Sango Specialty Coffee

Sango Specialty Coffee is located at Stromarkt 15 in the heart of Amsterdam. The business presents itself as an Amsterdam-based micro-roastery, founded by Kaho and Mitchell. Public profiles indicate that Sango was established in 2021, with a concept rooted in a sustainable approach inspired by a traditional Japanese lifestyle.

The founders’ backgrounds align perfectly with this positioning. Mitchell, who studied design, entered the coffee world through latte art and later worked in a specialty café; at Sango, he focuses on roasting, profiling, and design. Kaho’s public profile reveals that she wrote her master’s thesis on the perception of labels for sustainable and fair trade products, focusing specifically on coffee. It is also noted that she spent about two and a half years in the entertainment sector before dedicating herself to coffee and sustainability.

In its own communications, Sango emphasizes ethical sourcing, traceability, fair and direct trade, sustainability, and sharing the stories of the producers. Additionally, the company uses light to medium roast profiles as its baseline. This establishes a clear framework: not only the preparation at the bar, but also the origin of the coffee plays a visible role in the company’s narrative.

Sango states that it roasts its own coffee beans in small batches at its micro-roastery in Amsterdam. The selection changes regularly and encompasses various origins, varieties, and processing methods. Consequently, the focus is not on a single fixed line, but on a rotating offering where multiple styles and production contexts converge.

On the product pages, coffees are categorized by recommended brewing method, including espresso, filter, and combinations of both. Furthermore, public workshop information shows that the company works with espresso, milk steaming, latte art, coffee tastings, and filter brewing using Origami drippers. The same page mentions that this brewing logic can also be applied to methods such as the Hario V60, Chemex, and Kalita Wave.

A visit report from March 2025 mentions standard espresso and pourover as staples of the shop’s offering. The same report also mentions matcha as a beverage available during the visit. Furthermore, it was reported that competition lots were available at the time. This indicates an offering that, alongside daily brews, makes room for smaller and more specific selections.

Beyond the bar and the roastery, Sango profiles itself through educational activities. Its website lists four types of workshops: Barista Skills, Latte Art, Tasting, and Brewing. These sessions are described as private and tailored to the participants. The tastings compare coffees from different origins and contrast various brewing methods.

Another public profile states that Sango organizes weekly workshops, limiting sessions to eight people. It was also mentioned that, at the time of publication, reservations were booked up to three months in advance. Aside from its own workshops, at least one publicly announced collaboration for a cupping has been recorded: a “Space Roastery x Sango Specialty Coffee Public Cupping”. This paints a picture of a business that does not just sell and roast, but views knowledge sharing as an integral part of its practice.

The company states that it prioritizes traceability, fair and direct trade, and sustainability. Sango claims to work directly with producers or through green coffee importers who share these same principles. Public explanations also state that they choose farmers who recognize sustainable agricultural practices. In the shop, the company seeks to use conversations to encourage consumers to think more consciously about origin and consumption.

Product pages highlight several relationships throughout the supply chain. For instance, CAFEGA is mentioned as the importer working with producers who prioritize ecological sustainability, innovation, and transparency. Café de Altura in Costa Rica is also featured, described as an enterprise co-owned by over 570 small-scale producers and led within the specialty coffee sector by Esteban Villalobos. This name also appears on a public partner overview from Sango.

Other product descriptions highlight specific practices at the producer level. For Alta Montaña in Peru, permaculture and organic methods are mentioned. For Central Sumatera Coffee in Indonesia, full traceability and quality control are cited. Such descriptions demonstrate that Sango places significant emphasis on the links in the chain prior to roasting and brewing in its public presentation.

Sango has also gained attention in specialized media and competitions. In March 2025, a café profile about the Amsterdam location was published. This was followed on September 6, 2025, by a more detailed story about Mitchell La Grouw Onuki. In the 2024 competition results, he secured second place in the final of the Dutch Latte Art Championship 2024. Additionally, an announcement on October 30, 2024, named him as one of the six finalists for the Dutch Brewers Cup Championship during Horecava 2025.

It was later published that Mitchell had achieved second place in both the Dutch Latte Art Championship and the Brewers Cup in the preceding two years. Together with public information regarding workshops, roasting, and producer relationships, this paints a picture of a company active on multiple levels of specialty coffee: from sourcing and branding to preparation, education, and competition.