Costa coffee opening at the old Homelook 460 Brixton Road, SW9

[miss minnie]

I'd like to see the inside of the place.

When it was the trash shop it had all the ambience of a railway arch lined with dark, mouldy carpet. I'm not sure that any of the original interior exists.

 

[miss minnie]

Struggling to remember what I ever bought in there besides maybe some Christmas decorations

That shop did certainly did fill the gap in the Brixton xmas deco tat market at the time. I think I still have some lurid green and red cherubs adorning a lilac tinsel wreath somewhere.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

That shop did certainly did fill the gap in the Brixton xmas deco tat market at the time. I think I still have some lurid green and red cherubs adorning a lilac tinsel wreath somewhere.

No waterfall pictures then?

I reckon they were all bought up by local Chinese takeaways and curry houses

 

[Brixton Hatter]

According to a property website i saw recently, the inside has been completely gutted to reveal some quite nice brick arches and vaulted ceilings. It's potentially a really nice space (if those pics are accurate.)

But how much coffee do we need in brixton FFS?!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

According to a property website i saw recently, the inside has been completely gutted to reveal some quite nice brick arches and vaulted ceilings. It's potentially a really nice space (if those pics are accurate.)

But how much coffee do we need in brixton FFS?!

I saw one earlier today and wondered if it was the same property. It was the right number Brixton Road, but I didn't post picture in case I was totally wrong. Looked lovely and had character though.

This was the picture

Actually it is the same place. It was in Estates Gazette. I just can't imagine that arch though. It's totally thrown me

(I'm thinking that's a view looking towards Brixton Road and that arch may be where you had the sloping floor). Anyone?

http://www.estatesgazette.com/propertylink/advert/arch_458_460_brixton_road-_brixton_sw9_8ea-3269025.htm

 

[editor]

That looks about right as there was a raised bit at the back that was accessed through a narrowish door. It already looks a whole load better.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

That looks about right as there was a raised bit at the back that was accessed through a narrowish door. It already looks a whole load better.

I've never been in a Costa coffee place. I'm guessing lots of chrome and glass or wooden tables? Am I anywhere near?

 

[DJWrongspeed]

I was in Peckham the other day and there is no coffee anywhere. How come Brixton is awash with it?

 

[se5]

Word has just reached my ears that the old Homelook building - the knackered old red-shuttered building in the middle of Brixton under the bridge - is going to join the growing throng of coffee shops in Brixton, with work starting on a new Costa in two months (subject to contract).

Background: http://www.urban75.org/blog/homelooksanders-460-brixton-road-yours-for-9kmonth/

Could be worse - at least Costa started as a local Lambeth business - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Coffee

 

[editor]

Could be worse - at least Costa started as a local Lambeth business - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Coffee

Ah well if they're locals, then I for one welcome the return of the conquering coffee kings!

From that link:

Bruno and Sergio Costa set up their coffee roastery in Lambeth, London in 1971, supplying local caterers and coffee shops with their slow-roasted blend mocha Italia.
Costa branched out to retailing coffee in 1978, when their first store opened in Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, England.
In 1995, the business was acquired by Whitbread and is now a subsidiary of Whitbread Company. In 2009 Costa celebrated the opening of their 1000th store in Cardiff, and is consequently the largest coffee chain in the UK

(I'll try and ignore the bit about them being a subsidiary of Whitbread)

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Ah well if they're locals, then I for one welcome the return of the conquering coffee kings!

From that link:
(I'll try and ignore the bit about them being a subsidiary of Whitbread)

Excellent, and they've done so well as well

and what a coincidence it's about the only coffee shop I'd like to go in (purely for sitting under the bridge and listening to the trains overhead)

Someone should put up a great big banner saying "Welcome back to Brixton". I nominate Editor Will ignore the fact that they started in Vauxhall as it's only up the road

 

[boohoo]

I remember going into the building when it was still sanders or whatever jewellers it was then. (not to buy anything though) I worked at H Samuels and both shops would take the cash to the bank together. It was quite dingy in the building.

