Samuel Netherton, a 22-year-old student from Lisburn studying actuarial science at Queen's University Belfast, has gone viral on TikTok after setting up a pop-up coffee shop on the London Underground. His video, posted on TikTok @samsroamingcafe, shows him preparing complimentary coffees on the Northern Line and has attracted nearly 500,000 views.
From placement year to coffee passion
During his placement year in London, Netherton discovered a passion for coffee and began perfecting his brewing skills. He combined this with social media content creation, learning from friends in London. "I've always enjoyed going out for coffee with people, and the depth of conversations you can have when you go out for a coffee," he told Belfast Live. "Then when I went away to London, like a lot of people I helped myself through the 9 to 5 by drinking a lot of coffee."
Overcoming initial skepticism
The idea for an Underground coffee shop came from pondering the most outlandish location for a café in London. Despite initial skepticism from friends, Netherton invested in a generator and set up on the Tube. "After a bit of research and investing in a generator which hurt the bank a bit, I set myself up in the Tube and it was great. The response online has been amazing," he said.
Initially met with dirty looks from commuters, he quickly found passengers queuing for coffee. "When we first set up on the Tube there were a lot of dirty looks, when people initially see someone doing this they probably think I'm doing something strange," he explained. "Once I made him the coffee, it seemed like everyone in the carriage wanted one, and it very quickly got busy. But the response was great and people were loving it, it helped put smiles on people's faces."
Future plans and unique locations
Netherton's mobile coffee venture will next head to Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, with his car boot converted into a makeshift café. He plans to document conversations over coffee and his journey toward opening his own café. "I'm very excited about what there is to come, and all the different places I'm going to make coffee," he added. "I'm excited about documenting having great conversations with people over coffee, and documenting the journey of hopefully setting up my own coffee shop one day."
Ambitious future ideas include setting up on a plane. "I've thought about setting up on a plane but I don't know how that would go down logistically," he said. "But people said the tube wasn't possible when we went on to do it, so maybe we'll see what we can do." He also plans to convert his university house garage into a coffee shop, aiming to replicate the coffee shop environment.
