Wakuli

Wakuli is a coffee company founded in 2019 by Yorick Bruins and Lukas Grosfeld. According to public company information, the brand is working toward an alternative model for the coffee trade. The emphasis lies on short and transparent supply chains, direct relationships with farmer groups, and regenerative coffee production. This positioning also forms the framework for the company’s coffee bar operations.

The founders’ backgrounds align with this mission. Available information indicates that co-founder Yorick Bruins previously worked for an NGO in Tanzania that supported cooperatives. Regarding Lukas Grosfeld, public records state he was a university friend of Bruins and worked as a venture builder. It is also noted that the Wakuli business plan won the Isaac Roet Prize in 2018.

The location featured in this profile is Wakuli Amstelveenseweg, located at Amstelveenseweg 210 in Amsterdam Zuid. Public company information explicitly refers to this location as a coffee bar in Amsterdam. A social media post from December 2023 described the establishment as a new shop in Amsterdam Zuid. Based on this, it can be determined that this location opened in December 2023.

The bar is part of a broader retail strategy. Media coverage in 2022, 2024, and later shows that Wakuli evolved from an online coffee company into an enterprise with physical points of sale. The location in Amsterdam Zuid fits into this expansion. At the same time, the shop remains tied to Wakuli’s own brand identity, where the coffee bar, branding, and origin stories converge.

The coffee bar uses coffee from Wakuli’s own roastery. The company reports that all coffee is roasted in-house. The headquarters, distribution center, and roastery are located in Watergang, just outside Amsterdam. As a result, the bar in Amsterdam Zuid is directly linked to the brand’s production chain.

According to public information, the bar serves at least espresso, cappuccino, and filter coffee. Additionally, Wakuli documents various seasonal drinks, including Tiramisu Latte, Apple Pie Chai, and Chocolate Raspberry Cold Brew. Trade media have also mentioned nitro cold brew, coconut cold brew, and peanut butter nitro as part of the cold brew assortment. This suggests a menu where classic coffee drinks are complemented by more temporary or thematic preparations.

Wakuli’s public brewing guide further illustrates which brewing methods are central to the brand. These include espresso, filter machine, pour-over, Chemex, French press, cold brew, and moka pot. Not every method needs to be permanently served in the bar, but the list indicates the brewing styles the company profiles itself within.

Beyond its daily function as a bar, Wakuli is also active with workshops. Their own workshop page mentions practical sessions in Amsterdam, Den Haag, and Leiden, using tastings as a starting point. External event pages also show coffee workshops in Amsterdam in 2025 and 2026. Thus, the Amsterdam presence is not limited to hospitality, but extends to educational activities surrounding taste and preparation.

The location on Amstelveenseweg also appears in other public collaborations. For instance, the shop is mentioned as a pickup point in Amsterdam Zuid for Levend Land / Onze Groenteboer. Furthermore, Proud Strides Run Club named Wakuli on Amstelveenseweg as the meeting point for a run club event in April 2026. Such mentions show that the location also functions as a meeting point within local networks.

Wakuli explicitly links its commercial model to sourcing and chain structure. According to the mission page, the company works directly with farmer groups, strives for long-term and fair relationships, and aims to keep the chain short and transparent. Additionally, the company cites soil quality, biodiversity, and climate effects as priorities on the path toward a fully regenerative supply chain by 2028.

Concrete figures are also listed on the homepage. There, Wakuli reports that in 2025 it worked with 13 farmer groups across 12 origins, accounting for 14,897 farmers. For that same year, the company mentions an average partner price of 7.87 dollars per kilo, compared to an average market price of 6.19 dollars. Public documentation names Cafe Business Consult in Tanzania, Rebuild Women’s Hope in Congo, and Ontosoroh / Asnikom in Indonesia as origin partners.

Over the past few years, Wakuli has garnered attention in local media, trade publications, and coffee guides. Reports from 2022 and 2024 highlighted their first shop, further expansion, and their cold brew offerings. Additionally, the brand has been featured in various Amsterdam and Dutch coffee lists from publications that follow the specialty coffee scene. The Amsterdam Coffee Festival guides for 2024 and 2025 also mention Wakuli’s programming, including activities centered around cold brew.

The available information paints a picture of a coffee bar that is part of a larger business model. The location in Amsterdam Zuid combines hospitality, brand presentation, workshops, and public collaborations. Within this framework, proprietary branding, direct sourcing relationships, and visibility within the specialty coffee sector are central.