YOURSTRULY: Coffee, Eats and Art

Capetonian Daniel Holland offers a cool day time lunch and lifestyle cafe on Long Street

"Hey, why aren’t you stopping in?" Daniel Holland shouts at a friend passing by his café on Long Street.

"I’ll be back just now," she says looking up at YOURSTRULY, a welcome addition to Long Street’s eclectic offering. Something not too expensive, where the locals can have lunch and come back for more. YOURSTRULY is the new cool day time spot on Cape Town’s buzzing Long Street.

Daniel Holland opened YOURSTRULY at the beginning of November 2010: "This is lifestyle. A spot to chill, chat, network, this needs to grow in Cape Town."

With its fresh atmonsphere YOURSTRULY has a bit of a Superette-feel (still my favourite spot in Woodstock) with it’s Bashews-boxes etc. It also has a healthy aspect with the yummy sandwiches and an arty slant with local artists exhibiting on the walls of the café. The focus is on sandwiches and coffees; Deluxe coffee of course: "I support as many entrepreneurs as possible and try to keep it in the community where I get my fruit and veggies from."

'Every day is different‘

Daniel Holland studied textile design and worked at Mr. Pickwicks while studying: "I am a people’s person," he says and loved the ever changing environment while working as a waiter, "Every day is different, everyday you meet different people."

"How are you?" he shouts at someone passing by while we chat. And it really seems like he knows everyone that passes by. I watch him as he chats to some guys that just arrived from Canada to check out Cape Town; he’s behind the counter, on his skateboard, on Long Street... he enjoys what he’s doing.

Sitting in front of the PC from nine to five was not doing it for him: "I worked as a graphic designer. It was boring. Life was going by and there was no room for growth. How can you stay creative with being in the office all day? With my salary I would have never been able to support a family or buy a house."

'Time to follow the dream'

When Daniel decided to take the plunge and start his own business at the beginning of 2010,  he was single, independent and free of any big responsibilities. After checking out several places and many doors closing in his face, he was disheartened, but also learned from his mistakes.

"There are a lot of things that lie beneath the surface," Daniel says with a smile, because now he has succeeded. He borrowed money, took a loan, had a business plan and very supportive parents and things all started coming together two months before the opening of YOURSTRULY on Long Street.

It happened as planned and it seems to be going well: „Everything here is made in front of you, a very simple concept. There was a gap in the Long Street market." Here, creative people come together. With YOURSTRULY, Daniel wants to create an ever changing place.

Daniel’s inspiration for the name of his Long Street coffee shop were personal letters signed off with 'Yours truly'. Sweet, I think, the slogan says 'Same time tomorrow' and I will so come back. Thanks Daniel!

by yours truly, Antonia Heil

YOURSTRULY
175 Long Street | City Centre | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 422 3788

Opening hours: Monday - Friday 7am - 5pm; Saturdays 9am - 2pm

Prices:coffees between R12 and R17; sandwiches between R24 and R34
(soon they will also offer smoothies and wraps)

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New urban oasis: Plants, coffee, antiques and a chef’s table at 117Kloof.