Breakfast Clubbing #85
Week of December 15th. BC is ON in PDX, Biarritz, Lugano, Milan, Williamsburg, Toronto, Miami, Hamptons, SF, Perth, DTBK, DC, Manhattan, Boston, Cincy, Panama City, Rome, SOMa, and LA West
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.
Hi all,
And just like that, BC 2025 finds its final week. A big one, I might add - with Biarritz, Perth, Rome, Lugano, Milan and Panama City all back in the mix this go-round (not to mention Toronto, Boston, and LA West) Breakfast is starting to sound like a hell of a holiday plan.
It’s a resolution of mine to get out to see more chapters in person, but in the meantime my illustrious co-hosts around the world make me proud every week with the community, conversation and commitment they’re bringing to their home cities, and to all of you by way of this little newsletter. It’s really amazing.
This week will be the last of the year in most every place; certainly that’s the case for BC Williamsburg - but I’ll be back before the new year with one more edition of the sletter. Hope I’ll see you at Breakfast this week. Or barring that, another time soon.
Ben
Breakfast Clubbing This Week:
BC is ON in PDX, Biarritz, Lugano, Milan, Williamsburg, Toronto, Miami, Hamptons, SF, Perth, DTBK, DC, Manhattan, Boston, Cincy, Panama City, Rome, SOMa, and LA West
THE DETAILS:
Tuesday, December 16th
Portland, OR
Co-hosted by Nina Sers & Chelsea Place
8:30a @ Proud Mary
Wednesday, December 117th
Biarritz
Co-Hosted by Maggie Spicer
9a @ Paddo Cafe
Lugano
Co-Hosted by Elettra Fiumi and Camilla Andrea
9am @ Amalo
Milan
Co-Hosted by Charla Caponi, Moritz Gaudlitz, Giorgio Bartoli & Orsina Baroldi
9am @ Via Olmeto 17
Toronto
Co-hosted by Jared Gordon and Sarah Phillips
8:30a @ Boxcar Social Laneway
Williamsburg
Co-Hosted by me and a gang of regulars
8:30am @ Le Crocodile
Miami
Co-hosted by Jeff Carvalho and Jesse Kirshbaum
9a @ Novela Cafe Social
Mexico City
Co-Hosted by Steve Bryant
8:30am @ Mendl
San Francisco
Co-Hosted by Magali Charmot
8:30am @ Tereene at One HotelBarcelona
Thursday, December 18th
Perth
Co-hosted by Fran McCormack and Sue Bush
8am @ Cloisters, Perth CBD
Washington, DC
Co-hosted by Michael Hastings-Black
8:30am @ Line Hotel (Adams Morgan
Downtown Brooklyn
Co-hosted by Kat Popiel and Lynn Juang
8:30am @ Ace Hotel Downtown Brooklyn (Lobby)
Boston
Co-Hosted by Hannah Schon, Elizabeth Millstein, Kevin Johannesen and Cass Andrea Taylor
9am at Tradesman Coffee
Manhattan
Co-hosted by Heidi Hartwig
9am @ Cecelia (St. Marks)
Cincinnati
Co-Hosted by Theo Erasmus and Emmit Jones
8:30am @ Mom and Em Coffee.
Panama City (Happy Hour)
Co-hosted by Carla Batista Jean-François, Daniela Virginia Jované, and Jacob Larrinaga,
6pm @ The Yard
Friday, December 19th
Rome
Co-hosted by Laura Valenti and Burcu Binguler
9:30am @Casa Dante
New Jersey (SOMa)
Co-Hosted by James Friedman
9:15a @ Arties
Los Angeles (West Side)
Co-Hosted by Scott Donaton, Anita Schillhorn van Veen and Kirsten Ludwig
8:30a @ Zinque
Breakfast Clubbing Last Week:
BC was on in Burlington, PDX (twice)!, Hudson NY, Williamsburg BK, The Hamptons, CDMX, Miami, SF, Copenhagen, Portland ME, Manhattan, Cincy, DTBK, Seattle, Torquay, Sydney, Amsterdam & SOMa.
Breakfast Club Williamsburg Report 12.03.25
At my table we talked Fictitious neighborhoods, off-campus Williamsburg, being adult and owning things, leaning art against walls, digital nomadism, optimizing processes, tough Tuesdays, Art Basel reviews, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), Design Miami, Frieze, first generation American painters, painting in 2025, the optimism of galleries, whether artists are prolific or good or both, Nathan Wigglesworth, moving to Miami (in this economy?!), the neverending Timothee Supreme, the overarching design of the film’s rollout, the small hoop leather jacket (and the chick you pulled with it), the 100 year old LA breakfast series, not joining a cult, the science of Scientology, 9:30 calls, Christmas schedules, the Archival Research Society, parallels between Van Gogh and Warhol, Lillia and the Llama Inn, chiefing up and smelling loud, the last bastion of the old Williamsburg, being a Charleston guy, Rosemary’s (The GPT), the duality of man, the Flamingo Estate Tomato Candle, gorgeous newsletters, Richard Christiansen, Mad Men on HBO the Warner Bros. Discovery Acquistion, Sesame Street, Blippy, finding your own replacement, Steve from Blues Clues, James Friedman, DJ’ing at Soho Grand Hotel, living halftime in Canada, Trudeau and Perry being IG official, the Erewhon of podcasts, Adam Friedland, if anyone actually uses Threads (or if it’s just dark patterns), the app Opal, the social media ban for Australian kids, Ozempic parallels, admitting addictions, using ‘partner’ over ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’ (and how the term became de rigeur), co-opting language, Life Partners, the Canadian Mouse (champion monogamist) and lots more.
