Bankai

Bankai is a coffee bar and bean shop located at Zadelstraat 11 in the heart of Utrecht. The establishment presents itself as a “beanstore & coffeebar”. However, public sources provide conflicting information regarding opening hours and current business status. As a result, a complete and stable overview of daily operations is not available.

The founder is referred to as Jules in the company’s own communications. Sources from the coffee industry cite his full name: Julian van de Sande. Prior to his involvement with Bankai, Van de Sande worked at Brandmeester’s. In 2020, he was one of the six finalists in the Dutch Latte Art Championship.

An exact opening date under the name Bankai has not been publicly recorded. One publication noted that the business was already active in Utrecht on October 21, 2023. The first public introduction via the company’s own Instagram account appeared in January 2024. A travel publication from 2024 described Bankai as the successor to coffee bar Anyday at the same address. Bankai itself has not explained this transition in a dated statement.

The concept revolves around comparing coffee, brewing methods, and taste results. Bankai uses the English phrase “choose your coffee wisely” in its communications. According to their own explanation, the shop showcases multiple coffee variants and the operator discusses how choices made during preparation influence the final result.

The range of roasters appears to have changed over time. Friedhats Coffee Roasters was previously among the brands available at Bankai. A coffee guide mentioned both Friedhats and the Amsterdam-based DAK Coffee Roasters in February 2025. A location description from June 13, 2026, subsequently stated that Bankai had switched to its own house-roasted coffee.

That same description mentioned a rotating selection of single-origin coffees. However, no names of producers, farms, importers, or certifications were provided. As a result, the available research does not offer a complete picture of the current origin and composition of the assortment.

Hand-poured filter coffee is part of the documented offering. Both hand-brew and pour-over are mentioned in public descriptions. A visitor report also described a comparison in which the same coffees were prepared as espresso, flat white, and filter coffee. This allowed the differences between the three brewing methods to be evaluated side by side.

A fixed and complete drink menu has not been found in public sources. Consequently, the current coffees, milk-based drinks, prices, and available brewing methods cannot be determined with certainty. It is also not documented how often the bean selection changes.

Bankai has also made space and equipment available for technical coffee research. In January 2024, coffee researcher Mark Al-Shemmeri thanked Julian van de Sande and Bankai for access to an EK43 grinder with Turkish-style burrs. The location was used for tests regarding grinder calibration and extraction measurement.

Furthermore, a collaboration with the account 918degrees was announced for January 30, 2026. The program at Zadelstraat included coffee and pastries. No recurring program featuring workshops, tastings, exhibitions, or other events has been publicly documented.

Bankai has not published a public sustainability policy. Additionally, no environmental certifications, waste reduction plans, rules for reusable packaging, or statements regarding CO2 emissions have been documented. The previous collaboration with Friedhats and DAK provides information about suppliers, but not about broader procurement terms.

The mention of in-house roasting activities and rotating single-origin coffees also contains no data on direct trade, payments to farmers, or supply chain oversight. Therefore, based on the available material, no conclusions can be drawn regarding the sustainability or traceability of the coffee.

Public attention for Bankai consists primarily of trade and editorial mentions. Van de Sande’s background as a finalist in the latte art championship was already described in 2020. This was later followed by a technical mention in Al-Shemmeri’s research and contributions to travel guides about Utrecht.

A city guide from 2026 covered the shop concept and the reported shift to in-house branding. No formal award or official ranking has been documented for Bankai as a business. The public image thus remains that of a small-scale coffee bar that focuses on preparation, comparison, and rotating beans, while various practical and commercial details remain undocumented in public sources.