Our Story — Brûlée Coffee

The Beginning

It started with a second-hand roaster and a dream too big for the room.

In 2019, Andrei — then a barista at a chain café — bought a small drum roaster at an auction. He set it up in his parents' garage in Căușeni, Moldova, and began roasting every Sunday, giving bags to friends to taste.

The feedback was immediate and unanimous. What he was making was genuinely different — brighter, fresher, more alive than anything you could buy locally. Within six months, a waiting list had formed.

The First Café

A café is not just a room — it is a small world someone invites you into.

In 2021, Brûlée opened its first physical space — a stripped-back former printshop on Calea Ișnovăț, with concrete walls, warm pendants, and a 6-seat brew bar that became the neighbourhood's informal living room.

The name came simply: from the French word for burnt — a nod to the careful application of heat that transforms raw green coffee into something with depth, complexity, and memory.

Going to Origin

We don't buy coffee. We build relationships that grow in the same soil.

In 2022, Andrei made his first trip to origin — a two-week journey through the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia, visiting washing stations and sitting with farmers over injera and coffee ceremonies that lasted hours.

That trip changed everything. We began paying above-market premiums, committing to multi-year contracts, and visiting every origin at least once a year. The coffee became a vehicle for something larger than the cup.

What We Believe

Four principles.
Non-negotiable.

Transparency in every direction

We publish what we pay for green coffee, which farms we work with, and what we pay our staff. There are no hidden margins, no secrets. Transparency builds trust, and trust is what we're really serving.

Freshness is not a marketing word

We roast in micro-batches, every morning. We never hold more than two weeks' worth of stock. The bag you buy today was roasted in the last 72 hours. Freshness is an operational commitment, not a slogan.

The farmer must benefit first

Specialty coffee only exists because of the invisible labour of farmers, pickers, and processors. We pay premiums of at least 40% above the C-price on every contract, regardless of market fluctuations.

Every cup is a quiet act of care

We measure yield, monitor TDS, dial in every grinder twice a day, and taste every batch before it goes on the bar. Excellence is invisible until you remove it. We will not remove it.

The People

The Humans
Behind the Bar

Andrei M.

Founder & Head Roaster

Started Brûlée from a garage roaster in 2019. Has since cupped over 3,000 lots and visited origin farms in five countries. His motto: "You can't fake good coffee."

Elena P.

Head Barista & Bar Manager

National barista championships finalist 2023 & 2024. Elena trains every new team member personally and believes that hospitality is the most underrated skill in coffee.

Mihai T.

Kitchen Lead & Pastry

Trained in Bucharest, worked two years in Lyon. Mihai runs our kitchen with seasonal obsession — if a fruit isn't in season, it isn't on the plate. Simple, delicious, honest.

How We Got Here

Five Years,
One Chapter at a Time.

2019

The First Roast

Andrei roasts his first batch of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe in a garage in Căușeni on a salvaged drum roaster. The first cup is sipped by three friends over an old kitchen table.

2020

The Waiting List

Word-of-mouth spreads through Căușeni and beyond. A waiting list of 60+ customers forms before there is even a brand name. Bags sell out within hours of each roasting session.

2021

Opening the Doors

Brûlée opens at 12 Calea Ișnovăț. Six seats at the brew bar, a menu of five coffees, and a pastry from a local bakery. Every table filled from day one.

2022

First Origin Trip

Andrei travels to Ethiopia's Yirgacheffe region — meeting farmers, attending a traditional coffee ceremony, and signing Brûlée's first direct-trade contract with a cooperative.

2023

The Roastery Expands

A second, larger roaster is installed. The café expands into the adjacent space, adding the library nook and courtyard. Elena places top-10 at the national barista championship.

2026

Still Going

14 origins. 60+ menu items. A kitchen that bakes fresh every morning. Same values, same obsession. The journey continues — one bag, one cup, one story at a time.

Bean Origins

From Three Continents
to Your Cup.

We travel to origin at least twice a year. These are the countries and regions that currently supply the coffee on our bar.

🇪🇹

Ethiopia

Yirgacheffe · Sidama · Guji

🇨🇴

Colombia

Huila · Nariño · Cauca

🇬🇹

Guatemala

Huehuetenango · Antigua

🇰🇪

Kenya

Nyeri · Kirinyaga

🇧🇷

Brazil

Cerrado · Sul de Minas

🇵🇦

Panama

Boquete (Gesha — limited)

Rooted inRitual.Built on Care.