This morning it was Joel Linkewer, Taylor Blackwell, Zaira Stefani Vallejo, Todd Sines, Ishita Sharma, Toni Mayo, Kelsey DeMarco, Ian Edgar, Randy Paul,
Piers Fawkes, Nolan Grumley, Marc Weissman, Nick Cogan, Ben Rennie, Ben Jenkins, Andrew Kaufmann, Zachary Mallard and me.
We get together every Wednesday starting 8:30a at Le Crocodile Restaurant in the Wythe Hotel, and everyone is welcome. No theme, no buy-in, no qualification necessary. Any everyone’s invited, especially you.
The Breakfast Club International Linkedin Group is similarly open to all (here): https://lnkd.in/eHAWrG6n
And the Breakfast Clubbing newsletter has BC details from all over the world every Monday (here): https://lnkd.in/eZi3f42n)
BC Hamptons Report 12.10.25
Per Mike’s WhatsApp: “There were many more but this is photo v1 — Hamps!
BC Copenhagen Report 11.12.25
Per Denise’s post: Hello friends,
We had a lovely last-of-the-year BC gathering this morning. It is dark around here but gathering for a coffee and fun conversation makes stepping into the winter mornings worth it.
Today we spoke about: holiday preparations and the general pain of traveling during the holidays and attending family gatherings. A woman making a movie about the struggle of men. The time it takes your body to heal when you are above 40. Transparency during job interviews. Updates on the winter leeks.
How to transport a huge gift from A to B without the recipient, who is traveling with you, noticing.
How to describe the traditional Santa Lucia parade without it sounding like a cult, and reminiscing about the good old days when putting live candles on young children’s heads seemed like a good idea.
The etiquette (or lack thereof) of approaching celebrities in a sauna , solo flights for young children, concerts (Radiohead in Copenhagen and the rescheduling moment), would you go to a festival alone (and the experience of doing several), London Olympics activation memories, and finally playing ping pong with a hardcover book.
Well, that’s all for 2025. We started Breakfast Club only a few months ago, and so far, the community is growing, and it’s a nice way to start a dark day in the Nordics, sharing a coffee with familiar and new faces. This little social experiment exceeded our expectations, and we hope more of you will show up next year and bring some friends. Happy holiday, everyone.
Attendees: Daniél Andreasen, Denize Maaløe, Natalia Marchenko, Christina Lauer, Diego Marini, Jordan Young, Laura Martin, Jesse Natha Vendituoli
Breakfast Club Portland, ME Report 12.11.25
Per Michele’s post: December Edition
We wrapped up 2025 with a great group this morning - and the Salt Yard was looking very festive. We consistently have new people joining each month. It’s so great to hear how they became connected or heard about it from others.
Topics included: the few weeks before a holiday break/the “energy” associated with this time - can someone create a name for it?, World Cup, meditation, New Year’s resolutions (or alternatives), Portland Hearts of Pine on GMA this morning…and much more.
Thanks to today’s group for joining: Joseph Wheadon Kim Gustafson Kurt Gundersen Amy Tessendorf Ellen Berlin Michael Krishnan David Goldberg Jessie Gilligan
Big shout out and gratitude for co-host Lydia Wagner 👏🏻
Next up: Thursday, January 15th, 8am, Salt Yard.
And if you’re curious - this is a no agenda, no RSVP, everyone’s welcome kind of gathering. The conversation flows and we go with it. See you in ‘26.
BC Seattle Report 12.11.25
Per David’s post Finishing up the year with good vibes. Breakfast Club - Seattle with a great crew who really enjoy breakfast. Many topics were discussed and what was consistent, everyone really enjoys the format of coming to breakfast to enjoy great conversations, meeting new folks, seeing old school folks, and nice cup of coffee or two. 2026 will be an even greater year for breakfast and we hope you will join us in January. Everyone is invited! Happy Holidays from your hashtag#BreakfastClubSeattle crew!
cc: Mike Burlin, Robin Burrowes, Ben Dietz
BC Torquay (Surf Coast) Report 12.12.25
Per Steph’s post: That’s a wrap (get it) on surf coast breakfast club for 2025.
This month’s conversations included…
Deck jokes
The various iterations of cricket
Leaving a test match when realising it takes 8 hours
Kids cricket dynamics at different ages
Going to Adelaide
By the time you go to the airport, you might as well just drive to Adelaide
Growing up somewhere that people want to escape from, but then get older and want to go back to
Chilli scramble or eggs benedict as the cafe litmus test
Who drinks instant coffee?
