Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491368
STiR tea & coffee industry international 59 amazing. So we serve our espresso that way as well." Rüller encourages his clientele to slow down and enjoy both the cup and the company. The venue is designed in the style of a high end restaurant, with softer music. Laptop use is restricted to one area. "We want people really to look at each other, read a paper, and flirt with a person on the other side of the room," said Rüller. Expanding Third Wave Whether it is due to the increase of Star- bucks which now operates 155 cafes throughout Germany or McCafe with 803 outlets, all of Germany is being in- fluenced by the possibilities in a cup of coffee. "Germany presents a significant op- portunity for the growth of quality coffee. While the specialty market has been slow- er to grow than many other EU markets, it remains the largest coffee market in Eu- rope," said Young at Allegra Strategies. The artisinal offerings in Berlin have definitely had an impact, with quality fil- tered coffee and roasts now available in Hamburg and other big German cities. "There have also been changes with the speciality roasters, they are buying higher quality green coffee fresh in sea- son, their roast style is lighter, and they talk about it,"said Rüller. Currently there are 12 to 15 special- ity coffee shops in Berlin, the number in Hamburg is slowly rising, with 3 new shops opening this year alone, bringing the total to 5, said Berlit. The wave is expanding to other regions as well with specialty coffee shops opening in both Munich and Frankfurt. Rüller has also been working closely with local restaurants, recognizing there is an overlap between wine drinkers and artisinal coffee drinkers. "The sommeliers really understand when we talk about the flavors and the acids," said Rüller. "This small wave started to roll very slowly and it took three to four years. And now we have kind of a tiny explosion," said Ralf at Berlit. "So it affected other cities, and one can say that the quality of the coffee and the understanding of the whole approach in coffee completely changed over the last five years." Photo by Rachel Bale, Department of Wandering Photo by Rachel Bale Silo Coffee is one of the expanding third-wave shops featuring single-origin filter coffee and espresso. Silo Coffee, Berlin Café CK cupping session selections. Silo's streetside sandwich board, coffee so good: "It will change your life!"