The U Bar @ The Usual

The U Bar is the food-and-drink destination of The Usual Rotterdam, located at Westblaak 10 in the center of Rotterdam. The location is situated near Westblaak, Witte de Withstraat, and Cinerama. The Usual Rotterdam opened in April 2024. Public information describes The U Bar as part of this Rotterdam establishment.

No public data was found regarding the founders of The U Bar as a standalone coffee bar. The Usual describes itself as being founded by a group of hospitality professionals with experience at citizenM, The Hoxton, Bunk Hotels, and Sircle Collection. The Usual’s team page lists Joachim de Looij as CEO, Gisela Boersma as ESG Manager, and Nancy Habets as Hotel Manager.

The concept of The U Bar aligns with the broader hotel function. The bar focuses on breakfast, lunch, all-day dining, drinks, and bar bites. The Usual describes the offering as seasonal, partly plant-based, and connected to regional products. The space is intended for both hotel guests and outside visitors.

For coffee drinkers, the partnership with Moyee is particularly relevant. Moyee lists The Usual as a corporate client and states that Moyee FairChain coffee is served in The U Bar and in the rooms. On its own food-and-drink page, The Usual refers to FairChain coffee at breakfast and mentions a latte as an example of a coffee drink.

Publicly available information does not provide a complete picture of the brewing methods used. No data was found regarding espresso machines, filter coffee, batch brew, manual brew methods, or grinders at The U Bar. On its business page, Moyee describes various B2B options, such as beans, capsules, and single-filter drip bags. This information does not necessarily mean all these formats are available at The U Bar.

The public menu of The Usual Rotterdam primarily lists dishes, including sandwiches, salads, burgers, and pizzas. The reviewed menu pages do not mention specific coffee preparations or technical details regarding extraction. Consequently, coffee information remains limited to the documented collaboration with Moyee and the mentioned FairChain coffee and latte.

The U Bar functions not only as a bar but also as part of a broader meeting hub. The Rotterdam location of The Usual includes co-working spaces, meeting rooms, The Atelier, The Makers Studio, and The Library. The food-and-drink page mentions seven meeting rooms and various co-working spots connected to the bar environment.

This setup places The U Bar in a hybrid context. The establishment is linked to a hotel, but is also presented as a place for work, meetings, and social moments. For the specialty coffee sector, this is relevant because coffee here is part of a broader hospitality model, rather than a standalone coffee bar with a sole focus on coffee.

The Usual promotes a variety of events, live music, workshops, and talks. These activities are integral to the hotel’s broader concept and the establishment’s social spaces. In 2025, a Rotterdam Pride program was also announced for The Usual Rotterdam, running from September 19 through September 28.

The Pride program included a “Sip With Pride” evening, a Cocktail Project event in collaboration with COC Nederland, and served as a meeting point for the Pride March. The Usual states that 50 percent of the proceeds from the Sip with Pride cocktail are donated to COC Nederland’s Cocktail Project, which supports LGBTQIA+ refugees.

Sustainability is a prominent part of The Usual’s public positioning. The organization claims that 70 percent of its food and drink products are sourced locally within 80 kilometers of the cities where they operate. Additionally, The Usual states that 40 percent of their menus are plant-based, consisting primarily of vegetarian options.

Several partners are highlighted for The U Bar Rotterdam, including New Wave Catering, Jordy’s Bakery, Frank about tea, Dik & Schil, Naturfrisk, Arbikie, Kaapse Brouwers, and Wilder Land. The Usual links its partnership with New Wave Catering to a local, seasonal menu and a commitment to reducing food waste.

Dik & Schil is mentioned as a partner that utilizes waste streams from the hospitality sector. This includes, among other things, coffee grounds from Moyee, which are processed into liqueurs for cocktails. The Usual also supports an urban regenerative farming site at Voedseltuin Rotterdam, where fruits and vegetables are grown for the local food bank and social projects.

According to the organization, The Usual Rotterdam received the Green Key Gold certification approximately one month after opening. Cited measures include gas-free operations, certified Dutch wind energy, a green roof, recycling stations, MadeBlue water donations, a partnership with ClearRivers, support for Voedseltuin Rotterdam, and a Too Good To Go partnership.

BREEAM-NL reported that The Usual Rotterdam achieved an Outstanding Asset score of 86.26 percent for BREEAM-NL In-Use, excluding Pods by The Usual. Furthermore, the LIV Hospitality Design Awards named The Usual Rotterdam the winner in the Eco-friendly Interior Design category. The project description highlights bar cladding made from terrazzo tile scraps and bar stools crafted from coffee husks and plastic waste.

The U Bar is publicly listed as a bar within hotel The Usual and is also mentioned on Rotterdam.info as a location on the Westblaak. Available data shows a bar where coffee is part of a broader mix of hospitality, hotel services, workspaces, events, and sustainability claims. To get a complete picture of their coffee practice, public details regarding brewing methods, equipment, and the daily coffee selection are still missing.