Breakfast Clubbing #48
W/C 24 March: BC is ON in PDX, Toronto, Miami, Hamptons, Williamsburg, CDMX, SF, DTBK, Manhattan and SOMa. Plus: Bucks County and Toronto Debut!
Hi all.
Excuse the late send. Appropriately for a sletter with ‘clubbing’ in the name I’m banging away on this missive to the tune of Daft Punk’s BBC Radio One Essential Mix from March of 1997, which I don’t mind recommending the next time you need to get something done. It’s already been a clubby week, so when I saw this exchange between BC OGs
and Zach Mallard, I figured it was worth a mention:
Which is to say, Breakfast Club isn’t much about coffee and any particular time of day really. Last week we made it about breakfast, then about happy hour, then about a ‘fun pizza stroll’ whatever that is, and the a rock show starring a notorious nepo baby, apparently.
For my part, I went egg sandwiches to work to beers to citibikes to a Gordon Matta Clark photo show to a cab to a podcast party to benefit Gorillas to dinner with a Foul Witch, all in the span of 14 hours, propelled by BC connections. And that’s just in NYC.
My point is: I hope you’re reading this with the idea that IRL interaction is a means to arrive at something serendipitous and unexpected, whatever that might be. And that your breakfast club serves it to you. Or, if it doesn’t, that you serve IT to your breakfast club. Either way, we all win IMO.
And now, to breakfast…
The Breakfast Club Esprit de Corps:
* Everyone’s invited - especially you.
* Feel free to share, bring friends, colleagues, family, anyone.
* No agenda, no required buy-in, no need to RSVP. And no pitches.
* Everyone pays their own way.
* Everyone is welcome to subscribe.
Join the Linkedin group here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14449223/Breakfast Club Editions Around the World (cities added regularly):
Weekly:
Portland, OR [Tuesday]
Mexico City [Wednesday]
Williamsburg Brooklyn [Wednesday]
Miami [Wednesday]
The Hamptons [Wednesday]
San Francisco [Wednesday]
Downtown Brooklyn [Thursdays]
Manhattan [Thursdays]
SOMa, NJ [Fridays] Bi-Weekly:
Washington, DC [Thursdays]
Melbourne [Fridays, alternating between Fitzroy and Richmond]
Amsterdam [Fridays, alternating between locations East and West)
Monthly:
Barcelona[First Wednesdays]
London[First Thursday]
Burlington, VT [Second Mondays]
LA (West) [Third Fridays]
Berlin
Ibiza
Vienna
Paris
Milan
Lugano
Philadelphia
Boston
Portland, Maine
Panama City
Seattle
Denver
Brighton
Boulder
Bassano del Grappa
Toronto
Atlanta Reminder, next week:
Come for me, Chris, Daisy, Casey and Erica - stay for a gang of other smart, accomplished folks.
Day Long Passes are here - expense one for yourself of save on multiple tix. Oh, and since you’re coming for me, employ the code ‘Ben25’ at checkout for a 25% discount. See you there!
Breakfast Club This Week:
Tuesday, March 25th
Portland, OR
Co-hosted by Nina Sers
9a @ Proud Mary
Wednesday, March 26th
Toronto
Co-Hosted by Jared Gordon and Sarah Phillips
8:30am @ Boxcar Social Laneway
Mexico City
Co-Hosted by Steve Bryant
8:30am @ TBC (DM Steve)
Miami
Co-Hosted by Jeff Carvalho and Jesse Kirshbaum
8:30a @ Novella Cafe Social
Brooklyn (Williamsburg)
Hosted by me and a gang of regulars
8:30a @ Le Crocodile at The Wythe Hotel
The Hamptons
Co-hosted by Mike Kilcoyne
8:30a @ Tutto Cafe
San Francisco
Co-Hosted by Eve Lewis and Chris M. Gillespie
8:30am @ Terreene in the 1 Hotel
Thursday,March 27th
Bucks County
Co-Hosted by
8:30am @ Ferry Market
Downtown Brooklyn
Co-Hosted by Kat Popiel, Marina Garcia-Vasquez, Lynn Juang and Taylor K. Shaw
8:30am @ Ace Hotel Brooklyn (Lobby)
Manhattan
Co-Hosted by Heidi Hartwig
9am @ Eva’s Kitchen on Grand
Cincinnati
Co-Hosted by Theo Erasmus and Emmit Jones
8:30am @ Mom and Em Coffee
Friday, March 21st
New Jersey (SOMa)
Co-Hosted by James Friedman
9:15a @ Arties
Upcoming Breakfast Club Events
4.1: Portland OR4.2: Barcelona, Miami, Hamptons, Williamsburg, CDMX, SF 4.3: Milan, Portland ME, Downtown Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bucks County, PA, Washington DC4.4: Melbourne (Fitzroy), SOMa (New Jersey)4.14: Burlington, VT4.17: Boston 4.18: LA (West) 
Breakfast Club Event Recaps [Last Week]:
Lugano, Vienna, Hamptons, Wmsburg, CDMX, Boston, DTBK, Manhattan, Cincy, SOMa, Melbourne (Richmond) and Los Angeles (West)
Breakfast Club Lugano Report 19.3.25 🌍✨
Per Elettra’s Post: Thank you Strand & Sunset for hosting yesterday's Breakfast Club, where we dove into life’s big (and small) questions:
🔹 Community & Belonging – Whether you’re an expat or a local, finding your people makes all the difference. The filmmaking community, in particular, is hungry for connection and collaboration.
