Adams Café

What does your business do?

During the day, Adams Café cooks and serves traditional English breakfasts, specially marinated flame-grills, daily changing lunchtime specials, delicious (huge) salads, omelettes, soups, baguettes and paninis all made to order with a cappuccino, cold beer or glass of wine.

Then… in the evenings. Our English café is magically transformed into a romantic, candlelit, Mediterranean restaurant, famous for its fragrant tajines, hearty couscous dishes, fresh fish and seafood, and some rather special Moroccan and Tunisian beers and wines.

What motivated you to do what you do?

Abdel and I have always loved eating out – it’s our passion. When we lived in Paris, we would try all sorts of restaurants from typical French bistros, to Michelin star establishments, to our favourite local Algerian couscous café. We moved to Tunisia in the eighties and took over a small hotel in a seaside resort. There, we had mainly English guests who loved the local dishes we served in our hotel restaurant. That was when we realised there was a definite gap in the market for North African cuisine in London so, with a very young family, we started Adams Café in 1989.

What is your Unique Selling Point?

Our daytime café, which totally transforms into an atmospheric restaurant in the evening, is a unique concept which we achieve in a theatrical way by using different lighting systems in the day and the evening. We also have removable menu boards which conceal our full bar that we use in the evening. Our formica tables are then laid with linen cloths and candles at night.

Adams Café is a long-established family-run restaurant with personal service from a husband and wife front-of-house team which is also pretty unique in London.

Who is your ideal customer/client?

Our locals who go from being our neighbours to becoming our customers, then become regular customers, then become friends.

What gives your business the edge over your competitors?

After 25 years, we’ve developed into a little bit of an institution on Askew Road. We’re now welcoming couples with their new babies who first came to eat at Adams Café with their own parents when they were children! I think it’s called ‘staying power’!

Do you have a particular service or product you’d like to flag up here?

Although we offer a collection only takeaway service, we were getting a number of enquiries about deliveries so we have partnered up with a high end delivery service, ‘deliveroo’. This way, if you’re ever craving one of your Adams Café favourite dishes while sitting at home in your PJ’s, we can help.

Tajines and couscous also work really well for dinner parties and catering for a large number of guests at home. Contact us for a quote for your special occasions.

How do people get in touch with you?

Come in and talk to us at no. 77 Askew Road
Check out our website at www.adamscafe.co.uk
Telephone us on 020 8743 0572
Email us info@adamscafe.co.uk
Twitter @adamscafe

What is your biggest challenge in the current climate?

We still have people coming in and saying, ‘wow, we had no idea this place existed and we’ve been living here for the last … number of years!’ So our challenge is getting the message to all the local residents that we do really special food at great prices.

Where do you think your business will be in 5 year’s time?

Thriving after 30 years in business!

Has being a member of ABN helped your business?

Through ABN we have had the pleasure of meeting the motivators behind business networking in our road.

What do you like about the Askew Road?

The community feeling of Askew Road is really growing. We often have neighbours bumping into each other in the restaurant out of the blue and newcomers leaning over to the table behind them to ask for recommendations! It all makes for a friendly atmosphere.

Askew Road seems to have its own special personality having survived through three recessions (since we’ve been here) and now thriving and leading the way forward in the area.

What do you think Askew Road will be like in 5 years time?

Over the last five years, Askew Road has become brighter and brighter with new shops and businesses opening up and investing in their properties. I expect Askew Road to continue to thrive and have an even more diverse range of independent shops and businesses in 5 years time.

How easy is it to shop locally in Askew Road?

I’ve always found it convenient to shop in Askew Road – all the basics are on our doorstep, from a pot of paint to a replacement tap, speciality butcher and wines, the dentist, the doctor, hairdressers, dry-cleaning, florists, post-office, great pubs and restaurants!

What are your favourite shops and businesses in Askew Road?

I hardly need to go anywhere else as I use all of the above!

What shops and businesses do you think Askew Road lacks?

I can never find a decent greetings card on Askew Road so I think a gift shop with cards and toys would do pretty well.