coffeetime.si, a coffee pearl of Izola

coffeetime.si is situated in the beautiful coastal Slovene town of Izola. The place is near Italy and the Italian coffee influence is strong here.

Still, coffeetime.si is bringing fresh roasted specialty-grade coffee to the region.

While visiting the roastery we were given a guide through the company’s history and premises.

We were served a beautiful espresso made of Kenya Kayset AA washed and roasted a week ago. The cup was balanced, and sweet, with cherry flavor and a juicy texture.

Great start for the coffee talk.

Talk with Nace Sumrada:

Lev (specialtykava.si)

Hi Nace! Thank you for finding time. How did the coffeetime.si business or brand or project start and why? 

Nace:

My pleasure.

The coffeetime.si project started during the COVID pandemic, we had a lot of free time and no business. We had to do something because we still had about 20 employees.

So we wanted to keep everyone and it was hard. And we saw that we are too focused on B2B operations and to do coffee shops.

We said alright, we know, we have the passion, we know how the system works.

So we looked around and we saw that there are not many websites where you can buy coffee gear and also get some knowledge if you ask the questions in Slovenia. And for us, it was very important to have same-day shipping. We looked at what we think the Slovenian market needs and that is more knowledge on the coffee topic and same-day shipping.

Everything you see on our website is available.

It’s if it’s not, it’s not there.

So that’s the idea. And the idea is to help out people.

What is your average customer?

They already have a regular job, a good job, maybe also family and so on, and 25 end up. Yeah, so and they already passed all the coffees and the teas that look good, but that doesn’t actually taste good. So they have the time and the passion to try something new to explore besides the job and the kids.

What do you do to promote lighter roasts and special gig coffee in the region, like in Slovenia? 

First, we implement these things in our coffee shop. So for the regular customers, we want them to try something new. And a lot of times we try to make it fun and approachable.

So we don’t just do the V60 for somebody who doesn’t know it.

We also promote cold brew and cold brew cocktails anywhere we go.

What are the main challenges for the business and the project today? 

Huge online shops and tax rates are not making it easy for us to build up our online sales. Expanding our team is hard but this can be seen throughout Slovenia.

What is your favorite coffee and how do you like it to be prepared? 

For me, my favorite coffee is still an espresso. I drink about 8 espresso a day and I just love them. I love my espresso breaks. A lot of people say that espresso energizes them.

But for me, it relaxes me if I’m stressed out.

Thank you, Nace!

Talk with Klemen Pucer

Lev (specialtykava.si)

Hey Klemen! Many thanks for you for finding time to talk. So first up Klemen, what I want to know is how did you become a roadster and why?

Klemen:

Hi Lev!

Well, I always liked coffee and at some point started to discover more about coffee.

So I started working with coffee.

And how did you become a roaster? Did you start as a barista?

Yeah, first I was a barista. I also worked in equipment service and management before I started roasting.

And this path was like some natural part of growing and knowing even more.

Do you prefer an electric or gas roaster and why?

I chose a gas roaster for now. I am still learning much and I find gas roasters ideal for that because they are more affordable.

What’s your favorite coffee to roast?

I like roasting natural processed coffee. For example, for me, roasting coffee with a screen size of 17-18 is a pleasant experience because it is consistent.

What is your favorite coffee to drink and how it should be prepared so that you say that’s good, so.

It depends on the mood I am in and if I have time to enjoy the coffee and, if I have good company, if I have time to, let’s say, talk with them, then I’m choosing V60 or some other pour-overs. But if my time is limited there is nothing better than an espresso.

Thank you, Klemen!

Outro

Visiting coffee roasteries is always an interesting and even eye-opening experience.

So next time when in Izola do give Nace and Klemen a call.