Kinfolk Cafe is a warm, busy space. A sprawling bird mural by Datsun Tran takes up a whole wall, while ladder bookshelves are tucked away in the corner. Patrons sit by the window, elbows propped on the benches made of wood recycled from the old Princes Pier. Friendly staff swoop between tables, making conversation whilst serving up pies from Abbotsford Convent and the cafe’s signature open sandwiches that change daily but might include pumpkin, ruby chard and fetta or Russian salad on dark rye.

Even though providing Melburnians with a decent cafe in this otherwise dull end of Bourke Street is contribution enough, Kinfolk is set up as a social business that channels all of its profits towards worthwhile local and international charitable projects.

So whereas other non-profits often wheedle you to forgo just one coffee a week to give money to their cause, at Kinfolk you are welcome to indulge your coffee cravings and still be confident that the buzz you feel when you leave is more than caffeine-induced.