🔹 Creativity, Filmmaking & The Mind 🎬 – From solar-paneled chargers for remote shoots to navigating the film funding landscape in CH, the hustle is real. How do creatives balance AI innovation with authenticity? And what defines an artist—acting, flower arranging, or even PowerPoint perfection? (Yes, crochet counts.) Meanwhile, the age-old question: Does structured creative work help, or is the best art born from chaos? Also, spending too much time in your own head—blessing or burden?
🔹 Language & Culture – Is mastering grammar tougher than nailing intonations? Italian vs. English, German vs. Chinese… let the debate begin! (Bonus: Seinfeld nailed the Korean scene—Frank translating for Elaine remains iconic.) Also, how do different civilizations shape the way parents raise kids?
🔹 Travel & Exploration – Do untouched paradises still exist? And should we really broadcast their locations? Meanwhile, some remember giving up on Thailand for an Oasis concert in Milan back in the day. Priorities. 🎶
🔹 Global Safety & Cybersecurity – Crime rates are rising in many places, yet China remains surprisingly safe. The paradox? It feels like the future is happening there, yet censorship casts a long shadow. Also, how much of our data is actually safe?
🔹 Life, Trends & Social Media – Italian coffee bar etiquette: Is there an unwritten rule about how fast you should drink your espresso? (Hint: yes! 🇮🇹). Is Zurich the Paris of the 1970s? And is walking all night in Manhattan till dawn a rite of passage or a survival test? Meanwhile, disco openings in Milan are back, and the algorithm gods continue to rule our lives—how do creatives stay relevant without losing their sanity?
Who knew a simple breakfast could spark such big conversations? 🍳🗣️ What’s your take on any of these?
Camilla F. Massimo Di Costantino Toofun Zion West Sofia Solfors Emile Knystautas Yoann HAMONIC Valentina Marchesi Nerboni Lisanne Henriksen
Breakfast Club Vienna Report 19.3.25
Per Carla’s post: Great way to start the day! Thanks for joining the breakfast club Maya Kislykh, Florian Schleicher, Tom Albrecht, Laura M. Pana, Astrid Reiter, Sabrina Kusternik, Sergiu Ardelean, Gabriella Chihan Stanley
Today we talked about communities and the challenges that often come from living together, American politics & DOGE, disruption, the Austrian start-up environment, growing a business when flying solo, J.K. Rowling, remote work, dogs & pets, Shut Up & Write, Creative Mornings and much more :)
Chloé de Ruffray you were mentioned with Leap of Faith and now I'm intrigued :)
The Breakfast Club is happening every month in Vienna and various locations around the world. Everyone's invited, especially you! (Ben Dietz)
Stay tuned here for our next event!
Breakfast Club MEXICO CITY Report 3.12.25
Per Steve’s Post: CDMX report! "Yeah flying is rough for me."
"One time we left Merida and you know those hot climates, the turbulence..."
"Did you hear about the American couple who had to sit next to a dead body for like five hours? On the plane? I would die."
"Oh my god one time I flew twelve hours from JFK to Hong Kong, and you know they go over the north pole? Because it's quicker? And so we're six hours into the flight, like over the north pole, and the plane turns around. Pilot gets on the microphone. 'Yeah, medical emergency, federal regs say we have to turn around and land at closest airport. So, Canada. Sorry.' And then after Canada they flew us BACK to JFK!"
