In mid-December, a new café will open in Sao Paulo. It may or may not become famous for its food, but it hopes to become famous for its conversations. The BETC Havas Café aims to be a cultural hub, promoting “an environment that expands and favours all sorts of human connection through the arts, culture, innovation and, of course, creativity”. In addition to the cafe, the complex will include an exclusive bar, art gallery, bookstore, projection rooms and performance areas.
The café is being built in Rua Oscar Freire, one of the most famous and charming streets in Sao Paulo, is inspired by BETC Paris — the brand’s headquarters located in France — and by Havas Café — the lounge assembled annually during the Cannes Lions, where people gather, relax, eat, drink and enjoy exclusive events, in addition to sharing knowledge and experiences.
The project is led by partner and chief executive officer, Erh Ray.
“After such a long time in isolation, without looking people in the eye, going back to life inspired us to take this project off the ground. To me, nothing replaces sharing ideas in person, especially during unpretentious meetings, such as coffee breaks at work, lunches, or happy hours. We are social beings, we need to make small talk, share ideas and daily experiences in person, to improvise and be spontaneous. Not having these relationships affects our industry, which thrives on creativity. So, when coming back, we decided not to be just a coworking or redesigned office space. We will be a cafe, a cozy and cool place where people feel at ease. A place with total focus on synergies and on bringing people together, whether they are employees, customers, partners, friends or the general public,” Ray stated.