 

[Fingers]

Homelook was the only place in the area I could find to get a key cut on a Sunday when I locked myself out. I will remember them forever for that (even though they fucked it up completely)

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

I also bought cheap christmas decorations from homelook. I believe it was their tinsel which adorned the midget trees I planted in my garden nine years ago. The trees didn't last either.

More coffee? Bloody hell. We don't need more coffee, how much coffee does Brixton drink?
I might just stop drinking coffee, if i did I'd be a hell of a lot richer and probably slimmer too as I always have a full fat milky thing with cake or biscuits.

 

[leanderman]

Ah well if they're locals, then I for one welcome the return of the conquering coffee kings!

From that link:
(I'll try and ignore the bit about them being a subsidiary of Whitbread)

Judging by the sub-branch in my work building, Costa coffee is pretty good.

And, strangely, their very first outlet, in vauxhall bridge road, is next door to my last employer. It was exceptional.

 

[wtfftw]

Which one was Homelook anyway? Basically buckets of shit? I went in when that location smelt of damp and sold buckets of shit.

 

[Fingers]

it was also the only place in the area you could buy a bucket of shit on a bank holiday Monday.

 

[r0bb0]

the Costa roastery by old paradise street is in Kennington more than Vauxhall (SE11) and it smell's lovely in the mornings

 

[twistedAM]

I was in Peckham the other day and there is no coffee anywhere. How come Brixton is awash with it?

Cos we have more iPhones and iPads. Public consumption of coffee is compulsory if you own one of those.

 

[snowy_again]

the Costa roastery by old paradise street is in Kennington more than Vauxhall (SE11) and it smell's lovely in the mornings

It took me ages to work out why Newport Street occasionally smelt of roasting coffee...

 

[editor]

Cos we have more iPhones and iPads. Public consumption of coffee is compulsory if you own one of those.

If Apple could build a pop up coffee shop into the iPad 3, people could show off their expensive gadgets wherever they are!

 

[gaijingirl]

interesting... I don't own an i-pad or anything similar and also I don't drink coffee. I do have a paper diary and I drink tea. I wonder if there's a correlation?

 

[ajdown]

I was in Peckham the other day and there is no coffee anywhere. How come Brixton is awash with it?

Peckham's miles away from Loughborough Junction, whereas it's literally right on Brixton's doorstep. Lougborough junction is an area in motion you know...

 

[Greebo]

Coffee shops seem to be the new nail bars when it comes to use of retail space. Wonder what'll be the next thing?

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Coffee shops seem to be the new nail bars when it comes to use of retail space. Wonder what'll be the next thing?

Cup cake shops, Scotch Egg shops, pie shops?

 

[TruXta]

interesting... I don't own an i-pad or anything similar and also I don't drink coffee. I do have a paper diary and I drink tea. I wonder if there's a correlation?

No. I haven't got an Iphone or Ipad, but I drink loads of coffee and usually write on a PC. I also never go and sit in coffee shops unless I'm going for lunch or it's the only option.

 

[kyser_soze]

But how much coffee do we need in brixton FFS?!

How many people pass through Brixton? How many coffee shops? I suspect the number will run to something like few thousand possible customers per shop.

I never stop for coffee in the shop, just grab a cup and go.

I'm pretty happy about this as Costa are by far and away my favourite chain.

 

[TruXta]

Best of a bad lot, fact.

 

[se5]

Theres a photo of the Costa premises on the Lambeth Landmark site:

The Costa Brothers' Coffee Company warehouse in Newport Street, Lambeth. The firm has now also become a leading chain of coffee houses. Photograph dated October 1980.

 

[twistedAM]

Theres a photo of the Costa premises on the Lambeth Landmark site:


The Costa Brothers' Coffee Company warehouse in Newport Street, Lambeth. The firm has now also become a leading chain of coffee houses. Photograph dated October 1980.

Didn't know they were "local".

I alway preferred Nero but I guess Costa is alright too. Better than Weakbucks anyway.