Back in early 2025, absolute PR legend Rory Sutherland first suggested his idea of Flat White or F*ck Off. A coffee chain that served nothing but flat whites. If you didn’t want a flat white, the clue was in the name.

Then this happened…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Inspired by marketing guru Rory Sutherland, Flat White F*ck Off is a one day only experimental London pop-up serving the perfect flat white to commuters who are fed up with endless coffee choices and café queues.

• The first single product only pop-up, Flat White Or F*Ck Off, is launching in London
• The coffee concept, launched by Charlie Hurst, Tom Noble and Will Sudlow, will serve just one thing: the perfect flat white
• Flat White Or F*ck Off will be open at Outernet, Tottenham Court Road, on Wednesday 28th January from 7am to 7pm

A new London coffee pop-up is about to challenge the London café scene’s status quo, putting an end to (over) customisation culture, decision fatigue, poorly made coffee drinks, and endless waiting… by selling just one thing: a perfectly executed flat white.

Inspired by a recent podcast appearance in which marketing provocateur Rory Sutherland criticised the modern obsession with choice, over customisation and “having it your way”, the Flat White F*ck Off pop-up is a deliberately provocative live experiment in radical simplicity.

The premise is simple:
No menu.
No options.
No upsell.

Just one flat white, done properly.
And if customers don’t like it, they can f*ck off.

The concept was originally mooted by Sutherland as a tongue-in-cheek critique and thought experiment in modern marketing and consumer behaviour. Graphic designer Charlie Hurst, of Studio Chad, became so enamoured with the idea that he decided to fulfill the design brief and posted his Flat White of F*ck logo designs to LinkedIn. This was seen by content creator Tom Noble who thought the idea deserved bringing to life, so the two began showcasing the process on social media as they started the venture together (having never met in person). As Hurst and Noble started telling the world of their ambition and documenting the journey, this in turn inspired Lucia Sudlow of Ask The Impossible (an agency who specialise in creative production) to offer support making the theoretical coffee shop a reality. The team met for the first time face to face only 1 month ago.

And so on Wednesday 28 January from 7am, the first Flat White F*ck Off pop-up will open for one day only outside Outernet, Tottenham Court Road, London, putting Sutherland’s theory into practice in the heart of commuter London.

The flat white is a contender for the most popular coffee order in the UK. It’s also considered the least forgiving milk drink to make, which is why top baristas regard it as a benchmark of technical skill rather than a simple coffee order. It’s also subject to much debate and mysticism around the correct method, proportions, and even origin.

As a single product company, the team have been working hard to create what is considered the perfect flat white, and have conducted much research into the history and technical details of the drink.

From the perfect bean and grind, the perfect proportions and temperature, as well as the perfect customer experience. London based roasters Fireheart Coffee will be supplying their Palace Blend. Tasting Notes: Milk Chocolate, Candied Orange, Marzipan. 70% Peru – 30% Colombia.

All the while their work has been underpinned by Sutherland’s insights in customer behavior and journey, proposition and positioning 

The business logic is intentionally as bold as the brand:

• A single product focus enables faster service, lower operational complexity and consistent quality
• Designed for busy Londoners who value speed, clarity and craftsmanship over endless choice
• A live test of whether radical simplification can improve customer experience in a culture defined by overload

Ahead of launch, the idea has already struck a nerve online. The concept has gone viral multiple times on Instagram, generating over 2 million impressions, with strong audience reaction and debate around choice culture and modern marketing.

QUOTE FROM RORY SUTHERLAND

“Fundamentally it’s a concept that is emphatically worth testing… we have this large percentage of people who just want a flat white and they’re forced to queue behind people with ludicrously extravagant stipulations… It will definitely take off in certain locations”

QUOTE FROM FWOFO Team

“This is the first of many Flat White or F*ck Off appearances. We’re looking to grow this into a serious fixture of the coffee scene. This pop-up is an experiment to help us tweak the experience and ultimately seek investment to grow and grow fast!”

Location: Outernet, Tottenham Court Road, Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 8LH

Dates: Open to the public on Wednesday 28th January 2026

Opening Times: From 7am – 7pm

See also:

Website: https://flatwhiteorfckoff.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatwhiteorfckoff/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flatwhiteorfckoff

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flat-white-or-fck-off/

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