DAO House of Slow in Maastricht is described through the lens of tea, coffee, workshops, slow living, collaborations, and local public mentions.
About DAO House of Slow
History and Concept
DAO House of Slow is located at Koestraat 23 in Maastricht. The business is publicly listed as Tea House Dao and DAO House of Slow. The location is in the Jekerkwartier, a part of Maastricht’s city center. Johan van Cauwenberghe is linked to the business in available public information. On the business’s own Instagram channel, he is identified as the founder. It is also noted there that he worked as a barista for nearly ten years.
The concept revolves around slow living. This refers to a calmer pace of life, with attention to tea, coffee, products, services, courses, and workshops. In regional reporting, the project is also connected to Johan van Cauwenberghe’s personal experience with burnout. The business thus presents itself not only as a hospitality venue, but also as a place where calm, attention, and daily rituals play a role.
DAO House of Slow announced its opening for Friday, August 1, 2025. During the opening weekend, free tea tastings and a walk-in tea ceremony were mentioned. This opening fits within the broader image of the business. Tea, coffee, and workshops are not presented in isolation, but as parts of a broader approach to slowing down and mindfulness.
Coffee and Brewing
Although DAO House of Slow is strongly associated with tea, coffee also plays a visible role. The Instagram profile describes the business as offering specialty tea, coffee, and brewers. Additionally, it is publicly noted that coffee from Shokunin Coffee is available for takeaway. Shokunin Coffee identifies itself as a coffee roastery from Rotterdam.
The available information does not provide a complete menu of coffee drinks. It is also not publicly documented which brewing methods are available daily. However, there are indications that filter coffee, espresso, and latte art are covered in the educational offerings. The official workshop environment lists coffee workshops as a category. In publicly indexed information, a filter coffee workshop in Dutch and English is also mentioned.
On Instagram, there are also references to workshop content around espresso and latte art. This points to a practical approach to coffee, where technique and knowledge transfer are part of the offering. For readers following the specialty coffee sector, it is particularly relevant that DAO House of Slow presents coffee not only as a consumable product, but also as a subject for training and explanation.
Tea, workshops, and gatherings
Tea forms an important part of the public information about DAO House of Slow. The workshop page mentions tea workshops and tea ceremonies. Among these are gatherings under the title “Serenity in Summer”, with editions in Dutch and English on June 17 and 19. The neighborhood listing also describes tea ceremonies, workshops, sessions with special tea, and slow-living experiences.
In addition, a collaboration with FULI Amsterdam has been publicly documented. That gathering focused on Tea and Dao, Gong Fu Cha, and a conversation about Daoism. A blend with Studio Solterra is also mentioned. These examples show that DAO House of Slow uses collaborations to connect tea, ritual, and conversation.
Another mentioned feature is a windowsill library or reading corner. This detail fits the broader profile of the establishment. The space is not only linked to drinking in the available information, but also to reading, learning, and lingering. This creates a mixed profile of hospitality, retail, workshop space, and meeting place.
Sustainability and origin
Information regarding sustainability and origin is limited. The concept's own description mentions curated products and services within slow living. However, no detailed coffee sourcing practices, certifications, or audit data are publicly disclosed in the consulted text. For coffee, the connection with Shokunin Coffee is primarily documented.
More context is visible for tea in specific collaborations. The Tea and Dao gathering with FULI Amsterdam refers to organic, sustainably sourced living tea. The blend with Studio Solterra is also publicly mentioned. Further claims about sustainability, supplier control, or certificates are not documented in the available information. A factual description therefore remains limited to these points.
Public recognition
DAO House of Slow has also received public attention outside its own channels. In July 2025, regional news covered the concept, highlighting calm, mental health, and the background of Johan van Cauwenberghe. Additionally, the establishment is listed within the Jekerkwartier as Tea House Dao and DAO House of Slow.
In October 2025, Johan van Cauwenberghe, associated with Dao House of Slow, was named a nominee for the Maastricht Awards 2025 in the Business Take-Off Award category. There as well, the establishment is linked to the address Koestraat 23 in Maastricht. These mentions place DAO House of Slow within the local entrepreneurial landscape of Maastricht.
Position within the Coffee Sector
For the specialty coffee sector, DAO House of Slow is primarily interesting due to the combination of coffee, tea, and education. The available data shows no complete coffee program, but does indicate a clear presence of coffee products and coffee workshops. At the same time, tea remains visible as a central theme. The profile of the establishment therefore lies at the intersection of drink culture, ritual, learning, and slow living.
