Founded in 1996, Coffee Company is kind of like the Peet’s Coffee of Amsterdam – they’ve been around a long time, opening well before the Netherlands fielded expansion from the likes of Starbucks, or even a humble Stumptown pop-up. Unlike Peet’s though, they’ve managed to translate their early entrance into sustained market dominance, with a staggering thirty-three locations throughout Holland.
The Amsterdam coffee scene is experiencing something of a renaissance–see our helpful guidance to Miley Cyrus on navigating the exciting world of coffee in Amsterdam (beyond the city’s many coffee houses). Reflecting that radically changing landscape, Coffee Company has recently opened a new Oosterdok location with a decidedly third wave spin. And wow, is it a beautiful cafe to look at. We’re pairing these gorgeous photos alongside an interview with Coffee Company’s lead barista trainer Stijn Braas, who can tell us more about the coffee scene in Amsterdam.
“You know you’ve come a long way as a city when you go from basically nothing to being able to get a great cup of coffee in a three kilometer radius everywhere you are,” Stijn Braas tells us.
“[Amsterdam] is an interesting place in terms of being between the classic darker roast French and Italian coffee culture and the progressive lighter roasts of the Nordic countries.”
“Different from places nearby like London and Scandinavian cities, Amsterdam was relatively late to the game. Only a couple of years ago the first new style coffee shops opened.”
“Then Stumptown came in 2010 with a pop-up shop and kickstarted the wave. Last year alone, quite a few new roasters and/or coffee bars opened their doors that I consider world class. We as a barista culture have become more cooperative as well. I think Amsterdam has the potential to be one of the most exciting places for a coffee enthusiast to visit.”
Photos courtesy Stijn Braas.
