Mbirizi Gatara Shade #1, Kayanza, Burundi

When the founders went looking for specialty coffee in Johannesburg around 2012, they could not find what they wanted and decided to build it themselves. Father Coffee opened its first roastery and cafe in Braamfontein in 2013, and the operation has since expanded to include a flagship at Kramerville, an immense warehouse space with an in house bakery behind glass. Head roaster Chad Goddard oversees a program that releases around 60 different coffees each year, sourced from Ethiopia, Guatemala, and other origins worldwide. Father also operates a bakery, wine bar, and wine shops, with a curated list of natural and minimal intervention wines that mirrors the care brought to the coffee. The team trains baristas to identify defects through rigorous palate development and hosts cupping sessions as standard quality control. Father won the South African Barista Championship in 2024.