Katies Blue Cat Cafe, the unofficial third office of Cee Are Cee is poised to make a big leap forward, but they need a little of our support first.

Cee Are Dee “officially” has 2 offices. One on a cosy corner of Kreuzberg in Berlin. The other (will soon be) our Asian based production office. But since the start, there has been a third “unofficial” office. The cafe, Katies Blue Cat.

You see, 50% of the Cee Are Dee team runs 100% on caffeine and the other 50% of the team (cough… Daniel Padilla Werner) can’t make coffee for shit. So, right from the start of our little business venture, it was essential that we had access to good coffee. Luckily, Katies Blue Cat was just around the corner.

It turned into our mid-afternoon treat, our conference rooms, our brainstorming space. It became more of a home away from home. A space to get creative and a welcome respite from the accountancy spreadsheets and arguments about Instagram posts.

A mecca in the little corner of Neukölln

Katies Blue Cat has been running for the last 9 years and quickly became a mecca in the little corner of Neukölln. The coffee is amazing, the cakes are even better. But the best thing about Katies Blue cat, there is a “Kiez” feeling about the place. These days, when swarms of faceless, soulless chains edge in pricing out local businesses, cafe’s like Katies are more important than ever.

The Blue Cat is poised for a leap

Now it is time for Katies to take the next step. The team had reached the limits of what was possible within the existing space and owner, Ngoc Duong has always had her eye on ways to take even better care of her guests. So when the old bakery next door became available, it was the perfect time to take the leap.

New space, new opportunities

With the new space come new opportunities. Ngoc and her team can expand into the old bakery, enlarging the kitchen and therefore opening up what’s on offer. The menu can expand with a new variety of brunch and lunch options and these hearty dishes can now be accompanied with a good glass of wine or two.

Renovating with authenticity and character

The bakery space itself is sound but it is in need of a good deal of TLC. Ngoc plans to renovate in the best way possible. She will keep as much of the authenticity and character of the old space and create the same cosy atmosphere that Katies is loved for. But there are the simple practicalities to keep in mind, and for this, she needs a little of our help.

To cook up our lunches and brunches, cakes and croissants there is the need for an oven, a stove and other kitchen accoutrements. To keep us watered they need a bar. And even though they will do all the renovations themselves, they need a little help with the cash flow at the start.

A little helping hand to get started

To get this started Ngoc is running a crowdfunding round through startnext.com. Making a donation will get you a voucher. When the renovations are complete and the new space is opened (I think it will be called “Kitten”, which is fitting) you will be able to take your voucher along and redeem it for the exact amount you paid. Perfect! Ngoc gets the funds she needs to get the project off the ground. Then you get to go along, get pampered and leave with a full belly.

Berlin’s soul is at stake!

There is another reason that this project is essential, the soul of Berlin is at stake! The rental contract for the bakery was awarded to Ngoc over some big, faceless corporations. Katies Blue Cat is a local business. It is run by a local, the staff are treated well and paid fairly. There is great value placed on traditional craftsmanship and the art of baking. They use the resources at hand in a sustainable way and expound these values to the local community. Business like this are the heart and soul of an area and they need to be encouraged and supported.

For us fashion folk

To put it in terms us fashion folk can understand. Going to Katies over Starbucks is the equivalent to buying pair of Japanese raw selvedge jeans over a pair H&M jeggings. The difference here is, Starbucks is more expensive than Katies! There’s really nothing to think about.

The funding round will run until mid-March and you can read the full story and watch Ngoc explain the project herself over on the crowdfunding page here.

Go on, do some good!