Our Story

Sonder is the brainchild of partners, Chase Dell and Michelle Fredman. After losing his business during the outbreak of the pandemic, Chase decided to move to Cape Town from his native Eastern Cape. Similarly, Michelle returned to South Africa from where she was living and working as a copywriter in London. The pair, weary at the thought of having to work for someone else, decided to do what only crazy people do; open a business in a global pandemic. 

And so, Sonder Cafe was born. The idea behind the cafe was to create a space that aligned to it's namesake - to the realisation that every individual has a story. They wanted to create a space that embodied this truism by shining a light on the beauty of humanity, by bringing strangers together through art, books, music, nature, conversation and good coffee. 

Sonder is not simply a café, but rather a concept. A place birthed out of the need for human connection, in a time of unparalleled separation. Sonder is a neologism, an ethereal word that means to realise the innate complexity of each passer-by, to recognise the depth of a stranger’s story, their late night hopes and childhood dreams, their fantasies and surreptitious desires, their inherent joys and deep-seated sorrows. It is to humanise the other, to see the profound sameness in those we do not know, and may never see again.

Chase and Michelle hope to watch Sonder grow into more than simply a coffee shop, but a space where people connect, cultivate creativity and feel truly welcomed. 

This is simply the beginning.