Wakuli specialty coffee bar

Wakuli specialty coffee bar on Jan Pieter Heijestraat is located in Oud-West, Amsterdam. The establishment is publicly listed as Wakuli Jan Pieter Heijestraat at number 76, postal code 1053 GS. No separate founding or management team is publicly documented for this specific location; the bar’s name is primarily associated with the broader Wakuli company.

The publicly named founders of Wakuli are Yorick Bruins and Lucas Grosfeld. Bruins is described as having worked with cooperatives in Tanzania and possessing a background in food and agricultural science. Public sources identify Grosfeld as the creator of the Wakuli business plan, which won the Isaac Roet Prize in 2018. Thus, the company’s origins lie in a combination of entrepreneurship and deep supply chain expertise.

An opening date for the Amsterdam bar in West is publicly available. An opening event took place at Jan Pieter Heijestraat 76 on March 4, 2023. This location was later described as Wakuli’s second coffee shop, opening approximately six months after the first store. The West location is therefore part of a phased expansion of the brand within Amsterdam.

Wakuli describes its concept as an alternative model within the coffee sector. Central to this approach are short and transparent supply chains, direct collaboration with farmer groups, and in-house branding. Even the name refers to this emphasis on origin: Wakuli is derived from the Swahili word “Wakulima”, which means “farmer”. This defines the way the company positions itself substantively.

The bar in Amsterdam-West uses coffee roasted by Wakuli itself. According to public information, the company roasts all its coffee in-house and subsequently serves it in its own bars. The supply chain description also includes a logistical step via the roastery and distribution center in Watergang. Consequently, the Jan Pieter Heijestraat location functions as a retail and hospitality point within its own integrated system.

Wakuli’s coffee bar page mentions espresso, cappuccino, and filter coffee. A publicly available menu for the Jan Pieter Heijestraat location lists several additional drinks, including espresso, americano, filter, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, latte, and homemade chai. For warm specials, the page also lists “Filter & Stroopwafel”.

Alongside the permanent menu, Wakuli offers rotating seasonal drinks. Reviewed versions of the coffee bar page featured examples such as Tiramisu Latte, Chocolate Raspberry Cold Brew, and Apple Pie Chai. Furthermore, under the “At Home” section, there are products for home use, including Discover Monthly, Original House Blend, and Pods/Cups. No specific brewing methods beyond the mentioned preparations are publicly documented for this location.

The Amsterdam-West location also appears in public activities beyond daily coffee sales. For Amsterdam, Den Haag, and Leiden, Wakuli advertises practical coffee workshops, starting with a coffee tasting workshop. The available information does not indicate that all Amsterdam workshops standardly take place at Jan Pieter Heijestraat, but it does show that education is part of the broader business activities.

Several collaborations are publicly visible for the location itself. In the lead-up to the municipal elections of March 2026, there was a collaboration with De Kiesmannen. This included a panel discussion at Jan Pieter Heijestraat 76 and a coffee promotion for voters at Wakuli locations. There is also documentation of a collaboration with Unfair Amsterdam, where Wakuli provided coffee for an event and held a kickoff at Jan Pieter Heijestraat.

Additionally, a pop-up store by SOMMMA was publicly recorded at this location in December 2025. Together, these examples show that the bar also serves as a venue for temporary programs, discussions, and cross-brand encounters. These are publicly documented events rather than a continuous event calendar for the establishment.

Wakuli states that it works directly with producer groups, cooperatives, and exporters. According to its own explanation, the chain runs from the producer group to the dry mill, and then to the roastery and distribution center in Watergang. From there, the coffee goes to home delivery or to the bars. This description supports the image of a shorter chain than in a conventional trade model.

Wakuli communicates several claims regarding the impact of this model. The company states that more than 16,000 farmers in the network now earn a better income than before. The company also links its approach to healthier soils, increased biodiversity, and lower CO₂ emissions or climate impacts. Furthermore, Wakuli says it is committed to regenerative agriculture, emphasizing soil improvement, more diverse cropping systems, and the avoidance of chemical synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

Rather than following a commodity-driven certification model, Wakuli states that they employ a different sourcing approach. The company did become B Corp certified in 2022. Public information also notes that the administrative and financial burden of this compliance rests with Wakuli rather than the producers. Publicly listed partners in the supply chain include Coopervass, Baho Coffee, Kata Muduga, Rebuild Women’s Hope, Zombo Coffee Partners, Ndugu, Cafe Business Consult, and the Chajulense Association.

The location on Jan Pieter Heijestraat is featured in guides on Amsterdam coffee spots and neighborhoods, including overviews of Amsterdam-West and the Jan Pieter Heijestraat. Furthermore, in July 2023, indebuurt Amsterdam reported that Wakuli had already opened locations in Amsterdam-Oost and Amsterdam-West, before a third Amsterdam bar followed later. At a corporate level, Wakuli has received public attention in university, banking, entrepreneurial, and coffee trade media. No location-specific awards or competition wins for the Amsterdam-West bar are publicly documented in the consulted information.