Our ETHOS

Redefining daily luxury

We believe that true luxury is everyday luxury and time well spent having the pleasure to have access to the best, from treasured daily rituals to special treats. That is what drives us to elevate every experience with the greatest care delivered with a healthy dash of Coco Safar flair.   

We greatly value the time you spend with us as we know it’s ultimately your most precious commodity. That’s why we will go out of our way to make you feel good every step of the way with our trademark couture approach designed to take you on a memorable journey, at every moment of your day. A lifestyle journey that starts with an elevated coffee experience – served on a bespoke wooden board, with a welcoming shot of sparkling water and our legendary mini lemon poppy Madeleine; or that continues at home with an exceptional rooibos espresso or botanical skincare routine to fuel your day or uplift your mood the right way.

Escape, discover, experience: let us transport you for a Coco Safar journey beyond the ordinary.

2006-2026

Our Journey

Founded by Wilhelm “Wil” Liebenberg, a South African born Canadian, and Caroline Sirois a French-Canadian – the original idea of a “luxury café like no other”, was conceived on their many travels around the globe, and inspired by their love of café culture and café society of yesteryear. Their first coffee-café-bakery venture launched to a highly discerning audience in Montreal, Canada, in 2006. As true entrepreneurs with diverse life experience across the creative worlds of media, entertainment, hospitality and property development businesses – Coco Safar was destined to be a unique experience that transports one on a luxurious journey of taste and global discovery. The brand has since been perfected in Cape Town, in preparation for launching in Paris, the epicenter of luxury.

2005

Our founders, Wil and Caroline envision a uniquely cosmopolitan-style bakery-café where coffee and bakery products will be equally great and of superior quality, with a true value-for-money proposition. The logo comes to life and the butterfly insignia is born.

2006-2008

The first R&D phase begins with the opening of two pop-up pilot stores in Montreal. A mid-century white and blue interior inspired by the Mediterranean is tested, along with a boutique selling books, magazines and must-haves accessories. The pistachio croissant, sticky bun and artisanal breads receive their first rave reviews. The marriage of spiced maple to rooibos is created and thoroughly enjoyed by curious consumers who know little about this healthy herbal red bush tea, full of goodness originating from the tip of Africa.

2008

The Brand plans its entry and rollout into Manhattan and starts building its first location in the West Village. A new interior design strategy with a more exotic look & feel is implemented in collaboration with a leading Brazilian architect. The financial market crashes on September 15, 2008, taking New York and the world down a few pegs… Opening and expansion plans are put indefinitely on hold.

2009-2010

Our founders move to Toronto, Canada and a new phase begins in the English-speaking metropolis with the opening of two pilot stores in the Entertainment District. The signature rooibos-maple latte takes off like a rocket, along with third wave coffees and all-day breakfast, served in a luxury café setting with nostalgic tones incorporating an espresso bar with a signature bakery offering. Bloggers and media start taking notice of the brand with positive reviews.

2011

The sun shines on New York again. The Brand becomes the exclusive coffee provider at the Core Club, a private Midtown club catering to influential executives. Coco Safar replaces Starbucks as the coffee of choice and will go on to serve its espresso-style drinks on its signature bespoke board, together with a shot of sparkling water and a bakery treat to exclusive club members for two years.

2012-2013

Many Nespresso capsule-related patents have expired, forever changing the single-serve espresso market dominated by Nestlé. The first phase of coffee and rooibos capsule development starts in collaboration with the only company in the world to manufacture and private label Nespresso-compatible capsules, based in Cape Town.

2014-2015

Cape Town becomes the world’s design capital and is voted by the New York Times as the #1 must-visit destination. This greatly raises its profile as an emerging style and foodie capital. The founders bring a team of pastry, coffee and design specialists from New York, Chicago and New Zealand for a 6-month R&D drive, with the intent to open a flagship experience in Cape Town. Coco Safar opens an innovation hub and coffee lab / cupping room in Woodstock.

2016

The first Coco Safar store launches under license in Claremont, a suburb of Cape Town located near the Constantia Valley. Capetonians are immediately taken by the elegant retro-chic interiors, custom-designed decor produced by highly skilled local craftsmen, and the attention to detail at all levels of the operation. This store located in the Cavendish Mall includes an espresso bar, patisserie / bakery boutique, a dedicated capsule retail emporium and a café.

2018

Coco Safar moves to Sea Point, a cosmopolitan neighborhood centrally located near Cape Town’s CBD. The impressive, corporately-owned flagship is launched, comprising an all-day café, espresso bar-bakery, a pâtisserie & chocolate atelier, a coffee roastery and a micro-brewery producing botanical coffee & rooibos brews and tonics.

2021-2026

The Sea Point flagship further evolves to become a true innovation hub for the brand worldwide. Full ranges of baked goods, confectionery and beverages, breakfast and dining dishes are perfected; pairing experiences become hugely popular. In 2020, amidst heavy lockdowns, Food & Wine US rated Coco Safar’s alongside the world top 4 croissant makers, putting the Brand amongst the world’s very best. Several store formats in various retail settings are launched in and around Cape Town, with a pilot micro-store in Joburg, surpassing all expectations.

2026 & BEYOND

Paris is selected to debut the Coco Safar next-generation couture micro-store model, that will serve as the reference platform for future international expansion.  As one of the world’s most sophisticated single-serve capsule markets, France combines a deeply established espresso culture with global influence in luxury, gastronomy and brand storytelling.

Our Founders

Coco Safar was created by Wilhelm Liebenberg and Caroline Sirois in Montreal, Canada in 2005, as a result of travelling the world and spending much time in cafés from Paris, Istanbul, New York to Mexico City, Athens and Dubai. In fact, they first met in a café in Munich, which is fitting given their vision was to create the “best luxury café like no other” where one could enjoy the best coffee along with the best croissant in a luxurious setting reminiscent of old-world coffee houses. Fast forward some 15 years, and that vision is now a reality. Bloomberg, Forbes, and L’Officiel Paris have rated Coco Safar as the ‘World’s best coffee” and “ World’s best café” with Food & Wine US rating Coco Safar alongside the world’s best 3 croissant makers in 2020.
Their vision and relentless pursuit of the extraordinary has propelled Coco Safar to become the world’s leading luxury coffee-café-bakery brand, recognised today by the world’s leading media as the clear thought leader and leading innovator in the specialty coffee, café, and bakery sectors, while industry insiders refer to the brand as the “Hermes” of the industry.