"Did you ever get to Hong Kong?"
"Years later!"
"So last week I took a group of 17 Brits to Tepito. We went to the Santa Muerte shrine and the Little Black Satan statue. And weirdly the area's gotten better? They have a roof over the street market now for when it rains."
"Just don't read the news about the twelve-year old child assassins working for Unión Tepito."
"I shot a documentary about criminal gentrification in Tepito years ago."
"Criminal gentrification?"
"Yeah, when international gangs come in and push the locals out. So fewer Mexicans, more Chinese and Russians."
"But still the same knock-off sneakers."
***
This week we were a famished and fantastic four, including Rodrigo, Maru M. Iglesias, and Mark Holthusen.
We do this 8:30am every Wednesday. Everybody's invited—especially you!
Breakfast Club Classic (Williamsburg) Report 3.19.25
Per my post: At my end we talked Critter pants, Beams x J.Crew, L.L.Bean’s Brooklyn pop-up, physical therapy, dog grooming, sitting in the sun, dressing for the weather, when they named Hudson Square, google offices, Ear Bar, Wieden + Kennedy, the San Francisco Giants' new private equity ownership, the Third Cut, hashtag#Severance houses, Newfoundland having been part of Pangeaia, Phillip Johnson’s glass house, Celebration, Florida, the concept of the company store, gas huffers, new menu dimensions, upstate houses of distinction, meme-makers of distinction, freelance gigs, contravening the process, being bad at art but having good taste in it, production stuff, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, KYU House, flying in from LA, getting a colonoscopy, drinking heavy liquids, pet mom personalities, the thresholds of natural salespeople, Ghostface Killah and DJ Lindsey Low-Ann, when the bouncer looks like Meatloaf in Fight Club, putting ‘Ex-[company]’ in your LinkedIn bio, visual resumes, catching the car bug, Lee Iacocca, and the Italian race car driver, the DoD erasing Jackie Robinson, reading vs listening to books, looking at emails vs reading, brevity as a signifier, TikTok CPMs crashing, advertisers pulling back and lots more.
The crew was me, Kalil Greenberg, Graham North, Ben Jenkins, Rebecca Davidson, Julie Stein, Natali Claros-Ospina, Nick Bodor, Charles Bane III, Alexis Reiner, Dan Barman, Sami Abdou, Zachary Mallard, Michael Barth, Leann Abad, Zaira Stefani Vallejo, Greg Donnelly, Drew Forrest, James Outlaw, Sundi Brewer-Griffin, and Lee Baler.
We do this every Wednesday at 8:30a at Le Crocodile Restaurant. It's open to any/everyone, everybody pays their own way, and there are always fries. No downside, in other words. Next week, it could be you.
And if you're the joining type: https://lnkd.in/eHAWrG6n
Or, subscribe for ALL the BC news worldwide (35+ cities): https://lnkd.in/eZi3f42n
Breakfast Club Hamptons Report 3.5.25
Breakfast Club Boston Report 3.20.25
Per Cass’s note: We’ve officially found our spot for Breakfast Club Boston at The Elephant & Castle—a Boston classic with a whole different energy in the daylight. Coffee, conversation, and a solid crew made today's gathering a success. Love how this community is coming together and thanks to all who could join today. We’ll be back on 4/17—same place, same rules. Spread the good word.
The Breakfast Club Esprit de Corps:
* Everyone’s invited - especially you.
* Feel free to share, bring friends, colleagues, family, anyone.
* No agenda, no required buy-in, no need to RSVP. And no pitches.
* Everyone pays their own way.
Elizabeth Millstein Kevin Johannesen Cass Andrea Taylor
Breakfast Club Downtown Brooklyn Report 3.20.25
Per Lynn’s post: I was *thisclose* to bailing on Breakfast Club this morning but I'm so glad I didn't. Apparently there was an undercurrent of nostalgia this morning, as our conversations reflected on early aughts liberal arts degrees, the joys of secondhand shopping, what global metropolises might have been like pre-capitalism, visiting homelands over spring break, Instagram as a discovery tool for events & goings-on about town, Xennial vs. millennial vs. Gen Z research habits, Chinatown restaurants then and now, Snoopy's timeless and generationless appeal, and remembering our old school NYC stomping grounds - Max Fish, Botanica, etc., and I'll throw in my personal favorite - Good World (RIP, IYKYK).
