HAPPY-go-lucky couple Jason and Nooreen Allegretta spent a year looking for the ideal locale for their African-themed cafe Kahawa – Swahili for coffee – before settling on leafy Davies Road in Claremont.
Scouring sites across Perth, they weren’t too fussy about the suburb; they simply wanted a shopfront on a good street with plenty of trees and steady traffic.
Late last year they discovered the former Quacks Cafe near long-standing burger bar Bilby’s and after extensive renovations were ready to open a welcoming public keen for a local stylish breakfast and lunch spot.
Nooreen, a smiley self-confessed IT geek-turned-cook, of Indian heritage, and born and raised in Kenya, is the creative force behind the project.
Eager to keep the spirit of her homeland alive, she adorned the venue with African artefacts and striking antler-styled lights.
“We’ve created a warm and friendly place where you can just be yourself,” she said.
“We also strive to offer the best customer service – if you come in every day, then I know your name.
“I feel really appreciated here – everyone who comes in is so grateful we have opened and tell us, ‘we needed a place like this’.”
Her partner Jason – a coffee connoisseur originally from Adelaide – comes with business experience, having owned an East Fremantle cafe with his brother.
“Making coffee is my passion – I’ve even got a coffee machine in my back yard,” he said.
“We’re really happy and proud to come to work every day. We love the area and the fact there is a park close by, and it’s lovely to look across the road and see all the trees and the birds, especially the magpies in the morning.
“Also, there are a lot of South Africans in the area, which we didn’t know before opening – we believe we were meant to be here.”
In keeping with the African theme, the cafe serves Rooibos herbal tea from South Africa.
“It is caffeine free and has five times the antioxidants of green tea,” Jason said.
“We were one of the first cafes in Perth to offer it, so it’s unique here, however it will become big – it’s already popular in the US and obviously in SA, where they drink it over coffee.
“It’s amazing with apple juice – so refreshing and healthy,” Nooreen added.
The menu features breakfast and lunch staples and will introduce Indian dishes, including butter chicken and onion pakoras (fritters) as well as African offerings such as stuffed capsicums infused with Moroccan flavours.