Over the summer, during fashion week, I discovered this amazing cafe in Kreuzberg called Cafe Frida.
I was struck by how delicious the food and coffee was and just had to learn more. I sat down with Günes, one of the creative minds behind the cafe to learn more. Keep reading to hear about how this local Berlin business came to be.
p.s. If you find yourself in Berlin and pop into Cafe Frida, be sure to let them know you heard about them via Love from Berlin and you will get a 10% discount off your coffee and/or meal!
LFB: Hey there! Could you introduce yourself and tell me everyone here on LFB a little bit about yourself?
Günes: Hey, my name is Günes and I am a born and bread Berliner – more specifically, a Kreuzberger. I began to study Fashion design after I completed my Abitur and am currently in the process of studying Fashion Management. I am proud to be a Berliner and I love this city – it’s diverse and stimulating. Berlin is such an alive city, yet at the same time has a certain air of serenity to it.
LFB: How did you end up working in a Cafe?
Günes: I had always worked in the service industry while studying, but above all I just love coffee. I also really enjoy cooking and love trying new things. For me it was a pretty obvious progression.
LFB: I think it’s so great that Frida Cafe is a family-run business. How important is this intimate connection to you and your family?
Günes: Family is very important to me – for me it was always a given from the start to look for support within the family. This familiar atmosphere is something that is also reflected in the cafe [as it is a family-run business].
LFB: Who does what in the Cafe?
Günes: My mother creates all of our salads. I am responsible for the coffee and teach our employees how to work as baristas. My aunt takes care of the bureaucratic work and her husband looks after purchasing supplies and discovering new products. Basically, every one of us works together and is responsible for something.
LFB: You guys make all of your own food and also have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options – how important is the slow-food movement/mentality and conscious lifestyle for you guys?
Günes: Since our inception it has always been very important for us that everything in the Cafe would be here by us – and therefore Homemade. Every new salad or sandwich we create is tested first before we decide to add it to the menu. We have to stand behind our products 100%. It is also very important for us that we focus on fresh and healthy products.
LFB: The coffee here is absolutely incredible – can you tell me a little bit about it?
Günes: The coffee here is from Passenger Coffee. We prefer a caramelly-chocolatey Coffee, a north italian Milano Roast that should not be too acidic. We looked for about 3 months before we found the perfect blend from Passenger Coffee. A lot of coffee roast houses don’t even have this kind of roast. For this reason we decided to go with this blend and not with a big roast house.
Cafe Frida
Schlesische Str. 28, 10997 Berlin
Get 10% off when you mention LFB!
Photography: Rae Tashman
