Backyard

Backyard is a hospitality venue located in Rotterdam Centrum, at Korte Hoogstraat 14. The business is listed as BACKYARD B.V. at this address on its own website. The venue opened in May 2018 and was described in the lead-up to its opening as a plant-based and vegan-friendly location in the city center.

At the opening, Yunlai Ye and Wiwi Cao were named as the entrepreneurs behind Backyard. They were also associated with The Tea Lab. A crowdfunding profile additionally lists Elianne Faber among the entrepreneurs. That profile describes Yunlai Ye as someone who grew up in a hospitality family and was previously involved with Dailywok and The Tea Lab. Regarding Wiwi Cao, the profile mentions experience in marketing and sales at Google Netherlands, Groupon China, and DiningCity Shanghai.

Backyard’s concept revolves around an all-day restaurant with a fully plant-based menu. The venue positions itself as a place for breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, drinks, and business or social gatherings. The interior design plays a role in this concept: Backyard describes its environment as an urban-garden setting. In practical terms, it is a restaurant formula that combines eating, drinking, working, and meeting.

For coffee enthusiasts, the coffee selection is particularly relevant. Backyard states that it serves locally roasted coffee from Giraffe Coffee. The published daily menu lists the “Backyard Blend by Giraffe Coffee.” This clearly identifies the supplier of the house blend. The available coffee drinks on the menu are espresso, americano, cappuccino, flat white, cortado, cafe latte, latte macchiato, pumpkin spice latte, and iced coffee.

The way milk is used aligns with the venue’s plant-based profile. The menu states that coffee is served with plant-based milk as standard. Alpro soy, Alpro coconut (at an extra charge), and Oatly oat milk are mentioned. According to the menu, cow’s milk is available upon request. This makes the default choice plant-based, while a dairy option is not entirely excluded.

No manual brewing methods are mentioned in the available information. Pour-over, batch brew, AeroPress, and French press are not documented in the reviewed website and menu information. As a result, the coffee offering appears to consist primarily of espresso-based drinks and iced coffee. Public data is limited for assessing the technical approach to coffee.

Backyard describes its menu as fully plant-based. Seasonal ingredients are also mentioned as part of its approach. This information fits within a broader positioning where sustainability is part of the restaurant concept. The concrete publicly available data focuses mainly on the menu, the default choice of plant-based milk, and the named suppliers.

In addition to Giraffe Coffee, the menu mentions several other brands and suppliers. The Tea Lab is listed for tea. Furthermore, Alpro, Oatly, Schulp, Fritz, Marie Stella Maris, Bundaberg, Wilderland Kombucha, Gulpener, Noordt, Vet&Lazy, and Lowlander appear on the menu. These names provide insight into procurement and offerings, without allowing further conclusions about origin or certification.

Backyard’s official group information mentions various uses. These include group dinners, breakfasts, business meetings, private events, birthdays, celebratory dinners, drinks, and networking events. For business meetings, a capacity of up to 30 guests is mentioned in a semi-private setting. For celebrations and birthdays, the information states a capacity of up to 50 guests.

Examples of use are also visible outside the venue’s own communications. A Meetup page documents “Silent writing” gatherings of the Rotterdam Creative Writing Meetup Group at BACKYARD Rotterdam on Korte Hoogstraat 14. Additionally, the crowdfunding profile stated before the opening that the layout had to be suitable for events, workshops, parties, and business meetings.

Around its opening, Backyard received attention from local and business-oriented media. De Buik van Rotterdam wrote in April 2018 about the arrival of the establishment in Rotterdam Centrum. De Ondernemer also reported in April 2018 on the opening by the owner of The Tea Lab. Weekends in Rotterdam included Backyard in 2018 in an overview of new businesses and noted the opening in May of that year.

Later mentions primarily place Backyard within the plant-based hospitality category. The restaurant listing by De Buik categorizes the establishment as a restaurant offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails, and coffee. RestauPlant names Backyard a plant-based restaurant and mentions a menu update in March 2026. HappyCow lists Backyard under “Top Rated in Rotterdam” and cites the same address on Korte Hoogstraat.

Backyard has been active in Rotterdam Centrum since 2018, combining a plant-based restaurant concept with coffee from Giraffe Coffee. Public information provides a clear picture of the entrepreneurs, the address, the menu, the standard choice of plant-based milk, and the use of the space for groups and gatherings. No data was found in the available sources regarding manual coffee preparation or formal awards.