Restaurant Feature – Franze & Evans

Published on Sep 16, 2020

Franze & Evans are a small family run cafe in Shoreditch perfect for breakfast.

They specialise in a variety of fresh homemade modern brunch and breakfast foods, unique salads and delicious signature cakes.

How would you describe Franze and Evans to someone who hasn’t visited before?

Franze and Evans is a family run business that started in the heart of Shoreditch back in 2008. We specialise in delicious Italian food infused with classic British cooking. We are best known for our flavoursome breakfast and brunch menu, our wholesome salads and our delicious cakes. Our food is packed full of flavour, creativity, and soul – and we are so pleased to be expanding our brand and opening new cafes across London. 

What’s the most popular thing on your menu?

This is a difficult question. For cooked offer our most popular is the brunch with different combinations of English staples and Italian influences. The most popular item from our collection of cakes is our infamous Lemon & Courgette cake. Its light, its fluffy, and it has a solid reputation for becoming an instant favourite!

Can you tell us a little bit about your team and the atmosphere in the cafe?

Our team are a mixture of friends, family, and fresh faces from around the globe. We have a strong Italian influence within the team, so expect lots of passion and laughter when you come to visit! We like to keep the atmosphere fun and authentic – a friendly place to enjoy good food and have a good laugh. 

Why Shoreditch?

Nico, who founded the company lived in the area from the mid-1990s. At that time there was no place to go to for good coffee or good wholesome food in the area. He decided to create an environment that would provide good healthy food for the residents and business community.

The pandemic has undoubtedly had a huge impact on businesses in our area. How did you navigate it?

The pandemic is unprecedented and has had a big effect on us along with the majority of small businesses during this time. We are responding in an effective and flexible way looking at how we can adopt our business model to operating in the new environment. This has been made somewhat easier by our loyal customers upon reopening, it was good to see familiar faces. With their help we are back fighting and are feeling very positive for the future. 

How does the way you operate now differ to how you operated before the pandemic?

One way we have needed to adapt is adopting the current guidelines on social distancing., We have less space inside the cafe due to the regulations. However, we feel that our customers are still getting the full Franze & Evans experience and are working hard to keep the vibe upbeat whilst maintaining a safe environment for all whilst they are spending their time with us. 

What advice would you give to businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, during a crisis like this one?

Stay positive! Business can be unpredictable at the best of times, but it’s really all about how you deal with the issues that counts. A positive attitude and hard work will get us all through this current crisis together! 

Have you felt supported by the Old Street District community?

Yes, we have since we re-opened in July. As mentioned above, we are seeing many familiar faces return.

How else could the local community support you?

The local community could support us by continuing to come in and enjoy our delicious food! Also, the community have been great in their understanding of the increased pressures that the hospitality industry is currently facing.

What does the future hold for Franze and Evans?

The future is looking very bright for Franze & Evans at the moment. We are lucky to be opening two new branches within Workspace buildings in east London, so are very excited to expand and keep on doing what we do best!