Espressofabriek

More About Espressofabriek

Espressofabriek has been a staple of the Amsterdam coffee scene for over twenty years. The brand was founded in 2005 by Rick Woertman on the grounds of the Westergasfabriek. From the start, the ambition was clear: to show Dutch coffee drinkers that coffee can be more than just a quick habit, and to build a place where people come specifically for truly great coffee.

That mission gave Espressofabriek an early lead in specialty coffee. Multiple sources describe the company as one of the first specialty players in Amsterdam and even in the Netherlands. That early start is significant, as it explains why the brand still maintains a strong reputation today, despite a relatively compact retail footprint.

From industrial coffee decor to neighborhood bar

Following the start at Westergas, a second location opened in IJburg in 2008. This shifted the concept from a destination in an industrial area to a neighborhood coffee bar. According to Rick Woertman, IJburg was intended to feel more like a living room for the community, especially for young families who value quality.

A third Amsterdam location opened in June 2020 on Zeeburgereiland, in a former sludge pumping station. However, the footprint now seems to be shifting. The official café page currently lists two active cafés: IJburg and Westergas. Furthermore, at the end of 2024, Woertman wrote that a new entrepreneur was being sought for the Slibvijzel location, as Espressofabriek’s ambitions had outgrown the space.

Roasting with rhythm and control

The current brand message is strikingly simple: “We roast, you rock.” This tone aligns with Espressofabriek’s positioning as an accessible specialty roaster without an air of luxury detachment. Behind that simplicity lies a clear production rhythm. According to the official site, roasting takes place once a week to keep the coffee fresh, consistent, and full of character.

That weekly rhythm is also evident in practice. In January 2025, Amber was introduced as barista, manager, and coffee roaster, and in March 2025, the brand announced that she roasts every Tuesday evening. The webshop aligns with this, stating that orders placed before Roast Tuesday are shipped on Wednesday.

Sourcing green coffee and roasting in-house began in 2011, allowing for greater control over cup quality. Concrete details regarding the current roasting model, batch size, annual volume, or software used are not publicly available. The same applies to a detailed overview of the operational management beyond Rick and Amber.

Origin, selection, and flavor profiles

The sourcing philosophy centers on selection via cuppings and partnerships with two regular suppliers who source responsibly and ethically. Espressofabriek explicitly uses language regarding the fair treatment of farmers and support throughout the chain. At the same time, corporate-level transparency remains limited: a current transparency report per farm, import partner, or contract type is not publicly available.

At the product level, however, plenty of detail is visible. The current collection features six coffees:

Brazil Mantiqueira Mountains
Ethiopia Guji Okoluu for espresso
Guatemala Huehuetenango
Indonesia Flores Laga Lizu
Ethiopia Guji Okoluu for filter
Decaf Colombia Santander

With this, Espressofabriek showcases a mix of accessible classics and distinct profiles. The Brazil Mantiqueira Mountains is a natural Yellow Bourbon with notes of red apple, apricot, hazelnut, citrus, and chocolate. Ethiopia Guji Okoluu, available as both espresso and filter, brings together honey, floral notes, peach, and milk chocolate. Indonesia Flores Laga Lizu stands out with an anaerobic honey process and notes of melon, kiwi, orange, and a long, sweet finish.

Even the decaf isn’s an afterthought. The Decaf Colombia Santander is described with notes of sweetness, lemon, and dark chocolate, utilizing a washed EA decaf process. Additionally, the origin pages provide extra context, such as the 33 farmers behind the Ethiopia Guji Okoluu lot, or small Colombian farms ranging from 1 to 10 hectares in Santander.

The Café Experience and Spatial Identity

The brand identity isn’t just in the bean, but also in the space. The Westergas bar is known for being bright and airy, with large windows and high ceilings within a repurposed industrial complex. The IJburg location was given a warmer, community-focused feel, featuring a semi-open rounded ceiling of oak slats, an oak bar, fixed benches, a large reading table, and a chesterfield sofa.

These design choices also received external acclaim. The IJburg interior was nominated for the Best Interior Design award at the Venuez Hospitality & Style Awards 2009. Architect Ramin Visch designed the location after Rick Woertman asked him to recreate the same “surprise effect” as in the first bar.

The café concept extends beyond just espresso. Descriptions mention wifi, apple cake, lunch with Italian sandwiches, and later in the day, beer or wine. Furthermore, it was reported in early 2025 that at the Zeeburgereiland location, there was no standard filter coffee on the menu, but rather batch brew for slow-coffee drinkers. The food offering remained intentionally small, including croissants, vegan brownies, chocolate cake, banana bread, and lemon poppy seed cake.

Small Chain, Big Influence

Despite the limited number of cafés, Espressofabriek has played a significant symbolic role in the Dutch specialty market. In 2013, the company was recognized as the third best independent coffee shop in Europe at the Allegra Coffee Awards. Moreover, guides and industry platforms continue to cite the brand as one of Amsterdam’s earliest specialty addresses.

That influence extends beyond their own counter. Multiple sources report that Rick Woertman opened his roasting facilities to other coffee entrepreneurs. White Label Coffee was explicitly mentioned as a party that roasted at his mentor Espressofabriek. This indicates that the brand’s impact is greater than its current retail footprint suggests.

In the market, Espressofabriek occupies a recognizable position: an Amsterdam specialty café-roaster with its own beans, cafés in the west and east, a weekly roasting cadence, and an accessible style. B2B is also part of that positioning. The homepage invites cafés, restaurants, and businesses to serve the coffee, while a recent social message mentions delivery to a handful of cafés and specialty shops. That is exactly the core of the brand: compact, selective, and still relevant.

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