NL Roots Radics Café in Amsterdam-Zuidoost blends hospitality, community services, learning spaces, and cultural programming. This article explores the foundation, the coffee, activities, and its social impact.
About Roots Radics Café
History and Concept
Roots Radics Café is a socio-cultural café located at Tafelbergweg 8 in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. The location is publicly registered under Stichting Roots Radics Café. The associated Chamber of Commerce (KvK) details and the hospitality license also refer to this address. In August 2025, a decision regarding a new operating permit for the foundation was published in the Municipal Gazette.
The café was established in 2025 by Lloyd Held. On the café’s own website, Held is described as a recognized victim of the childcare benefits scandal. Public records list him as the owner and chairman of the board. Sheila Zandwijken is listed as treasurer, and Roy Gefferie as secretary. Bureau Social Return Amsterdam described how Held is building the social enterprise together with Zandwijken.
An exact opening date is not recorded in the reviewed information. However, it is clear that the foundation became active in 2025. The board page mentions concrete projects starting in June 2025. According to the published decision, the permit was sent to the applicant on August 12, 2025.
The concept combines hospitality, neighborhood function, and development. Roots Radics Café describes itself as a place where food, development, and community come together. The café focuses on meeting spaces within the neighborhood and on learning and work opportunities in the hospitality sector. This includes work experience, guidance, training, workshops, and coaching for people with a support need.
Coffee and drinks
For coffee drinkers, the origin of the coffee is particularly relevant. The drink menu lists Fair Trade and Direct Trade coffee, including from Zuivere Koffie. This roastery produces coffee in prison and trains inmates for work after their release. This aligns the coffee supply with the broader social profile of the café.
The hot drinks menu lists standard coffee drinks such as coffee, cappuccino, latte, espresso, double espresso, and macchiato. Milk options include cow’s milk, almond milk, and soy milk. Syrups are also mentioned, including caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla. The menu thus primarily provides an overview of espresso-based drinks.
In addition to hot coffee, the menu also lists cold variants. These include iced coffee, iced cappuccino, iced latte, iced espresso, iced macchiato, and iced “Bountykiller”. The reviewed information states that iced coffees are served with house-made coconut milk as a dairy-free alternative. Manual brewing methods such as pour-over, batch brew, AeroPress, or French press are not publicly recorded in the reviewed menu pages.
Food, Culture, and Programming
Roots Radics Café links the coffee bar to a broader hospitality and cultural function. The public concept mentions Afro-Caribbean food, cocktails, mocktails, craft beer, and botanical drinks. For some of these drinks, they collaborate with Roots Radics Brewing Company in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. The food and drink page states that the offered dishes and drinks are halal and made from natural products.
The programming consists of fixed and rotating activities. The events page mentions trivia nights, game nights, sports nights, karaoke, and jam sessions with an open stage. Additionally, beer tastings, cultural evenings, and seasonal celebrations are mentioned. The weekly program includes, among others, Work & Coffee, a men’s discussion group, a business dialogue lunch, acoustic sessions, creative workshops, senior lunches, theme nights, Friday Night Live, Sip & Paint, and Chill & Connect.
Due to this setup, the café has more functions than just selling coffee and food. It also serves as a meeting space, a venue for corporate events, and a platform for local activities. In the reviewed information, the café is categorized under catering, events, and space rental.
Sustainability and Social Impact
Roots Radics Café describes itself as an organization that, wherever possible, works with local and fair-trade products. The coffee bar page highlights fair trade, sustainable beans, and local partnerships. It also notes that coffee grounds are used as compost for a nearby food forest.
Social recognition is primarily local and institutional in nature. Stichting Roots Radics Café is listed as recognized by the municipality. Twinpact names the café an impact partner and records acknowledgments from Gemeente Amsterdam and Bureau Social Return. Bureau Social Return Amsterdam included Roots Radics Café in the Social Impact Tour 2025. The café was also publicly mentioned in connection with Just.City.Amsterdam 2025.
Independent coffee rankings, awards, or individual reviews in food and lifestyle media are not documented in the available data. The picture that emerges is therefore mainly that of a young social enterprise in Amsterdam-Zuidoost, with coffee as part of a broader café, educational, and cultural program.