Interview with Original Coffee (Prague)

In recent years, Prague has become a city where you can indulge yourself in a proper coffee exploration adventure. Third wave has taken on the Czech capital in full force and whether you prefer small espresso bars or cafés with their own roastery, you will find a place to fall in love with.

We had the pleasure to visit Original Coffee in Prague’s Old Town and has a short chat about their approach to coffee and the state of coffee culture in the city.

How did Original Coffee come to life?

We started five years ago with a small espresso bar at Korunní in the district of Vinohrady. After some time we were looking for a bigger space and we found our current location in the Old Town three years ago.

What were the first reactions from customers? I always had the feeling that Czech people are a bit more careful about their money. Did it affect the entrance of third wave on the market? Or did it help that Prague is very different from the rest of the country and is much more cosmopolitan?

We haven't encountered any negative reactions. The change was very fluid and it didn't feel like a jump to third wave but more as a transition. People had time to get used to us, make it their favourite and later delve into different coffees elsewhere. And I think people really wanted a better choice in what they drink. The locals have been raised on coffee, whose only character was bitterness and discovering flavours with the arrival of third wave was very pleasant to them.

What makes a coffee interesting for you to put it on the menu?

We choose beans that are different and stand out. There is no focus on certain profiles and since we offer usually around 6 types of beans, it's important for us to offer something for everyone. But still, a lot of the focus in on uniqueness.

Who do you work with when sourcing your coffee?

We work with various sources but recently we worked with Three African Sisters, who help women in Rwanda. We are very glad to cooperate with a company that keeps a good social responsibility profile. And for example our current Nicaraguan coffee was discovered by a coworker of ours, who travelled through Nicaragua, where we were excited to learn about it ourselves.

In comparison to your competition in Prague, like Coffee Room or Doubleshot (who also brew their own coffee), what is different about Original Coffee?

We order our selected beans so that we can offer something new every two or three months. And we generally offer coffee that is different, available only in smaller amounts and you are usually not able to get them anywhere else than with us. We also puts a lot of effort into supporting local artists, whose work you can see on our coffee packaging and all over the café. Furthermore we are trying to educate our customers about their coffee choices. Our courses and seminars are open to the public and we do cupping every Wednesday evening.

@weddingwithbisons

Original Coffee
Betlémská 12
110 00 Prague 1 – Staré Město