NL Koffiestation Riemer is a coffee bar in Boekhandel Riemer in Groningen. The article describes the collaboration, the origins, the coffee, the origin, and the activities.
About Koffiestation Riemer
Koffiestation Riemer: a coffee bar nestled among the bookshelves
Koffiestation Riemer is located in Boekhandel Riemer at Nieuwe Ebbingestraat 1 in Groningen. The coffee bar and the bookstore share the same space. Seating is arranged between the bookshelves, allowing the functions of retail and hospitality to blend seamlessly. The current partnership took shape in 2020, but the connection between the two businesses had existed for a longer period.
The Origins of Koffiestation
Koffiestation Microbranderij Groningen was founded in 2012 by Emiel Driesten and Douwe Stelpstra. According to the company’s story, the two brothers-in-law started roasting coffee in an old popcorn pan after Driesten watched an online instructional video. They then tested their coffee at the free market on Queen’s Day in Groningen. From that initial trial emerged a business that roasts its own coffee in Groningen.
According to Koffiestation, Boekhandel Riemer had been purchasing beans for a small coffee corner in the shop for over ten years. In 2020, this collaboration was expanded. OOGST Groningen cites October 20, 2020, as the opening date of Koffiestation Riemer. In the same year, Gert Jan and Harmen Riemer joined Koffiestation. In 2024, Nanne Dilling became the fifth owner, focusing on locations and events.
Concept and Interior
The location combines a coffee bar with a bookstore. Koffiestation describes the partnership as a way to follow the process from roasting to serving within a single organization. The current bar was developed during the pandemic. The involved partners built the black counter themselves. The illustrations on the menu were created by the Groningen-based design studio Knetterijs.
In addition to Koffiestation, Boekhandel Riemer, and Knetterijs, Vandeeg Vandaag is also connected to the location. This bakery supplies the pastries for the coffee bar. The bakery emerged from an earlier collaboration with Mmm Lekkernijen and began in the basement of the Boekhandel Riemer building.
Coffee, drinks, and preparation
The coffee is roasted by Koffiestation itself. No fixed guest roaster is listed for this location. The company states that it sources specialty coffee with scores of at least 85 points on the Specialty Coffee Association scale. This is the company’s own sourcing standard.
A complete and up-to-date drink menu has not been publicly documented. There is also no public list of all brewing equipment used. However, a flat white, coffee, and hot chocolate are documented for this location. An iced filter has also been mentioned via social media, without specifying the filter device used. In broader information from Koffiestation, espresso, cappuccino, and flat white appear, but this does not constitute a complete menu for Riemer.
Origin and Sustainability
Koffiestation notes that its coffee does not have a Fairtrade certification and that the roastery is not certified organic. The company states that it sources coffee based on quality and does not look solely at the commodity market. Independent verification of payments to producers is not mentioned in the available information.
Green coffee is sourced from countries such as Ethiopia, Brazil, and Indonesia, often through smaller importers. Public product pages also mention lots from Bette Buna in Ethiopia, Rafael Rojas and El Caney in Colombia, and Fazenda Matão in Brazil. These references do not indicate which coffee is served at Riemer on any given day.
Bette Buna highlights practices such as agroforestry, natural fertilization, mixed cropping, reforestation, traceability, and farmer training. According to Koffiestation, a Brazilian lot from Serra dos Ciganos was shipped to Europe by sailing ship. This was done through the Fresh Coffee Clean Ocean program of importer Belco.
Books, events, and workspaces
The bookstore organizes presentations, interviews, lectures, and an English-language book club. Some events include coffee from Koffiestation and food from Vandeeg Vandaag. Additionally, musician Tamar mentions a solo performance at Koffiestation/Riemer on July 12, 2024.
Koffiestation also hosts workshops on espresso, milk frothing, cupping, extraction, and origin. However, published information does not confirm that these workshops take place at Riemer. External guides further describe the location as a spot for coffee, working on a laptop, and vegan pastries. No independently assessed industry award for this specific bar has been publicly documented.