our story

Once upon a time, it was nearly impossible to find great coffee in 'Maritzburg.

 That all changed in 2005 when a cafe named Coffeeberry opened its doors, starting a coffee revolution in the Midlands. 

our

Timeline

Coffeeberry Cafe opens

Coffeeberry Cafe starts trading in a quiet and humble shopping centre in the suburbs of Pietermaritzbury. Why the name? You might have thought that coffee comes from beans. But those beans start out as coffee berries. We like to think of it as the berry that changed the world…Our name, Coffeeberry, pays homage to that great berry.

2005

2016

Coffeeberry moves to a new, contemporary space at the revamped Cascades Lifestyle Centre.

After 10 years, we decided it was time for change. During the major Cascades Lifestyle Centre renovations in 2016, we moved to a prime location on the newly-built Piazza. The bigger location meant our customers could sit inside or outside. It also meant we could build a wood-fired pizza oven and extend our opening hours to offer a dinner service. At that time we launched a new logo and brand identity to reflect the contemporary café bistro feel of our new location.

Coffeeberry wins Nedbank Small Business of the Year Award

In 2018, we were named Nedbank Small Business of the Year at the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business Awards. It was amazing to see another prosperous year for our restaurant. Thank you to our customers for their loyal support – this wouldn’t have been possible without you. A huge thank you to our team for their hard work and dedication to helping the business grow.

2018

2019

Our community

If there’s one thing we love, it’s celebrating our incredible community. Pietermaritzburg and the KZN Midlands are home to so many talented people. To highlight those people, Coffeeberry has created two unique events. The first, Live Music Sundays, is a weekly session where we host top local musicians and bands on the Cascades Piazza. Free entry and so much fun. Our second and newest event is called True Story Tuesdays. We invite one locally born and raised remarkable person to share their story with our guests. Find out more here.

Celebrating 16 years in business

2020 and 2021 have been difficult years for people and businesses across the world. Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the hospitality and restaurant industry.  But here we stand – thanks to the incredible community that supports us and a dedicated, passionate team. In 2021, Coffeeberry celebrated its 16th year in business. What a milestone, especially during such a challenging time. Here’s to the next 16 years and the adventures they will bring. Thanks for being part of our journey.

2021

2022 - 24

Our new branch opens in Hilton

Exciting times for our brand! We opened a new branch at The Avenues Center in Hilton. Our business continue to go from strength to strength and we thank our wonderful community and team for making this possible.