Room – Rodeweg

Room – Rodeweg is located at Rodeweg 1 in the Korrewegwijk in Groningen. The location is publicly listed via the company’s own channels and serves as the second branch alongside the address at Vismarkt. According to local guides and reports, it is a family business run by Simon and Marie Louise Brandsma and their three daughters. Simon and Marie Louise are described as pastry chefs and ice cream makers.

The company’s roots lie in the hospitality and bakery scene of Groningen. Reports regarding the opening of their second location mention that the family was previously active with Pure at the Vismarkt. Simon Brandsma is also noted as hailing from a well-known Groningen baking family. The first Room location at the Vismarkt dates back to April 15, 2021, while April 3, 2023, was publicly announced as the opening date for the Rodeweg branch.

On its own website, Room describes the concept in broad terms as a fusion of ice cream, matcha, specialty coffee, and homemade sweets. The business emphasizes that the ice cream is made fresh throughout the day and that cookies are baked in-house. In doing so, the shop positions itself not as a pure coffee bar or a traditional ice cream parlor, but as a space where these different product groups converge.

Kolibri Coffee Roasters is publicly listed as the supplier for their coffee offering. Both external guides and the shop’s own communications link Room to this Groningen-based roastery. While the drink menu isn’t detailed technically or extensively on the website, specialty coffee and matcha lattes are explicitly mentioned. Furthermore, during the opening of the Rodeweg location, it was reported that a new espresso machine from Italy had arrived for the new branch.

There is little public documentation regarding specific brewing methods. None of the consulted sources mention methods such as V60, Chemex, AeroPress, pour-over, or batch brew. Consequently, it remains unclear exactly how extensive their manual brew menu is. What is evident, however, are drink combinations where coffee and ice cream meet, fitting perfectly into the shop’s broader concept where coffee is integrated with the dessert and ice cream selection.

Publicly documented examples of their preparations include:

Additionally, there is at least one documented example of a guest coffee. In April 2023, Room announced that two coffees from Dak Coffee Roasters were on the grinder at the Vismarkt location. This indicates that, alongside their permanent offering, the business occasionally features other roasters, although available information doesn’t reveal how structural this practice is.

No concrete information regarding workshops, tastings, or exhibitions was found in the consulted materials. However, the Rodeweg location appears in several publications as a spot where visitors work or study. Reports on the opening mentioned tables and terrace seating, and subsequent overviews of study and workspaces in Groningen also list Room – Rodeweg in that context.

This portrays the shop as serving a broader urban function. The location is not only the subject of articles about ice cream or coffee but also appears in lists of places where people spend time outside the home. In this sense, the shop acts as an informal community hub within the neighborhood, even if no explicit community program is linked to it in the available sources.

A separate sustainability policy for Room was not found in the consulted public sources. However, data regarding suppliers and production methods is available. Room lists Kolibri Coffee Roasters as their coffee partner. In communications regarding this partnership, Kolibri is described as a roastery working with single-origin coffee that is purportedly sustainably harvested, carefully processed, and ethically sourced. Additionally, Room names Matchaeologist as their matcha supplier, a partner they have used since their inception.

Regarding their own production, the emphasis lies on in-house preparation. Local guides and press mention that Room makes its own ice cream and other components, including pasteurizing mixes and churning ice cream in machines visible to guests. These are primarily descriptions of their workflow and artisanal production, rather than formally documented sustainability claims.

In recent years, Room – Rodeweg has garnered attention in local and international media focusing on hospitality, city guides, and specialty coffee. The establishment has been featured in articles about new openings, family businesses, ice cream parlors, and coffee bars in Groningen. Mentions also appeared in lists of study and workspaces. No specific awards or distinctions for the Rodeweg location were found in the consulted sources.

Based on the available data, Room – Rodeweg can be summarized as a Groningen-based family business where specialty coffee, matcha, homemade ice cream, and sweets converge. The coffee offering is publicly visible, though only limited technical documentation exists. It is precisely the combination of coffee with ice cream and homemade products that forms the most recognizable thread in the public information.