La Jeu Coffee

La Jeu Coffee is located at Hinthamerstraat 190 in the city center of 's-Hertogenbosch. The coffee shop occupies the former premises of the De Drie Mollen coffee roastery. This means the business operates in a space with a rich coffee history. The location is an integral part of the story La Jeu tells about the shop.

The documented founder and owner is Larissa Jeunink. She previously worked in the hospitality industry and later discovered coffee through Illy. She then earned a diploma as an Authorized SCA Trainer in Paris. At La Jeu, she is involved in coffee roasting, workshops, and training.

There are slight discrepancies in public records regarding the opening date. La Jeu itself cites July 1, 2021, as the opening date. Bossche Buik also mentioned this date. Den Bosch City noted that the shop has been active since June 2021 as a shop, bar, and school all in one. The difference seems to lie in the precise start phase of the business.

The concept combines three functions at one address: coffee bar, coffee shop, and coffee school. The business focuses on the entire chain from bean to cup. This includes origin, roasting, brewing, and drinking. La Jeu links this to a focus on specialty coffee and a fairer coffee chain.

La Jeu states that the coffee beans are roasted in-house. According to their own information, the beans are roasted every two to three weeks and then sold in the shop. This keeps a significant part of the production process close to the bar itself.

The coffees described come from countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia, Rwanda, Brazil, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. Publicly listed coffees include Brazil Bosch Bakkie, Brazil Colombia Blend, Rwanda Kirehe Gahara, Colombia Santa Rita Huilá, Indonesia Sumatra, and Nicaragua San Juan Rio Coco. In 2023, Costa Rica Washed Anaerobic and Costa Rica Red Honey were also added, in collaboration with Grounds Coffees.

In the bar, two grinders and two different types of coffee beans are used. Coffee is prepared per cup. Documented preparations include espresso, cappuccino, latte macchiato, americano, and flat white. The full menu is not detailed in the available material.

A significant part of La Jeu’s profile is education. The shop offers a Barista Workshop, Latte Art Workshop, and Sensory Skills Workshop. Additionally, SCA training is mentioned, where participants can earn an SCA certificate after passing exams.

The Barista Workshop covers topics such as coffee origin and the preparation of espresso and cappuccino. The Latte Art Workshop focuses on milk, milk types, temperature, microfoam, steaming technique, and basic pouring techniques. The Sensory Skills Workshop is dedicated to tasting, smelling, analyzing, and cupping according to SCA standards.

In a post marking the two-year anniversary, La Jeu noted that 75 workshops and training sessions had been held in the first two years. This figure underscores that education is not separate from the bar function but is an integral part of the business model.

Beyond coffee and training, several local activities have been documented. La Jeu described live music in the bar by Breda-based singer-songwriter Stijn van der Kreij on the first Sunday of each month. A collaboration with artist Rogier Roeters was also mentioned, centered around a latte-art-related artwork.

La Jeu also mentioned the availability of Cinful Sunday pastries on weekends, introduced by barista-pastry chef Danny. These examples place the shop within a broader network of local makers and collaborators, even though the available material does not provide full program details.

La Jeu connects specialty coffee to fair compensation for farmers and to awareness of the coffee supply chain. A specific point mentioned is that 1 percent of the revenue from every bag of coffee sold goes to the International Women’s Coffee Alliance.

Practical choices regarding transport, waste, and reuse have also been described. La Jeu works with Shortcut Fietskoeriers for bicycle delivery of beans. In 2023, the shop began using Too Good To Go to reduce waste from sweet products. WeCup and HuskeeCups are also mentioned as alternatives to disposable cups.

Reuse also played a role in the interior design. It was noted that at the start of the business, Larissa Jeunink used many second-hand items. She sourced these, among other places, from thrift stores and Marktplaats.

Since its opening, La Jeu Coffee has been featured multiple times in local and national overviews. Bossche Buik wrote in August 2021 about the new coffee shop in the former De Drie Mollen building. Den Bosch City published a profile on Larissa Jeunink’s background, the concept, and the location.

Later, La Jeu also appeared in lists of coffee shops in Breda, including articles from NS Dagje Uit and Your Little Black Book. The shop is also listed in the De’Longhi Coffee Lounge as a coffee roaster. That profile cites 2019 as the year La Jeu Coffee was founded, which differs from the documentation regarding the bar’s opening in 2021.

The Dutch Horeca Awards included La Jeu Coffee in the nomination list for coffee shops. La Jeu itself reported that the shop ranked number 1 in Breda and number 3 in North Brabant in the coffee shop category. A LinkedIn post also mentioned a ranking of number 12 in the Netherlands.