(Americans and people with broken coffee machines)
2026 is fire horse season
Ditching a strategy
Dealing with change
Christmas birthdays
Valentines babies
Learning to surf
DIYing your own surf camp experience
Finance bros being humbled by surfing
Your (my) personality being the biggest barrier to surfing success
Outrageous applicant numbers for jobs
Accidentally writing a children’s book
Travelling with friends
Family visiting for long stints
Intense frisking at LA airport over some tequila
Crossing the US border
Tipsy online shopping
Living five minutes from all of your immediate family
The guilt of the youngest daughter
Testing new product / service ideas
Being the chosen grandchild for the aged care Christmas lunch guest invite
Mysterious allergic reactions
The trend of having a keyring with coloured rings for different countries you’ve visited
2026 feeling really hopeful
And more!
It’s been such a delight to bring BC to the coast as part of moving here this year. Can’t wait to get back together in January.
We’ll be back in 2026 on Friday 16th Jan. Let me know if you want me to tag you in the post about that as a reminder in the new year. There’s no RSVP, just pop it in your diary. Everyone’s invited, especially you.
Thanks for the fun conversation (and accidental fun prints) this morning Kate Wood, Sally Clarke, Rhonda Howarth, Asya E., Sarah Gross, Emily Bogue, and Claudia Navarro (who missed the photo by approx 90 seconds). Thanks to Matilda for the excellent photography skills.
BC Sydney Report 12.12.25
Per Elisha’s WhatsApp: “BC Sydney today - didn’t get a pic of everyone but got a pic of who was left yapping ✨”
BC Amsterdam Report 12.12.25
Per Sheila’s post: The power outage during this month’s Breakfast somehow made it more memorable. Not exactly convenient, but between the daylight streaming in and a few candles, the conversation kept flowing ⚡
We found ourselves exploring hybrid approaches to building careers during economic uncertainty. How to navigate self-employment when the ground feels unsteady. / We talked about finding light in what we’re doing now and how that illuminates what comes next. / How brands like Coach and Ffern create growth through experiential touches and storytelling woven into every moment. / We shared rituals for those dark winter mornings and cozy evenings. / Softly landing on the blank slate of 2026 / The film Eleanor the Great / Whether Amsterdam really needs another cafe/bar/restobar situation (you know the type, coffee in the morning, wine and vinyl at night). / The current state of innovative thinking in business / Ashtanga versus vinyasa / Looking within / Designing for comfort / etc.
This past year has been about thriving through creativity and resilience. Grateful to share both the ups and downs with our community.
Thank you for sharing the time before holidays Laurence Sevy / Jeannette Weber / Shalev Ben Haim / Lara Redmer.
Join us in the new year on the morning of January 9th 💫
BC SOMa (New Jersey) Report 12.12.25
Per James’s post: As we inch towards the end of the year, our weekly Breakfast Club hangs in Maplewood keep getting better.
Last Friday we had Edgar Knizhnik Mark Mueller Matthew Chappina Dan Cohen Andrew Pattison, ACE Joshua Fischer Alan Friedman Rachel Butera Khaled Weir Don McLaughlin Brad Abelle and even a cameo from Felice Ecker
We talked about all kinds of stuff. I heard about Dylan, the 60th anniversary of “Like A Rolling Stone,” the songs of Phil Collins, lying in state, South Park, “6 Days To Air,” tripping and the Coney Island of the Mind, accents, prenups after you’ve gotten divorced, friends with cancer, the many musical lives of Adam Shore, Baroness, Trans Am, emo, Andre 3000, International Anthem and the revenge of jazz, Flea, the darkest moments in the life of Dave Navarro, is Geese a CIA psyop?, Frontline, Washington Post, Numero Group reissues, nesting, family businesses, gut health as a trending topic, Parkinson’s, does weed work?, LLM sycophants and much more.
We do this every week. But probably not on December 26. So let’s make this Friday December 19th a good one...
Everyone is invited.
Especially you.
Fridays 9:15 am
Artie’s
15 Newark Way
Maplewood
Breakfast Club Takes Place Around the World:
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]
Copenhagen [Thursdays]Monthly:
Barcelona [First Wednesdays]
Kingston NY [First Wednesdays]
London[First Thursday]
Biarritz [First Friday]
Burlington, VT [Second Mondays]
Seattle [Second Thursdays]
LA (West) [Third Fridays]
Vegas [Last Thursdays]
Melbourne [Fridays]
Sydney [Fridays]
Los Angeles (East Side)
Hudson, NY
Boulder
Vienna
Paris
Milan
Lugano
Portland, Maine
Philadelphia
Boston
Cambridge MA
Panama City
Denver
Brighton
Singapore
Bassano del Grappa
Toronto
Atlanta
Berlin
Ibiza
Amsterdam
Montreal
Surf Coast (Torquay)
Dubai
Roma 
bro who made this Williamsburg flyer 🤣