A student dreaming of opening his own coffee shop is brewing up buzz in London by giving away coffee on the Tube.
Samuel Netherton, 22, has turned heads with a pop-up café on the Underground, serving free flat whites to surprised passengers as part of his mission to launch a permanent coffee business.
Operating under the name Sam’s Roaming Cafe, he has been documenting his goal of creating coffee experiences in unusual places and sharing them on social media.
@samsroamingcafe opening a free coffee shop on the tube #coffee #londonunderground #northernline #startingacoffeeshop ♬ original sound - samsroamingcafe
Mr Netherton, who studies actuarial science at Queen’s University Belfast, moved to London in June to begin a year-long insurance internship.
However, he’s also been nurturing a growing passion for coffee.
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Mr Netherton said: "I was starting to get the hang of it [making coffee] and I wanted to put my skills to the test."
His chosen location was anything but conventional.
Mr Netherton said: "So as any logical person would do, I bought a generator and set up a coffee shop on the tube."
Videos on his TikTok account @samsroamingcafe show him brewing coffee inside a moving Tube carriage and handing out free cups to commuters.
@samsroamingcafe opening a free coffee shop on the tube #coffee #londonunderground #northernline #startingacoffeeshop ♬ original sound - samsroamingcafe
Online reaction has been swift, with Londoners surprised by the unusual sight of a café appearing on their daily commute.
One TikTok user, MK, wrote: "The one thing that will always make a Londoner look up and notice."
Others said the experience would "make my entire day," while another called it "brave & wonderful," describing the Tube as "one of the most miserable places" they had ever been.
Many viewers requested that Mr Netherton bring his pop-up café to their own routes, while one asked: "Do you have oat milk?"
The project stands out for more than just its novelty.
It’s managed to break one of London’s unwritten rules: that strangers on the Tube generally keep to themselves.
Some online comments praised Mr Netherton for creating a rare moment of interaction in a place usually known for silence and avoidance of eye contact.
He said that behind the shock value and social media success, the project serves a serious purpose.
Aboard a moving train, he gets to practise serving customers in unpredictable conditions while working toward his goal of running a real café.
Mr Netherton said: "Over the next while, I’m gonna be setting up coffee shops in random places until I can afford to start one."
Supporters have called for him to bring the café to different lines and locations across the capital.
For now, Mr Netherton plans to keep exploring unusual settings for future pop-ups as he builds experience, supporters, and eventually, funding.
Judging by the response from Londoners so far, he may already have a queue of customers waiting when that day comes.
If his latest journey is anything to go by, a little coffee can go a long way—even underground.
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