'We brew integrity': ICAC opens themed café with 3 specialty coffees

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has opened its themed café, “1974”, to the public on 15 November, aiming to spread anti-corruption messages by attracting visitors in an engaging way. The clever tagline for the cafe is "We brew integrity".

The café’s name, “1974”, was selected from nearly 180 entries in an internal naming competition, commemorating the year when ICAC established, a time when British staff introduced the coffee culture to the organisation.

To complement the café’s opening, ICAC also released a short titled “The year of coffee” (咖啡年華), featuring Kwong Mei-wan, a member of the ICAC's Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations, showing nostalgic Hong Kong vibe.

The phrase “Please drink coffee from the ICAC” (廉署請飲咖啡) has a special meaning for Hong Kong citizens, referring to being invited to the ICAC for an investigation. Leveraging this iconic association, the café aims to attract visitors while raising awareness about integrity. Located on the ground floor of ICAC’s North Point headquarters, the café is operated by Po Leung Kuk, offering four different drinks and two snacks.

Its coffee selections include three types of coffee, named “Honest” (清廉), “Confidential” (保密), and “Sincere” (誠』果), which are priced at HK$22, using coffee beans from regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, such as Yunnan, Vietnam, and Africa. Apart from coffee, the café also sells its own freshly made roselle tea, oatmeal cranberry cookies and oatmeal chocolate cookies.

Additionally, some real case exhibits and tools are displayed for the first time in the café, allowing everyone to have a glimpse of the ICAC’s investigation work and learn more about the major cases and history.

Iconic ICAC signs and neon light decorations are available inside and outside the café for selfie-taking. Visitors can also try photo booth with four thematic frames with educational meaning. Exclusive souvenirs are for sale at the self-service vending machine.

Diman Mak Wai-keung, the director of community relations, ICAC, said: "The opening of the café is an innovative and meaningful event. ICAC has been promoting integrity education for more than half a century, and its anti-corruption image has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people”

“To take the anti-corruption work to the next level, innovative educational methods are an inevitable choice. Cafés are playing a role in today’s society from ‘hard-selling’ publicity and education to an innovative and interesting way to attract the public to actively understand and learn about the culture of probity, thereby recognising and supporting the ICAC’s anti-corruption work,” he added.

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