Harvard Cafe

Running a cafe operation in Sandton involves managing load shedding schedules, maintaining espresso machines through power cuts, and timing food prep around blackout windows. Harvard Cafe navigates these realities daily—keeping coffee hot, keeping pastries fresh, keeping customers fed when the grid is unreliable. During loadshedding cycles, the difference between a cafe that has backup power and one that doesn't becomes obvious quickly. The kitchen logistics here aren't visible to diners, but they're what determine whether you can actually get breakfast at 7 a.m. or find the doors closed. Temperature control, refrigeration, cooking equipment—all of it depends on managing electricity smarter than most small operations can afford to. That's the operational backbone running underneath what looks like a simple cup of coffee.