Café Checkpoint Charlie

Café Checkpoint Charlie is located in Amsterdam West. According to public information, Jaro, Jeroen, and Carina are the founders of the café. The project began in 2014, after they found a large available café location in the Staatsliedenbuurt. Funding initially came from their own network. This was followed by a crowdfunding campaign which, according to published data, raised 22,049 euros. Friends and acquaintances also provided practical help with demolition, painting, construction, and cleaning.

Based on public mentions, the opening can be placed in early 2015. An exact opening date is not mentioned in the consulted information. However, a profile of the business already appeared in February 2015, while the Instagram profile indicates 2025 as the tenth anniversary year. This makes it likely that operations have continued since that period, albeit without a publicly recorded start date.

In its own presentation, the café describes itself as an entry point between the Jordaan and the Westerpark. The concept revolves not only around food and drink, but also around sound and programming. In that description, the emphasis is on a combination of liquids, solids, and sounds. This translates into an establishment where coffee, beer, snacks, and cultural activities coexist.

The coffee component is limited in public detail but clearly documented. The café reports that the coffee is roasted by Keppler in Amsterdam-Noord. Their own website also states that the beans are grown in Brazil by Bruno Souza. Thus, both the roaster and the origin of the beans are explicitly mentioned in their public communication.

The public menu lists a small, recognizable assortment of coffee drinks, including espresso, black coffee, cappuccino, caf’ au lait (verkeerd), and iced coffee. Additionally, the menu lists oat milk as an option. Alongside coffee, the list includes tea, fresh mint tea, fresh ginger tea, ginger-mint tea, hot chocolate, whipped cream, and chai latte. This selection points to a classic coffee bar function within a broader hospitality venue.

There is little public information regarding manual brewing methods. In the consulted sources, methods such as V60, Chemex, AeroPress, siphon, or batch brew are not mentioned separately. Based on the available data, it can only be determined which drinks are on the menu, not which additional brewing methods might be used behind the bar.

The café explicitly profiles itself as a meeting place with a recurring agenda. According to its own site, DJs are present from Thursday through Saturday. On Sunday afternoons, semi-acoustic live performances are on the program. Additionally, there is a regular comedy night called Ken Parsons’ Ironic Curtain Comedy Club, which takes place on the second Sunday of the month.

Public communications further mention spoken word, improvisational theater sports, pop quizzes, and pub quizzes. External publications confirm that the location is also used by other initiatives; for instance, Word Up Amsterdam has organized spoken word evenings there. There are also public mentions of recurring meetings of the Piratenpartij Amsterdam. Consequently, the café appears in the sources not just as a hospitality venue, but also as a stage and meeting place.

Another documented moment is the lockdown period of 2021. At that time, Café Checkpoint Charlie participated in the Art Bar Project with artist Jarmo van Berkel. This project is described in reports about closed hospitality locations that temporarily took on a cultural function. Museum Het Schip also documented a work that was exhibited in the café. Furthermore, the agenda for King’s Day 2026 includes an outdoor program featuring five bands and DJs.

Regarding sustainability, primarily practical information is public. The café states that it works with short transport lines and locally produced products. In this context, the establishment mentions several suppliers and producers by name. In addition to the coffee from Keppler and the Brazilian beans from Bruno Souza, this includes curryworst from Brandt & Levie, bitterballen and other snacks from Oma Bob, kimchi croquettes from Funk Gilde, and tosti’s made in Amsterdam.

Regarding the beer selection, the café states that many draft beers are local. Additionally, Agroposta juices are highlighted, made from fruits and herbs, including hand-picked ingredients from Croatia. A broader sustainability policy is not detailed in the consulted information. No public data was found regarding certifications, formal climate goals, measurable waste reduction, reusable packaging systems, or other established standards for procurement and environment.

Café Checkpoint Charlie appears in several publications about Amsterdam’s hospitality scene. In 2015, a profile was published mentioning the role of crowdfunding in its opening. In 2025, the establishment was included in a guide to restaurants and bars in Amsterdam West. Additionally, the café was mentioned in an overview of spoken word venues and in an overview of brown cafés, where the address Nassaukade 48 is also listed.

Another mention followed in 2025 in a national article about brown cafés. At the same time, no formal distinctions or industry awards were found in the consulted sources. The public image therefore remains primarily that of a community-oriented café where coffee, beer, snacks, and a recurring cultural program converge, with a limited but concretely documented profile regarding coffee and sourcing.