Located on Place Sainte-Catherine, the new Drache café opened in mid-May. Behind this concept, we find three friends, Timothy Cohen, Colin Wolf and Robert Makroczy. We met Timothy Cohen, one of the managers of this new Brussels brand. He explains their collaboration to us: “We opened Drache with two other friends, owners of a yoga studio, Yyoga, a little further away. We wanted to try to create a bridge between the two. For example, Colin, one of my partners, one of the owners of Yyoga, is an architect and he did all the design of the café. To create this bridge, I also have a lot of clients who come for their coffee before or after their yoga session.”
Discover in pictures our masterclass with Oîkos:
Drache officially opened on Saturday, May 13. The week before this date, they had soft openings. “On Google Maps we weren’t open, but I did that just to see how it would go. And we had quite a few people, we didn’t expect it. It really took off straight away, we didn’t see it coming.”, tells us Timothy Cohen.
The matcha temple
The concept of Drache is to highlight the coffee shop. “I wanted something that was just coffee related. Currently, many cafes are doubled as brunches. And I really wanted to stay in coffee.” The menu offers a wide range of hot or cold drinks. Between teas and coffees from the most basic to the most original, there is something for everyone. “The cafe menu is quite common. I offer a guest café which will change every six to eight weeks. On the other hand, it’s true that matcha, I didn’t expect it to explode. I’ve always loved making them and wanted to make drinks that were a little more seasonal. So I started experimenting and mixing with tonic, hot chocolate, mango or even strawberry. Since I opened, I’ve been making more matcha than coffee.”The aesthetic side is also taken into account. Matcha is served in transparent glasses to see the color blend of this enhanced drink.
Paris, London, Amsterdam are capitals full of coffee shops. For Timothy Cohen, in Belgium, the supply is not large enough while demand continues to increase. “I opened in the center where there are already quite a few cafes, but all the stores are full. Here, the cafes help each other, which is great because we know that there isn’t much competition.”
A nod to Belgian culture
The name Drache is a way of highlighting Belgian culture. “II wanted something that was French-speaking. Initially, I come from Liège so I wanted a name that echoed Walloon culture a little. In addition, quite a few tourists wonder what it is.”, specifies Timothy Cohen.
All products are made by Belgian artisans. The manager’s goal is to try to stay as local as possible. It highlights Belgian roasters and production studios in the capital, whether for teas from the Brussels tea house, coffees from Wide Away, pastries or for t-shirts, tote bags. and ceramic mugs.
Small bonus, water is self-service at Drache. A logical decision for the manager, who also wants to move towards sustainable consumption. For this, personalized glasses, approaching 100% recyclable, will arrive soon.
Practical information:
Or ? Quai au Bois à Brûler 11, 1000 Brussels
When ? Every day of the week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Tuesdays.
In video, what are the tips of a champion barista for making a successful coffee?
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