On a busy high street in west London, “The Coffee House” has grown beyond cappuccinos and cakes to become a place of community and diversity.
Opened just over a year ago, the welcoming café has not only become a place to grab a meal; it’s become a place where anyone can stop and have a chat.
The café was opened in the summer of 2023 by Rifat Awan, a former social work manager who decided to leave her stressful field of work for an equally challenging job.
The coffee house brings a sense of community, a place for people to pop in and enjoy a cup of coffee, a bite to eat, and socialise with both fellow customers and staff.
‘My dream right from the beginning was to bring something else into the community that no one else has’.
The shop is home to customers from an array of backgrounds and cultures.
When I’ve visited, I felt a warm sense of welcome from both friends and strangers.
Alongside a delicious pistachio latte, I was able to practice my language skills by having the pleasure to speak to a bubbly and kind-hearted Spanish lady, communicating with her in her first language.
We were able to talk about all sorts of topics, including her experience of coming to the UK as a young Spanish woman.
The various cultures represented in the café are also reflected in the food made.
From Portuguese pastries to Asian delicacies, all the food is meticulously prepared in-house by a skilled cook who is kind enough to take the occasional special request from regular customers.
In such a short amount of time, the coffee house has already grown to be a hub of the community, so much so that the shop was awarded the highest accolade for outstanding customer service—awarded by your Acton business improvement district.
