Turkey: coffee business, consumption, inspiration
It is always interesting to learn about starting a business, especially when it comes to establishing one abroad. Of course, in this article you will not find complicated stories about taxes, repairs and documents, but you will learn what it is like to open a coffee shop in an infinitely beautiful village on the Mediterranean Sea.
Surprisingly, it is not only Russia that has a hard time with the supply of green coffee; Turks pay several times more for logistics, and the cost of buying green beans is several times higher than in Russia and America. In this interview, Mehmed Dülgerogl, the owner of the only specialty coffee shop Mama Africa Coffee in Kas, talks about how the coffee shop works, about the preferences of guests and about the balance of coffee drinks.
On coffee house traffic, guest preferences and Turkish coffee
In summer, the traffic is endless, we have so many tourists. That's why we are open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the season. In winter it's mainly locals and freelancers who come here to work, so the hours are much shorter.
The season lasts from the beginning of May to the end of October, on the 31st we celebrate Republic Day and the end of work.
The price of coffee ranges from 35 to 45 lira, depending on the drink (1 lira = 3.5 rubles). I believe that coffee in a coffee shop can cost up to 60 lira, no normal person would pay more.
In our country Americano is more popular because people don't want to wait 5-7 minutes for a purover (V60, funnel is an alternative method of preparation, we wrote more about it here).
I don't see the point in the filter as it very rarely tastes good. After all, if a customer wants something really special, he'll wait five minutes and we'll make him his best funnel, and if there's no time, an Americano is a great alternative. Plus, it happens to be delicious.
Turkish coffee is a bitter coffee, without any special flavor. We prefer to drink it with something sweet.
The local coffee used to be really tasty, but after World War II, Istanbul became the most important transshipment point for coffee, from where it was already shipped to Europe. At that time, all Brazilian coffee was in Istanbul. That's when its quality changed. We switched from good Ethiopian and Yemeni coffee to cheap Brazilian coffee.
On opening a coffee shop
For 10 years I worked as a trader for an international company in Turkey, then I decided to do my own business and opened a coffee shop. This is the third year of its existence. I started with 10 cups of coffee a day. My all-time record is 256 cups a day. This coffee shop can handle a maximum of 300 cups/day. In the beginning I stood behind the bar and made my own coffee, now I have three people working three shifts.
The name of the coffee shop is Mama Africa because of my endless love for this continent. Africa is truly the cradle of all things with its incredible flora and fauna.
About the balance in coffee drinks
It all depends on what your guest wants. It's important to understand what he wants in the taste. I always ask: tell me what you want, and we'll make you what you want. If they ask me to add an extra shot of espresso, I explain that in this case I will need to add an equal amount of milk - to maintain that very balance.
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About Speciality Coffee
For me, specialty coffee is about beans that have been harvested in a specific way, grown under specific conditions, and have flavor and aroma characteristics that can surprise. Speciality is about knowing the path that coffee takes and being able to reach out to the person who grew it, establishing a sustainable relationship and collaboration between the importer and the farmer. What makes coffee special is the growing region, the height, the roasting, the roasting date, and the farmer.
Important things about coffee traditions
There is no such thing as bad coffee! If you don't like it, it's just not your coffee.
By the way, we have a custom - if you have a cup of coffee with someone, you're friends for life. So, coffee is the best way to communicate. Usually, during Muslim holidays, people go to each other's houses and drink Turkish coffee together with banana/mint liqueur. Turkish coffee gets more and more bitter over time, so you need something sweeter and sweeter to go with it.