Hop & Stork

Hop & Stork is a coffee and chocolate shop located in the heart of Utrecht. The Utrecht branch is listed at Lijnmarkt 1, 3511 KE Utrecht. The location is also mentioned by Utrecht & Partners. Additionally, Hop & Stork’s public Instagram profile lists three locations: two in The Hague and one in Utrecht.

The Utrecht shop is part of a concept that brings together coffee, chocolate, ice cream, and patisserie. The business presents itself not only as a hospitality venue but also as a place where products are visibly prepared. Available information emphasizes the senses of smelling, seeing, and tasting. Chocolate processing, coffee, and a lounge function all play a role in this experience.

The history of Hop & Stork begins in The Hague. Anil Soekhoe and Remco Groenewold are described as owners who transitioned from the banking world to the hospitality industry in 2014. They combined retail and hospitality in a formula centered around chocolate and coffee. According to other reports, Soekhoe previously worked as an international banker and subsequently pursued training in patisserie and as a barista.

The first location opened in The Hague. According to available sources, Utrecht followed in 2016. In June of that year, it was reported that Hop & Stork would open a location near the Dom within approximately one month. This marked the step from a Hague-based foundation to a location in the heart of Utrecht.

According to reports, the name Hop & Stork refers to two elements. “Hop” is connected to the Hague’s Hopje, while “Stork” refers to the stork as a symbol of The Hague. A connection is also drawn between part of Soekhoe’s surname and the Surinamese word for happiness. This explanation concerns the origin of the brand and not specifically the Utrecht location.

For coffee, Hop & Stork works with Single Estate, according to their own sustainability information. This supplier is described there as a Dutch coffee roaster. Single Estate also lists Hop & Stork as a hospitality client in both The Hague and Utrecht. This publicly documents the relationship between the shop and the roaster.

Not all brewing methods are fully described in public menu texts. However, various coffee drinks are mentioned in external and official contexts. For the The Hague location, espresso, cappuccino, and filter coffee are documented in relation to a coffee test from 2015. Other public information mentions cappuccino, flat white, and latte at Hop & Stork in The Hague.

For Utrecht, the relationship with Single Estate is particularly relevant. A profile of Janine Jetten, manager of Hop & Stork Lijnmarkt, notes that Single Estate enables a rotating coffee selection. In the same profile, filter coffee is mentioned as one of her personal preferences. The sources thus provide direction, but not a complete overview of all brewing methods in Utrecht.

In addition to coffee, chocolate plays a fixed role in the concept. The sustainability information from Hop & Stork lists Callebaut as the chocolate supplier. This refers to Cocoa Horizons, a program linked to Callebaut in the source. Another source mentions Felchlin chocolate at the The Hague branch on Frederik Hendriklaan. That information does not specifically concern Utrecht.

The same sustainability information states that Single Estate sources 80 percent of its coffee directly from farmers through a Direct Trade model. It also notes that many Single Estate farmers are certified by UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, or hold organic certification. For tea, Hop & Stork mentions Crusio Thee from Bergen op Zoom, with direct sourcing from tea producers.

According to its own information, Hop & Stork organizes workshops on chocolate and coffee. These are guided by chocolatiers and baristas, covering knowledge of origin, tasting different origins, and the basic principles of processing. The publicly mentioned workshops are primarily focused on chocolate, such as bonbons, truffles, chocolate letters, Easter eggs, and seasonal shapes.

A company profile on LinkedIn also mentions High Chocolate, workshops on chocolate and coffee, baby showers, parties, and business meetings with lunch. A private meeting room for up to 25 people is also mentioned. No public documentation was found in the provided information regarding exhibitions at the Utrecht branch.

Hop & Stork Utrecht has been visible in local and regional publications since 2016. The branch at Lijnmarkt 1 was mentioned in reports about the opening, in location overviews, and in later reviews or descriptions. A coffee test from 2015, in which Hop & Stork was named third, concerned the The Hague location and therefore cannot be directly attributed to Utrecht.

The available picture is that Hop & Stork in Utrecht is a branch within a broader brand that combines coffee, chocolate, patisserie, and workshops. The documentation provides clear data on location, coffee origin, and some activities. At the same time, a complete public overview of all coffee preparations for the Utrecht business remains limited.