OATIS Café is a London-based gem that’s redefining wholesome eating, offering nourishing meals that fuel the mind and body. They're a café on a mission to make healthy, fresh, and filling food effortless.
We spoke with Ines, Creative Director and Co-Founder about the role of sustainability in hospitality, and how they’ve built a welcoming, feel-good space. From signature steel-cut oats to their commitment to sustainable practices, Ines shared her journey, insights, and vision for the future.
Thanks for chatting with us today! To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about the story behind OATIS Café and what inspired you to start your own business?
Steel-cut oats are our hero product, they’re unique, energising, delicious and set you up for a great day with their slow releasing energy. With OATIS this is exactly what we want to bring to London. Our tagline is “Wholesome Eats” but our ethos is to take that “wholesome” approach across our entire operation. We welcome all our guests with a smile, our menu is designed to be energising, fulfilling and to keep you full for longer, and we made sure there is something for everyone regardless of dietary requirements! We want to create an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome, loves to gather, eat, sip specialty coffee, laugh and wants to return time after time!
Sustainability is an important conversation in the hospitality industry. What does it mean to you at OATIS, and why is it such a key focus?
Following our “wholesome” approach, it was a no-brainer to make sure we are as environmentally conscious as possible. Whether that is reducing food waste, being mindful of electricity usage, finding alternative purposes for leftovers, or using sustainable packaging, we’re always thinking what little things will make a difference and create a 360° Wholesome business.
We’re proud that you’ve chosen BioPak packaging! Can you share what led you to make the switch and how it aligns with your business?
We’re proud to say we’ve never had to make “the switch”; when creating our concept, making sure our packaging was sustainable and finding the right supplier for this was equally important as other decisions like what would be on our menu, or what our interior would look like. We’re very proud to say we’ve been working with BioPak from the get go!
The plant-based movement is growing rapidly, and more people are turning to alternatives for health and environmental reasons. What trends or shifts have you noticed in the café industry, and how do you see OATIS Café continuing to participate in this shift?
At OATIS, we serve all our coffees with oat milk as standard, dairy milk is one of our milk alternatives. Our regulars know this and new customers always seem pleasantly surprised when we tell them. We offer a pea-based milk too which is low in sugar and has a low carbon footprint, whenever we suggest this to our customers, they love it!
We’ve noticed that customers are a lot more informed and open to try new things. We always have seasonal dishes on and try to work with upcoming ingredients with benefits, think kimchi, spirulina, bone broth, turmeric... Customers are excited to try these dishes and appreciate how easily we introduce them to upcoming ingredients that can still be hard to source.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced at OATIS, and what advice would you give to others navigating similar challenges?
One of the biggest challenges for us has been finding the right people that carry the same passion as us for the brand. I am very happy and grateful to say that we have an amazing team now and they are all proud to represent OATIS. As advice I would say, don’t give up, spend time training and sharing knowledge, put procedures in place to make everyone’s life easier and have fun!
We love the vibe of OATIS Café – it’s clear your team is dedicated to creating a welcoming space for your customers. How important is the café's atmosphere in shaping the overall experience for your guests?
I would say the atmosphere is everything. I always say this to my team too, customer service is why people go eat out and we’re responsible for it. Your food can be 10/10 but if the atmosphere is off, people won’t leave happy. We’ve tried to create a relaxed experience for guests, including some fun touches and we are dedicated to people leaving OATIS feeling energised and fulfilled.
Looking ahead, are there any exciting new menu items, collaborations, or sustainability initiatives coming to OATIS Café in the near future?
We’ve started the year off strong with a few run clubs, this is definitely something we will continue throughout this year. They’re so much fun and we always make sure there are coffees and treats for all runners afterwards. Keep an eye on our socials to see when we’re hosting our next one!
Finally, we have to ask – what’s your personal favorite dish on the OATIS Café menu?
It’s got to be our PB&J sweet oat bowl, I could (& sometimes do) eat this everyday!
