The last thing Cathie Cottle expected when she opened Kind café in Morningside, Auckland was for members of the All Blacks rugby team to frequent the female oriented café.
“It is not a demographic we aimed for at all, but we’re very close to Eden Park stadium and a couple of our All Blacks are of different faiths and have dietary needs because of that,” Cathie says.
“While developing Kind, I was given free rein to basically make it a café where I would like to go, and because of that we have a largely female demographic. We’ve been pleasantly surprised to have a lot of guys come in too.”
Kind serves a mostly plant-based menu with minimal use of animal products that caters to a wide variety of dietary needs. Cathie says the ethos behind Kind is to make Morningside a greener place to live.
“We want to take people on a journey towards healthy eating, in a style that is kind to yourself, the neighbourhood, and the Earth,” she says.
Standouts on the menu Cathie recommends include the smashed beans, avocado on toast, and a barbecue breakfast burrito using pulled jackfruit. All pastries and sweets on display at the café are dairy-free and egg-free.
“Parents bring in children with severe allergies to things like egg and tell them, ‘you can have anything you want from this cabinet’. The little kids look up with their big, wide eyes and ask, ‘I can have anything?’” Cathie says.
“People with those sorts of dietary requirements, young and old, can come in and have choice. There are people who choose to eat a certain way, and there are others that have to. The response from people with these dietary restrictions has blown me away.”
Kind serves Coffee Supreme’s Supreme blend, which Cathie calls “a really nice all-round coffee”. It is prepared using an under-the-counter Modbar, which Cathie says is quite special for New Zealand.
“It definitely helps with customer interaction and that’s one of the things we wanted from it,” Cathie says. “There is no barrier between our staff and customers. We even have bar stools at that area so customers can talk to the barista, and be part of the café experience.”
Further contributing to that experience is Kind’s French garden-themed decor. A see-through ceiling and walls create a glasshouse aesthetic over much of the venue.
“I really tried to blur the lines between outside and inside. We wanted people to feel that they were outside and among the plants and a part of nature,” Cathie says. “Hopefully that will inspire them to do more to look after this world.”
Kind has also begun organising weekly workshops on topics ranging from composting to healthy cooking.
“We’re just starting the workshops, but the plan is for there to be one every Monday,” Cathie says.
“Morningside is very industrial, so we’re looking to add a little more community spirit as well as make it a greener place to live.”
Kind
16 McDonald St, Morningside, Auckland, 1025, New Zealand
Open Monday 7:30am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday 7:30am to late, Saturday 8am to late, Sunday 8am to 5pm
+64 21 484 855