NN DE Café - Rotterdam

NN DE douwe Café Rotterdam

NN DE Café Rotterdam

NN DE Café Rotterdam

NN DE Café Rotterdam koffie

I find the relationship between coffee and work a difficult one. As a true devotee, it hurts when someone drinks a black-to-go only for the caffeine - ‘to get the motor running’. Lines like these remind me of the one time I visited to the cultural centre of Rome with school, and half of the crowd was more impressed by the booze at night than the sight of the Colosseum. You don’t patronize a work of art; you grant her some respect.

On the other hand, it’s a splendid idea that saving the day with roasted beans is a global tradition. Think about it; coffee is the manager’s partner in crime, the entrepreneur’s little voice that says: take the risk! Coffee and business go hand in hand.

I guess I’m OK with the business context as an alternative to the more laid back, relaxed one, as long as the café is designer for it. Nothing is more disturbing than a suited-up business (wo)man pledging a Skype pitch through the jazzy sounds of a cosy café, as If the room consists of a bunch of investors. The DE-café in Rotterdam Central is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee while bringing in new clients. The Lawyer that works on his case against a Corporate guy two seats ahead look great together on a long singles table. The business student (me) and the social studies student exchange a smirked sigh while toiling through research papers. The public living room still exists, but we’re all playing an extra role - we’re very busy doing business.

The central Douwe Egberts café in Rotterdam isn’t the only one DE café in town. Or even - in the country. For the Dutch, Douwe Egberts is tradition, as the coffee company has been around since 1753 (!). Therefore, every location has some nostalgia, starting with the sight of the red stamp sign with the white initials of the man who started it all in colonial times.

This central location is made with a clear business purpose though. Just a 2-minute walk to the trains, the big black spatial one-floor room awaits people on the move. Still, the ambiance is pleasant. The walls contain texts such as “with a cookie and a piece of cake” and “or with cinnamon”. The coffee is good - as expected for such a known brand, mugs are the traditional ones you can buy in the big warehouses. A German philosophy student next to me asks if I can watch her laptop while she pays for her coffee. Later on, she does the same for me and we exchange an expression of recognition. You can still make friends in this café. Just don’t forget to frown every once in a while; after all, this is business and we’re all very serious and, you know, very busy. Or at least that is the role to play.

Joe for now,