Fancy Beans Specialty Coffee

More About Fancy Beans Specialty Coffee

Fancy Beans in Twente: a young roaster with a clear mission

Fancy Beans Specialty Coffee is positioning itself as a new anchor point for specialty coffee in Enschede and Twente. The brand aims to transform the local coffee culture with a focus on flavor and transparency regarding origin. The founder is Stefan Jacobs, an entrepreneur and coffee scout. After selling his accounting firm in December 2022 and completing training in Bali in January 2023, he launched the roastery.

Key milestones and growth

The brand launched in 2023, celebrating its first anniversary on June 11, 2024. On April 18, 2024, a public crowdfunding campaign was launched via CrowdAboutNow to fund green coffee stock, machinery, a showroom, workshops, and bicycle delivery. The loan offers a 4 percent interest rate over six years. On October 10, 2024, the first coffee shop opened at Zuiderhagen 28 in Enschede.

The bar operates with compact opening hours, fitting for an artisanal operation. Fancy Beans also lists its KVK registration, confirming its official Dutch business status. The brand stories and updates are mostly written by Stefan himself, strengthening the direct connection with the community.

Tuesday through Friday 08:30–16:00
Saturday and Sunday 09:30–17:00

Roast Philosophy and Technique

Fancy Beans operates using a Direct Trade approach, partnering with collaborators like This Side Up. The roaster handles selection and profiling in-house, focusing on SCA 84+ lots for retail. In 2024, Stefan handled the sample roasts, while the final roasting phase was done in collaboration with Koffiebranderij Het Hoofdkwartier. For office locations, the team recommends medium roasts to balance origin sweetness and body.

Sustainability is baked into the operation. Packaging is aluminum-free, utilizing bio-based kraft bags and PaperWise labels. While specific details regarding the roasting model or capacity aren't public, the roastery confirms that roasting takes place in Enschede, with internal capacity scaling up throughout 2024.

Assortment, flavor profiles, and limited releases

The core assortment consists of three permanent SKUs, supplemented by seasonal limited editions. El Patrón blends Brazil São Jerônimo da Serra honey with Colombia Café Rosaflorida washed Caturra, with expected notes of chocolate, caramel, almond, and grape. Dark Desire blends Uganda specialty Robusta from Stephan Kantongole with Brazilian naturals and honey, focusing on chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, and honey.

The Golden Standard is a Colombia Supremo Castillo from Neiva, Huila, grown at 1,700 to 1,900 meters. This profile was developed by Stefan and Arnoud. On February 10, 2025, the limited “Uganda SL14” was released—an SCA 87 from the Ndhew Washing Station in the Alur Highlands. This natural microlot is offered as a bar-only exclusive in 250-gram bags.

Sourcing, origin, and relationships

The sourcing strategy emphasizes fair pricing and long-term relationships. This is evident in the collaboration with This Side Up and the explicit mention of producers. Featured partners include Meko Gutiérrez in Colombia, Stephan Kantongole in Uganda, Fazenda Fronteira with Ellen Fontana, and Fazenda California with Luiz and Flávia. All house coffees fall within the Specialty Coffee category, with Fancy Beans communicating an 84+ score for the lineup.

Locations, distribution, and channels

The café and retail location is Zuiderhagen 28, 7511 GL Enschede. An operational address is also listed at Josink Esweg 8 in Enschede. Sales are handled via the bar, their own webshop with nationwide shipping, and through partners. Book Café Frida at Stadsgravenstraat 56 in Enschede serves and sells Fancy Beans, increasing local visibility.

For the B2B market, Fancy Beans supplies coffee for Dr. Coffee machines, including free trial placements. Their crowdfunding campaign mentioned a conversion rate of over 60 percent from trial to paying customer. This supports a hybrid focus on retail, e-commerce, and B2B, with Twente as the primary region and expansion driven by education and partnerships.

Sustainability, education, and visibility

Alongside bio-based packaging and PaperWise labels, the brand focuses on efficient postal logistics. Bicycle delivery was part of the plan presented to investors in 2024. Workshops and explanations of specialty standards are central to their mission, aimed at building knowledge among baristas, business clients, and curious home roasters. There are no public mentions of external certifications per product.

Visibility is growing through local media and industry platforms. The October 2024 opening was featured by indebuurt Enschede. European Coffee Trip included the location in their guide and named Fancy Beans as #CafeOfTheDay during the ECT Awards 2025 voting period. The brand's newsfeed shares regular updates on sourcing and partnerships.

What this means for coffee professionals

For café owners and baristas in the Netherlands, Fancy Beans offers a distinct profile with traceable origins and consistent flavor lines. The three permanent SKUs keep the menu concise, while limited releases add seasonal excitement. For offices, there is a concrete offering based on medium roast guidelines. For roasters and buyers, the direct-relationship approach is key, emphasizing fair pricing and long-term partnerships.

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