Description
Our Story
Crave Café was co-founded in 2010 by Nigel Cottle and a group of like-minded locals who believed in the transformative power of hospitality. Inspired by a desire to address social isolation and a lack of gathering spaces in their neighbourhood, Nigel and his team wanted to create a café where everyone felt welcome and valued.
Recognising the power of business to transform lives, their vision was to use great coffee and food as tools for community-building, creating “a place to belong” for everyone. Nigel’s background in community work and his passion for social justice were instrumental in shaping Crave’s unique approach. He believed that a business could do more than chase profit—it could inspire generosity, offer hope, and genuinely make people’s lives better.
One of the basic cravings of humanity is to connect with each other. We think that outstanding coffee, superb food and engaging conversations in locally-crafted spaces are a brilliant way to show ‘manaakitanga’ to all.
Previous
Next
Crave Café proudly serves Common Good Coffee, reinforcing its commitment to ethical sourcing and connecting customers not only to their local neighbourhood, but also to global communities whose livelihoods depend on a fair and sustainable coffee trade.
Ethics are woven into the fabric of Crave Café’s operations. Ethical sourcing, fair wages, and sustainable practices are non-negotiable. Crave prioritises buying responsibly grown ingredients from local producers and maintains transparency in its business dealings, treating staff, suppliers, customers, and the environment with respect.
The guiding principle is “do good by doing well”—ensuring business success goes hand-in-hand with social responsibility. In practice this means:
* Crave Café is operated as a social enterprise: profits are invested back into community projects and initiatives, including Joyya.
* Staff are paid living wages, reflecting the commitment to fair labour practices.
* The café supports local farmers and artisans, reducing their carbon footprint and strengthening local economies.
* Their coffee is ethically sourced from Common Good Coffee
* Sustainability is a priority: from recycling and composting to mindful energy use and waste reduction, the café strives to minimise its environmental impact.
* Crave regularly hosts community events, workshops, and gatherings, fostering social cohesion.
Extending Impact Beyond the Café
Nigel sought to create a supply chain that mirrors the values of Crave: generosity, fairness, social responsibility and transparency. Nigel, along with Addington Coffee Co-op in Christchurch, were instrumental in launching Common Good Coffee, a sister initiative deeply aligned with Crave’s ethos. Through Common Good Coffee, they now foster a network of like-minded cafés and groups.
Common Good Coffee believes that great coffee can be a force for good. Coffee beans are sourced from small-scale farmers, prioritising direct relationships with growers, and ensuring fair wages and sustainable practices from crop to cup. As a social enterprise, the profits from Common Good Coffee are used to fund projects in India.
Crave Café also supports Joyya, a social enterprise committed to social transformation and empowering marginalised communities in Kolkata, India, through education, health initiatives and employment, particularly for women.
Crave have also partnered with The Loyal Workshop to sell their ethical quality crafted leather bags and satchels at Crave, as well as using their leather straps on their aprons. Also based in Kolkata, India, The Loyal Workshop provides training and employment to help women escape the sex trade.
These ongoing relationships are examples of how local action can spark global change, creating connections far beyond Auckland. At Crave, every cup served and every conversation shared is a step towards a better world.
Crave Café stands as proof that business can be a force for good. Its ethos of generosity, ethical operations, and community empowerment has made it a beloved institution and a model for other social enterprises. Together, Crave Café, Addington Coffee Co-op, Common Good Coffee, Joyya and The Loyal Workshop exemplify the potential of businesses to inspire hope and promote social justice, belonging and fairness.
Products
Coffee, Cafe Food
Website
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.