possible without the support of the community.’
Around 60 local residents like Year 11 Olavian student Tommy and his family, students from local schools, financial manager Gerry and Interior designer Natalie also aided in the shop’s birth on Lower Camden by cleaning and decorating the furniture, cutlery and walls. ‘This is the community’s coffee shop and we want it to be as comforting for us as possible’ Sally, Tommy’s mother, explained. After MP for Bromley and Chislehurst Sir Robert Neil announced the opening at 9am, Coffee on Camden was constantly full of locals showing their appreciation with flowers and cards.
Judging by the long queues throughout the day, Coffee on Camden generated a lot of money on their first opening, with the most popular beverages being the freshly squeezed orange juice, cappuccino and latte as a result of customer feedback. ‘It’s great to see people returning back to normal activities and supporting each other positively’ student Tommy said after they ended their shift serving customers. ’Coffee on Camden provides a soothing atmosphere for everyone nearby to relax and catch up.’
