With locations in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Girona, and Sitges, Federal Cafés are known for a healthy and revitalising brunch experience enjoyed in bright and friendly surroundings.
Hailing from Australia, founding partners Tommy Tang and Crick King struck upon inspiration in the quaint town of Federal on the coast between Sydney and Brisbane, in the hills above Byron Bay. In 2010, they harnessed that inspiration into their first Federal Café in Barcelona. Since then, they’ve brought some of Australia’s most delightful atmosphere and brunch culture across Spain. This perfect pair of interior designers and kind souls have meticulously put together a striving brand which today exists of seven cafes, each of them equally on point when it comes to their location, design details, and quality of experience!
Federal Cafés are a hotspot for healthy and fresh food: from avocado toasts to beetroot lattes, from veggie morning burgers to kale salads. Rejuvenating dishes and food service provided throughout the day attract not only students, freelancers, young mums, or weekend city visitors but also anyone else from the barrio who is looking for an international flair around the large, shared tables or just a pleasant place to sit on the terrace.
“I think seeing that people keep coming back, there’s a lot of regular users of their space, is a sign that they’re enjoying the whole vibe – the music, atmosphere, food, coffee, and service. It’s a whole package and people seem to like it.” – Tommy Tang, Co-founder
A music identity to match the cafe’s inviting warmth
No matter which location you’re at, it will captivate you with its inviting warmth. The scent of coffee and the lively conversations perfectly match with the Scandinavian furniture, fresh flowers, and large window fronts through which the light permeates the hip spaces, accompanied by a hand-picked selection of cozy tunes.
The Federal Café music identity is closely entangled with its contemporary culture: a mellow and colourful soundtrack, mostly featuring upcoming talents and local artists from the underground scene.
“I really hear the music when I enter a room. If I walk into a cafe and the music doesn’t connect to the space, it makes me uncomfortable. I find it very calming when I walk into a Federal Café because the music feels right for the atmosphere. It’s the perfect volume and I can see that customers find it uplifting and comforting.” – Tommy Tang
Developing a cohesive sound
Before becoming a Movement partner, Federal Café had the issue, like many other restaurants, of the staff controlling the music, which led to an inconsistent and chaotic music experience with no identity. When Tommy and Crick contacted us, we took the time to design a new and coherent music signature that works in all their locations in Spain.
The Federal Café music identity is a vibrant soundscape filled with indie-pop tunes, dreamy melodies, and glimmering synths that encourages guests to linger comfortably for hours while they work, study, or have a good time with friends. The curation is a little woodier in the cold months and a little more tropical in the warm months, but always sunny and friendly.
“We just opened up a delicatessen, corner store, and a restaurant for another brand, and we’re using Movement there too. It’s a no-brainer for me. It’s a really simple, user-friendly, fabulous option.” – Tommy Tang
Spotify Music Channel
After the initial setup, Tommy and Crick fully trusted our creative approach and responded with a desire to digitise some of their great new sounds. Federal’s branded Spotify channel is a taste of the on-site experience found in any corner of the establishment: seasonal like their menu and fresh like the ingredients.
Every month, we update the Spotify playlist with 10 new, exciting songs. Already more than 4,500 people follow this playlist and the number continues to grow quickly, showing how much their visitors connect with the brand and enjoy taking the sound of it home.
“Occasionally people send us their tracks wanting to be added to the Federal playlist. I send them on to Movement, who listens and sometimes incorporates the tracks if it’s a fit. It’s nice for the community to be directly included in that way.” – Tommy Tang
Music Editorial
To accentuate the monthly Spotify selection, we developed a fun newsletter concept to share exciting news, special moments, and cool visuals with loyal Federal Café subscribers. This way, Federal Café has an additional communication channel and platform to spread good vibes!
“I think it [the newsletter] is fun. Photos of food are boring. Photos of people eating food are even more boring. The experience a cafe can offer on Instagram can be dull. For me, the newsletter was always a really exciting way to share information with the community. I would even include subliminal messages to my friends in there.” – Tommy Tang