Groningen

Groningen breathes coffee. From a status symbol in the seventeenth century, the black gold evolved into the daily fuel for students, cyclists and professionals. This short guide traces the path from rare indulgence to a thriving niche market, highlighting players, trends and opportunities for anyone active in the coffee sector or looking to invest.

Coffeehouses arrived late in the Netherlands; Amsterdam did not open its first until 1663. In Groningen, coffee remained a luxury for the well‑to‑do well into the eighteenth century. That changed in 1870, when Klaas Tiktak opened his grocery on the Damsterdiep and soon began roasting his own beans. With a factory in 1887, Tiktak became the city’s largest roaster and put Groningen on the map as a coffee city.

In the twentieth century, filter coffee became the norm. From the 1990s, consumers flocked to espresso drinks made with freshly ground beans. This shift in taste laid the groundwork for the specialty movement that exploded after 2000.

Around 2010, modern coffee bars began to pop up, although more slowly than in the Randstad. A standout year was 2016: Black & Bloom was crowned the best coffee bar in the Netherlands. In the same year, nine new venues opened on the student street Oude Kijk in ’t Jatstraat, proof that demand and competition were growing at lightning speed.

- Black & Bloom, since 2012, serves only hand‑filtered coffee and won the national title in 2016.
- Koffiestation combines a micro‑roastery with a bookshop and offers “Grip on Extraction” workshops.
- Kolibri supplies seasonal micro‑lots to café Room and, through subscriptions, to home baristas.
- Revista started as a food truck, is completely plant‑based and pours oat milk as standard.
- Spaak links coffee to cycling culture with a weekend ride and a repair workshop above the café.

Dutch people drink an average of 150 litres of coffee per person per year, and Groningers join in with enthusiasm. Striking is the habit of having a cappuccino in the evening, something Italians would frown upon but which brings comfort here. Flavour experiments thrive: think iced lattes with white chocolate or cold brew with tonic. “In the Netherlands, almost anything goes with coffee” is a commonly heard statement.

Yet popularity leads to friction. Students occupy tables for hours with laptops, therefore Black & Bloom has banned laptops for years and Douwe Egberts Café charges €1.80 per hour of study time. Other chains are actually creating study corners. The lesson: coffee bars seek a balance between social atmosphere and turnover.

Plant-based milk is gaining ground. New establishments, such as Coffee Break, make 80% of their menu vegan. Fair‑trade and single‑origin beans also appeal to customers, fueled by the Fairtrade Municipality status that Groningen has held since 2009.

The Groningen Coffee Festival early in the year attracts aficionados with tastings and lectures for an entrance fee of €2. Barista workshops at World of Barista or Koffiestation often fill up quickly. In addition, International Coffee Mornings connect newcomers with locals, and Coffee Break concerts pair music with a steaming cup. This versatile offering strengthens knowledge and networks across the sector.

Groningen aims to be waste‑free by 2030. The university abolished disposable cups in 2024; visitors without their own mug pay €1 for a reusable version. Since 2010 the municipality has used only certified fair‑trade coffee in its offices.

Circularity literally gets fuel. The Circle of Beans project converts 120 kg of coffee grounds into 16.5 kg of biogas—enough to drive a delivery van 300 km and roast new coffee. Such initiatives show how waste streams gain value and offer opportunities for logistics and technical partners.

The Groningen market shows that tradition and innovation can coexist in harmony. A rich history feeds pride, while young brands and sustainable projects shape the future. Entrepreneurs who invest in quality, experience, and environmental impact find here an audience that is open to new flavors, fair trade, and clever circular ideas. In short, Groningen remains, like its coffee, strong, aromatic, and full of potential.