Thanks to this morning's crew Michael Barth Matt Cohen Donalee Curtis Joy Martinez Kate Hughes Will H Hughes Tuerhong Guliniali and my cohosts Marina Garcia-Vasquez Kat Popiel (with a special cameo by Isabella Reyes).
Pull up next week with guest host Taylor K. Shaw - same time, same place. No agenda, no pitching, just good old fashioned conversations over coffee. Everyone's invited, especially you. ✨
Breakfast Club Manhattan Report 3.20.25
Breakfast Club on March 20th was full of good people and great vibes!
Hope to see you this Thursday, March 27th, at 9 AM at Eva's Kitchen, LES.
All are welcome—especially you!
with Natalia Talkowska 🧠 Edmond Lau Nick Bodor Elijah Torn Mizuo Peck Jordan Galland Matt Lenski John Lee Tim Griffin Alex Corporan Ashley J. Granata Katie Andrews Becky Lamming Heidi Hartwig Roxy Summers
Breakfast Club Melbourne (Richmond) Report 21.3.25
per Steph’s Post: Some of today’s conversations at Breakfast Club (Richmond) included…
Tough Guy book club, Gen Z wanting ‘activations’ for their friend time, Brunswick non-alcoholic bars, the success of TimeLeft, the Tokyo culture of not just catching up, not talking about work, talking about failures that aren't work related, side projects, whether 2025 is a travel year, French ski resorts being set up for efficient injury fixing, Bad Sisters (the show, not actual siblings we’re disgruntled with), the one shot per episode takes of Adolescence, whether to watch Adolescence with your kids, learning how to be a friend, taking plus ones that aren’t your partner to events, the slippery slope of using ChatGPT as a friend, a teacher with prosopagnosia (face blindness), the skill of remembering people’s names, the more important skill of styling it out when you’ve forgotten someone’s name.
Around the table was Penelope Barr, Rod Szigeter, Jess Price, Leeat Bosco, Virginia Scully, Andrea Tindal (Travers). And our favourite barista Joe always likes to get in on the photo action.
We meet every month between Richmond and Fitzroy, alternating roughly every fortnight.
April Melbourne Breakfast Club dates look a bit strange because of all the public holidays. Catch us…
☕️ Friday 4 April
☕️ StandardX, Fitzroy. 09:00 - 10:30
☕️ Hosted by Celeste Blewitt MBus (ACM), and Josh Gardiner
🍳 Friday 11 April
🍳 Pillar of Salt, Richmond. 08:30 - 10:00
Breakfast Club Soma Report 3.14.25
Per James’s Post: I hopped around a long table full of regulars and newcomers alike. Some of the topics I heard being discussed: going full suburbs and leaving NYC for good, the shaky future of studying science in college, the joys and terror of signing petitions fighting fascism, brand as a business asset rather than just a marketing tool, bringing your own tea everywhere you go, writing genre fiction, college phys ed requirements, that J Crew blue gingham shirt from 2010 or so, Jon Wilson's love of the "candy cane" stance, bowling, starting a small business, artsy kids, Korean spas, the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks as a great dive bar, and the overwhelming small dick energy of the federal government.
Breakfast Club LA (West) Report 3.21.25
Per Scott’s Post: BC LA West Side from last Friday. About 35 people, good mix of regulars and newbies. We’ve never really done the table thing so people just move from conversation to conversation. Hard to track topics but a great time was had by all.….Six months in, and my love for the community we're building with the LA Breakfast Club (West Side edition) continues to grow. Such an amazing group of people coming together every month for community, chats and coffee in a sun-filled courtyard. What's not to love?
We always have a great mix of regulars and first-timers, with three or four dozen people showing up each month. If you want to join, we're at zinqué venice the third Friday of every month, starting at 8:30 am. Everyone is welcome (especially, you).
Shout out to Kirsten Ludwig Anita Schillhorn van Veen Ben Dietz Avi Walsky Reid Thompson Karan Dang Jessica Nuremberg Laurie Chesler-Clark Jim Hustead Dave Dickman Christian Stein Kingsley Taylor Howard Moggs Owen Ingram Suzanne Figdor and all who make this vision a reality through their presence. See you on April 18!
hi do you know if LA east side might start up again? getting to venice is tough from our side of town!