Alostro Coffee Club is redefining “grab-and-go” by transforming a modern coffee shop into a thriving cultural and socio-economic hub where community and conversation naturally converge.
Situated at the bustling The Marc shopping centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, the reimagined communal coffee shop is not your ordinary grab-and-go coffee shop.
Grounded in soothing forest-green interiors contrasted with vivid bursts of citrus orange and light wooden furnishings, the social coffee club invites guests to pause, savour their favourite hot beverage and stay for the exceptional hosting by co-founders Mlondolozi Hempe and Wandisa Zuba.
The former architect-and-attorney duo are redefining the modern communal space by blending coffee, networking, wellness and meaningful human connection into an experience designed to bring people together.
“We met in Cape Town back in 2019 and while we dated, we enjoyed going out to nice places. This is where we noticed that there wasn’t a place that’s centred around community. You get selective places doing that, but it’s not very apparent and we wanted to create a place that aligns with our aesthetic and how people approach and deal with the space and environment,” says 39-year-old Hempe.
Zuba, 32, adds: “We enjoyed coffee, but coffee shops are usually noisy and very transactional – they can feel cold. We intentionally designed the space to invite people who want to come in to work, enjoy a good cup of coffee, tasty food and can spend the whole day without feeling rushed.”
Zuba originally hails from Komani and Hempe from Kariega, Eastern Cape. The pair’s warm charm and attentive hospitality are a natural extension of the way they host family and friends at home. This translates into creating an atmosphere that feels intimate and welcoming at the shop.
“We would invite our friends over for dinners at our house, and when we hosted, we’re always trying to make sure that everyone’s comfortable and feels at home,” says Zuba.
“This flows naturally into service of the coffee club, which we emphasise for our staff that people mustn’t feel like you’re serving them but that you have the joy of doing it.”
That same sense of love, care and intentionality is reflected in their thoughtfully curated menu. The result? A bold, flavour-packed offering that ranges from diner-style staples to elevated local fan favourites.
“We love good food, so when we met with our food consultant to put the menu together, we knew it would be special. It’s simple but done well, which is something you probably find in our home,” Zuba says.
“If you are a typical coffee person, I would suggest you try the cappuccino. But if you’re up for an adventure, we’ve got our signature hot drink like the Santin Sunrise, which is a version of the cappuccino with orange zest. And if you are tasting our menu for the first time I would undoubtably say you must try our spicy and creamy chicken livers,” says Hempe.
Since opening its doors in December, the coffee club has quickly made its mark, earning a nomination for Best Overall Guest Experience at the third annual South Africa Restaurant Awards.
“Putting together a business like this is a lot of hard work but I’m glad we were naive. The nomination feels validating because now people are receiving us in the way that we’ve intended. It is a category that people nominate you for, so it feels like a warm hug and that’s amazing,” says Hempe.
“The name Alostro is kasi slang for addiction ... through it we want to create positive communal experiences around good addictions such as self-care, community building fostered through activities that we have around the shop. We’ve also got a social Sunday run and walking club and recently introduced a collaboration for meditation, reflection and journaling sessions.”
