A coffee shop in Monton lets customers “pay with a post-it” note.
The Coffee Collective, a veteran-owned, independent coffee shop uses the ‘Pay with a post-it’ campaign to allow customers to pay forward £2, so that another member of the community can receive a coffee.
Local people from all walks of life have visited the coffee stand next to the Bridgewater Canal to purchase, pay forward and receive a “free” coffee.
The original campaign was created in March when Bean N Loaf café Australia owner Rudra Chhetri could only sell takeaway coffee. But it has since spread across the globe all the way to Salford.
We went to visit The Coffee Collective van to find out more…
Owner, Alex, insists that “its really the community” who are the successes of the business. Alex praised those who come down for a drink and then pay forward. As a business of the community, the coffee shop puts a lot of its profits back into charity. During the first month of business all online sales of coffee beans went straight to charity. Alex hopes to expand The Coffee Collective into a not-for-profit, community interest company (CIC). Alex says:
“I strongly believe in making a difference, setting a positive example for those around me which means doing what I can to make the place better for everyone.
“That’s why The Coffee Collective is involved in the community and tries to give back where we can, we try to do our part and help others who may be in need.”
The Coffee Collective started several months ago after Alex left the royal engineers as a bomb disposal. After spending over a decade in the services Alex was medically discharged due to the injuries he had sustained. Left unable to work, Alex’s physical disabilities and mental health problems left him feeling “isolated” and “cast aside”.
He eventually decided to reach out for help from Shoulder to soldier – a charity that supports armed forces families. From there he began the road to recovery by enrolling onto a mental health first aid course and volunteering as a part time caseworker. Alex then began a diploma in speciality coffee which lead him to starting The Coffee Collective. He says:
“I love manually brewing my coffee and going back to basics, hand grinding my beans and doing it all myself.
“Each brewing method is different and there is a strange satisfaction which comes from making decent coffee by hand. It’s almost like you have worked for it so appreciate it more.”
To find out more head to: The Coffee Collective
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