Business

The two South Africans behind the coffee shop where everything costs R14

Kirsten Minnaar • 23 March 2026

Married couple Nicolene and Tomer Elhadad founded Xpresso Café, where everything costs R14, in 2016. Today, they have 75 stores across South Africa.

The Elhadads have no intention of slowing down either, and are now eyeing new formats, store openings, and even international expansion.

Xpresso Café is a South African coffee shop franchise where all products on its menu, including coffees and pastries, cost only R14.

Daily Investor spoke to one of the founders, Nicolene Elhadad, who explained how the business went from an idea to one of the country’s quickest growing coffee franchises.

“Xpresso was never just about coffee,” she said. “It came from a much bigger vision – to create something that was accessible, scalable, and could genuinely change people’s lives.”

The idea came to Nicolene and Tomer while enjoying a cup of coffee one day in a shopping centre, when they noted how high prices were putting coffee out of reach for many South Africans.

“We saw a gap in the market for a brand that could deliver quality at an affordable price, but more importantly, a business model that could grow fast and create opportunity for others,” she explained.

“It was heartbreaking to us to see so many people who could not ‘spoil’ themselves daily with a good cup of coffee.”

“So, we decided to change that. From the beginning, we didn’t think like a typical coffee shop – we thought about systems, scale, and impact.”

After this revelation, it took them about two years to bring the idea to life. But they knew they had to give it a chance, as the business could be life-changing for them and many others.

In 2016, the pair officially opened the first Xpresso Café on 21 Wellington Road, Durbanville. At the time, everything was priced at just R10.

“It wasn’t about opening one great store – it was about building a model that could be replicated, scaled, and turned into a real business engine,” Nicolene explained.

“From day one, we were hands-on in every part of the business, figuring things out, refining, improving, and constantly pushing forward.”

Founding Xpresso Café

The first Xpresso Café on 21 Wellington Road, Durbanville (October 2016)

Of course, not everything was smooth sailing for the Elhadads, as they faced several challenges right from the start.

Interestingly, Nicolene said one of the big challenges was convincing people that their R10 coffees were actually real.

“Freshly ground coffee and delicious pastries as big as your hand were not seen or heard of before, so getting the foot traffic to our doors was our main focus,” she said.

“There were also moments where people didn’t fully understand the vision – but we stayed focused on what we were building, even when it wasn’t obvious to others yet.”

Another big challenge they faced in the early days was building a business that could actually scale. “A lot of coffee shops work as single locations, but very few are built to grow into multiple stores,” Nicolene said.

“We had to figure out systems, consistency, operations, and how to maintain quality while expanding.”

She explained that franchising was always part of the bigger vision, but it came to life when people started asking them how they could be part of Xpresso. This is when they knew they had to share what they had built.

“Once we had proven the model and built the right systems, it became clear that this was the fastest way to grow and to create opportunities for others,” she said.

“We didn’t want to be the only ones benefiting from the brand – we wanted to build something that others could step into and grow with.”

The secret behind the R14 menu

Affordable pricing has remained a key part of Xpresso Café’s business model. After nearly a decade in business, they have increased their prices only twice – and by a total of R4 per item.

They managed to maintain their R10 price point for five years, until finally increasing it to R12 in October 2021. Three years later, in October 2024, they again increased their prices to R14, where they remain today.

Nicolene explained that the reason Xpresso has been able to keep its prices this low comes down to how the business is built. From the beginning, they focused on efficiency, strong supplier relationships, and high-volume operations.

“We don’t operate like a traditional coffee shop – we operate like a scaled business. That allows us to keep margins healthy while still offering affordable pricing to our customers,” she explained.

“For us, it’s about accessibility. We want more people to be able to enjoy the product, not just a small segment of the market.”

Big expansion plans

Xpresso Café recently opened its 75th store at Mall@Carnival in Johannesburg. Nicolene said the fact that they are now approaching 80 stores is a major milestone for the business.

“But for us, the real achievement is the impact behind that growth. Today, we’re selling over 3 million items every month across South Africa and supporting over 500 families through the business. That’s what makes it meaningful,” she said.

“We’re also incredibly proud of building a brand that has proven that scale is possible in this space – and that you can do it in a way that creates opportunity for others.”

She explained that 2026 will be a big year for Xpresso Café, with plans to expand the store footprint, improve the customer experience, and evolve the brand.

“Expansion is a big focus for us, particularly in key regions like Johannesburg and Pretoria,” Nicolene said. “We are also welcoming international expansion in the future with new products and services that are especially exciting to us.”

“We’re also exploring different formats and models that allow us to grow even faster and reach more communities. The goal is not just more stores – it’s smarter, more strategic growth.”

She explained that, specifically, Xpresso Café is focused on innovation, new store models, and continuous improvement of the overall customer experience.

“There’s a strong focus on growth, but also on evolving the brand in a way that keeps it exciting, relevant, and ahead of the market,” she said.

“2026 will also be our year to rebrand, refresh and expand in a brand new way, because we like to disrupt the industry and will strive to continue to do so. We’re not here to follow the industry – we’re here to change it.”

Nicolene made it clear that the business is still only getting started, not only from a growth perspective, but also in terms of its greater mission.

“What we’ve built with Xpresso is just the beginning. At its core, this brand is about more than coffee – it’s about showing people what’s possible,” she said.

“Whether it’s a customer, a team member, or a future business owner, we want people to see that growth, success, and independence are achievable. And we’re only getting started.”