In and around Addis Ababa, coffee shop culture is currently growing, making it difficult to tell one from the other. Some coffee shops stand out more than others, despite the fact that each one provides a unique experience, product, and overall aesthetic.
With laptops accompanying the majority of young people’s working habits, they seek out cozy spots where they can work quietly while also having access to a network connection and an electrical outlet. These professionals want attractive environments where their creative impulses can flow freely.
“I am a content creator, so I need to work at places where my mind feels free to roam, a place where cute creative drinks are easily available,” said Samrawit Tewodros, pausing her work to talk about how comfortable and productive she becomes while working at coffee shops.
Coffeecology Africa, which started not long ago, is one of the trending coffee cafes. The coffee shop is hidden on the first floor of Trendpark Mall, combining classic coffee with an out-of-the-box mixology technique. The dark scholarly aspect combined with the contemporary design lures anyone with an eye for simplistic beauty when they enter through the doors.
“I came here because I heard their cocktails were beautiful and tasted just as good, and to say it lived up to its hype is an understatement. The creativity put into the drinks is on another level,” Samrawit said.
Even the staff plays a part in encouraging clients to make risky decisions that they would not dare to make at other times, according to Samrawit. Coffee shops like Coffeecology provide a safe refuge for creative people as well as those who enjoy brews and drinks that let their creative juices flow freely.
Samrawit believes that some of the most successful people in history have done their best work in coffee shops. Whether they’re painters, singer-songwriters, philosophers, or writers, people across nations have tapped into their creativity by working in cafés.
Coffeecology offers high-end coffee as well as beautiful cocktails, some with hints of coffee, and others completely of their own accord. For those who are concerned about what they put into their bodies, the café boutique offers a variety of keto, vegan, and healthy meals.
“I am not vegan, but I find it so refreshing that they have options for when I am fasting. I have come up with some of my best work while enjoying cocktails. I didn’t even know I liked fine dining,” says Samrawit.
Since the pandemic, an increasing number of young people have turned to freelance work rather than the 9 to 5 that confines them to office spaces.
The vast majority of these young people work from home or from coffee shops. Much like the generation before them, the younger generation has developed a special bond with coffee and the establishments that serve it.
With coffee becoming a highly sought-after commodity on a global scale, an increasing number of people are venturing outside of their traditional coffee-making comfort zones. Though experimental coffee is not as popular as it is in the rest of the world, new coffee shops are taking steps in that direction.
For Bethlehem Atnafu, the ceremony involved in drinking coffee the traditional way should not be compared to experimental coffee.
“You can’t replace the traditional coffee and the ceremony, nor is it comparable, but I can’t deny the occasional fun coffee drink, which excites me just as much,” Bethlehem said, talking about the comparisons made between traditionally made coffee and experimental coffee drinks.
Specialty coffee has emerged around the world, with a culture dedicated to developing a better appreciation for coffee through quality beans and improved brewing methods.
Consumers’ knowledge of specialty coffee has changed in recent years as the international coffee industry has grown, with Ethiopian coffee harvesters and exporters benefiting from it.
The average Ethiopian, on the other hand, does not have the opportunity to try the various iterations of specialty coffee that are exported. Coffee shops such as Coffeecology allow customers to enjoy fun and festive drinks with coffee at the center.
“I used to love Starbucks back in the US and Tim Horton’s while I was in Canada. Both those places knew nothing about coffee, yet they had amazing coffee-based drinks. To find places like this that offer the space as well as the coffee and cocktails is refreshing,” Samrawit said.
Plans are afoot to open a second branch just a year after the first opened, with plans to venture into producing their own coffee, even though they get high-quality Hadero coffee.
