Hola Sugarcups,

I didn’t go there to fall in love – with a company, with a coffee shop. I merely needed a shot of caffeine to get me through the unavoidably long day of interviews-again-and, in my head, already preparing for a team readout on Monday. You know that kind of “death by schedule” afternoon: beat, oat-milk-starved, and already in zombie mode.

I’d been languishing in my DM’s, chatting to my would-be-coffee date – that freakishly hot one Smita (the “we-should-eat-coffee-one-day” pseudo-flirt) – floating in the digital ether for months. We have London, we’re both perpetually exhausted, flaky and go-with-the-flow. But somehow we made it work and, holy shit, the day we didn’t meet up was one of the most charming meetups of all time. Those are the ones, aren’t they, the chats that happen and you don’t have to look at your phone, the conversations that ping back and forth like you’ve known each other forever?

We entered a very small room, a nearly secret Qima Cafe in Covent Garden. We both knew it immediately – there wasn’t any stuffiness or glamour about it, just sincerity. Old wood, Arabic wall covering. That scent; deep and warm and alive, carrying a hint of fruitiness as though the room was filled with stories.

So that’s what we did – as all good coffee snobs should – We ordered the most hyped up drink on the menu. Saint Ali Mokha. And shit, the hype is real. First sip? Dried fig. Not that fake-sweet crap, but the sweet, sticky, dark (literally, and figuratively) deliciousness that just hits your tongue and makes your body remember something you never knew you forgot. Complex – earthy cocoa, hints of spice. Smooth, but punchy.

We both had a moment. I simply looked at her and said ‘hold on. Is this really happening?’ That mug was such a huge trip. That this place, this brand, was something more natural, more effortless, more real, more connected human stuff.

But once the thrill of “wow-this-is-cool” wore off, the strategist took over. My brain-mind whiteboard was starting to get cluttered. “How high can we shoot this? What’s the hook? How can we make this go viral?”

This wasn’t simply a fantastic coffee shop. It was a product to capture the imagination of potential investors – and future customers. Purpose-to-impact journey, already progressing with campaign initiatives including: ‘One Tree Per Cup’ – but was it yet personal enough? Or what if we could do justice to the emotional attachment of that one superb cup – Saint Ali Mokha, fly-away brilliance and all?

Yes I have spiraled, and it was great! Here’s what I did…

Qima Cafe Our Caffeinated Growth Experience

Coffee Tree Passport

It’s a digital passport, not a punch card. You: Plant A Tree: Plant a tree for every cup. Follow your tree and name it, then see photos of it from the farm-wherever you are.
Why it works: You’re handing out some bragging rights to your eco-activist plant saving customers.

Coffee Ancestry DNA Kit

What you’ll be flashed could be a QR code. It could tell you where the coffee was grown, who grew it, and the elevation. Also: a letter from the farmer.
Why it matters: Turns coffee into conversation. Transform coffee from a commodity to a catalyst for conversation.

Qima Bloom: Waste to Wonder

They are transformed into luxury soaps, scrubs and candles
Story: Time for get your Saint Ali Mokha on your skin, a story that comes full circle.

Digital Forest of Impact

Your completeness grows into a tree. Believe it or not. The structure of your tree is even more alive.
A lovely microsite with updates, GPS pins and your name attached to each tree.

Qima Drop: From Soil to Soul

Subscription box of rare micro-lots, Yemeni spices, a story of the culture.
Bonus: The farmers’ handwritten notes, and the playlists we’ve assembled with Spotify.

The Roast Room:Podcast + Coffee = Content Capital

The corner of your café? Build a mini-studio for the content creators Vloggers, podcasters, and all the ASMR freaks- we all need an authentic environment.
Time: Complimentary Flat white: Enjoy on all reservations. Practice hours (time spent in the space itself and the great atmosphere of the café) available for all members of the public.
Monetisation: Pack it all in. Sponsored by Qima Bloom candles.

Beans & Braids: Afro-Arab Synergy, Daring Partnerships

This one’s a little crazy – but chaos in a good way. A braid bar-and-café collaboration: Head out with a protection style and a cardamom cold brew.
MISSION: Celebrate Roots. Grow Tree. Light Talk.

In Conclusion

I came for a coffee. I left giddy, with a deck of concepts dancing in my mind and a weirdly tangible attachment to a fig-flavored espresso. And that happenstance hang? It already feels like a second date-we’re getting coffee again and I’ll be ordering Qishr or Sufi Spice Cold Brew.

And Qima Cafe? You are always and forever on Google maps and in my heart.

Here’s to the brand that has not only what to pour, but to build on top of it. And cheers to the cafe that shows you just can’t get the ‘buzz’ out of a buzzword-it can be a beverage, a language and a universe.

Until next time,

Love

Jasmin