Quick answer: The 12REPS City Guide only lists independent coffee shops and coffee carts because I want to support the small, local businesses that give a neighborhood its character. Money spent at independent businesses tends to stay in the local economy. Studies in the U.S. found that independents recirculate around four times as much of each purchase locally as chains do.
This article explains why the map has an “independents only” rule, what the research says about shopping local, and how you can add your favorite independent spot.
Why the City Guide is independents only
On the City Guide page, the rule is simple: “Independent places only. Please don’t add any mainstream chains, just independent ones.” The map is for the small cafés and coffee carts that give a neighborhood its character, and for the people who run them.
Big chains already have the marketing budgets, the prime locations and the apps. A small café run by its owner, or a coffee cart on a corner near the gym, usually doesn’t. A free map where people recommend them is one small way to send customers their way.
What happens to the money you spend locally?
Economists call this the local multiplier effect. When you buy from an independent business, more of that money gets spent again nearby: on local staff, local suppliers, and local services like accountants or printers.
A series of studies by the research firm Civic Economics measured this in U.S. towns and cities (American Independent Business Alliance):
| Where you spend | Share recirculated in the local economy |
|---|---|
| Local independent businesses | About 52.9% of each purchase, on average |
| Chain stores | Less than 13.6% of each purchase |
A separate study in Maine found that every $100 spent at local independents generated $45 in local spending, compared with $14 at a big-box chain (Institute for Local Self-Reliance, via AMIBA). The same source notes that restaurants and service businesses have a large multiplier because they employ a lot of local staff.
A fair caveat: these are U.S. studies, and the exact numbers will differ in London. But the principle holds. When you buy your coffee from a local owner, more of your money stays close to home.
Why coffee carts matter too
The City Guide includes coffee carts as well as cafés. Carts are often run by one or two people, and they turn a corner, a market or a park entrance into a place people stop and talk. One of my own picks on the map is №№ Coffee Cart, a great spot for amazing coffee and bakery treats.
How we keep the map independent
- Anyone can recommend a spot, but we check every spot before it goes on the map.
- Mainstream chains are left off.
- Each listing shows who recommended it, their short review, and links to the café’s website, Instagram and directions.
- You can give a gold star to a spot you love. You can star each spot once with your email, and not your own.
Add your favorite independent coffee spot
Know a café worth the walk? Add an independent café or coffee cart near where you train:
- Go to the 12REPS City Guide and tap Add your local spot.
- Add the name, a short recommendation and a link if they have one.
- We’ll check it, then add it to the map.
You can also search the map, filter by cafés or coffee carts, and use “Near me” to find a spot close to you.
Explore the 12REPS City Guide and add your local spot
Summary
- The City Guide only lists independent cafés and coffee carts, never mainstream chains.
- U.S. studies found independents recirculate about 52.9% of each purchase locally, compared with under 13.6% for chains.
- Exact numbers in London will differ, but more of your money stays close to home when you buy local.
- Every spot is checked before it goes on the map, and anyone can recommend one.
Pair your coffee with a plan
Found your local spot? Make the trip worth it with a session first. 12REPS gives you trainer-built programs, two demo videos for every exercise and a gym log that shows what you lifted last time. New users get a 7-day free trial.
Download 12REPS and see what you’ll get:
Sources
- American Independent Business Alliance. What do we mean by the local multiplier? (summarizing Civic Economics studies and an Institute for Local Self-Reliance study in Maine)
- 12REPS City Guide: independent coffee shops in London
I’m Will Duru, a personal trainer and the founder of 12REPS. I hold a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science and have more than a decade of experience coaching people in strength training.