Mahalo

Mahalo is a lunch café located at Verlengde Grachtstraat 1 in Groningen. The shop is situated in the vicinity of Noorderplantsoen and the city center. The same address consistently appears in public listings. This firmly links the location to the edge of the park, where hospitality, neighborhood use, and daily visitors intersect.

The name Mahalo comes from Hawaiian and means “thank you” according to a local description. The business became known in 2019 as the successor to the vegan location Anat. I Go Groningen reported on June 12, 2019, that Anat would reopen as Mahalo on June 22, 2019. Amber, who had been a cake baker at Anat for three years, and her partner Leon were named as the people behind the continuation of the vegan concept.

Other public information names Belle and Leon as the owners. That source describes Mahalo as a breakfast and lunch café with a focus on the environment and human health. By placing these different names side by side, a picture emerges of a business that grew out of an existing vegan hospitality spot and continued under a new name.

The concept is summarized in public texts with words like organic, local, and fully plant-based. The establishment emphasizes food, atmosphere, and a homely setting, both indoors and on the terrace. In these descriptions, coffee is not the sole focus, but rather a broader lunch and café formula.

For coffee enthusiasts, the espresso offerings are particularly relevant. The online menu lists, among others, Americano, espresso, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, latte macchiato, iced latte, freddo espresso, and affogato. This indicates that the coffee menu focuses on well-known espresso preparations and cold variants.

Public social media mentions link Mahalo's coffee to Boot Koffie. An Instagram mention refers to espresso from Boot Koffie, while a Facebook mention speaks of coffee beans from the same supplier. The available sources do not provide further details regarding branding, blends, origin countries, or roast profiles.

The examined menu does not document manual brewing methods such as filter coffee, pour-over, AeroPress, batch brew, or cold brew. Based on the available material, it can only be established that espresso preparations are publicly listed. Further conclusions about the coffee program are not supported by the provided information.

The plant-based character of the café is also reflected in the milk options. The menu lists oat, soy, almond, coconut, and hazelnut milk. These options align with the fully plant-based profile mentioned in several public descriptions.

In addition to coffee, the menu features various hot and cold drinks. Listed are chai latte, matcha latte, lavender latte, dirty chai, golden milk, and maté. The menu also mentions iced matcha, homemade iced tea, and homemade ginger beer. There is also a smoothie with espresso on the menu. This “De oppepper” contains banana, espresso, avocado, cinnamon, and coconut milk.

Mahalo presents its products as homemade, organic, and fully plant-based. The words organic and local also recur in the public positioning. Visit Groningen links this approach to health and the environment. Thus, sustainability is primarily visible in the choice of plant-based products and local or organic sourcing.

A mention by Lekker Plantaardig names Bionoord as the vegetable supplier and Broodje van Eigen Deeg as the bread supplier. The official menu lists Wilderland as the supplier of the botanical kombucha “Altijd lente”. For coffee, public social media mentions point to Boot Koffie. These names provide more context for the product choices, although the sources do not offer complete procurement information.

The relationship with the Noorderplantsoen is also reflected in the formats for eating outside the establishment. The menu mentions a picnic basket with a blanket. Guests can choose from menu items or a lunch picnic and use the basket in the park. HappyCow also mentions vegan high tea and picnic deals for the nearby park.

The menu also mentions a high tea for which a reservation is required at least one day in advance. Workshops, tastings, or exhibitions are not publicly documented in the examined sources. A separate community program is also not described, although the website and tourist mentions do use language regarding atmosphere and community.

Since its reopening in 2019, Mahalo has been featured in various local and plant-based hospitality guides. Discover Groningen and Visit Groningen list the venue as a location in Groningen. HappyCow describes Mahalo as a fully vegan breakfast and lunch café, noting that the listing was added on July 13, 2019.

Later mentions place Mahalo primarily in the context of plant-based food and hospitality around the Noorderplantsoen. Barts Boekje included the venue in a 2022 article about spots around the park. RestauPlant lists Mahalo in a restaurant profile and in a 2025 list of vegan lunch options in Groningen. Sikkom included the venue in a 2025 terrace test, awarding it 24 out of 30 points.

Based on the provided information, Mahalo emerges as a plant-based lunch café with an espresso-based coffee menu. The available sources primarily offer insight into the location, concept, menu, and suppliers. For a deeper assessment of coffee quality, brewing profile, or barista practice, the material contains no measurable data.