This is our story... (llegiu a continuació per al català)
Amber and I moved to Spain over 10 years ago when the promising career of a Professional cyclist was offered to me here in Girona, Spain. Starting as a Stagiaire, I was able to work my way to the top tier of the peloton, riding in races I only dreamed of as a child. The Tour de France, World Championships, The Classics in Europe to the National Championships in Canada…I was riding it all. Time was passing and while travelling to races or with my wife Amber (during our off season travels), my passion for coffee started to develop. I would use every opportunity to find the best coffee, landing in a new city was an instant quest to test the best. I brought an espresso machine and a small roaster and the passion grew.
Meanwhile, my wife Amber was getting a bit sir crazy. Although she loved to support me, I was away A LOT (186 days out of the year, a lot) and I could tell she wanted to start something where she could be around people, work a normal day and pour herself into something she was passionate about. When I arrived home after the Tour de France, we asked ourselves what the next step in our lives would be. I had completed all of the races I'd ever wanted to do and my knowledge and passion for coffee was growing stronger and stronger. Amber and I had met in a cafe so the next step was clear for us to see... 'Let's open a cafe in Girona!'
La Fabrica was a huge hit. The people of Girona were very excited to experience something new, people from Australia and North America were thrilled to find a place that did coffee like they have back home (double shot, fresh milk, 18 grams) and soon we had cyclists, students, tourists, locals… To our humble amazement... Everyone was pouring through the doors!
We started going through so much coffee, we realised it was time to expand. Thus was born Espresso Mafia!
The smell of the freshly roasted coffee was the best and easiest advertisement we could have ever asked for. We now supply coffee for cafes here in Girona as well as internationally to Jakarta, Portland and Vienna.
Welcome to our dream, we hope you can take a moment, have a coffee and feel the love.
- Christian Meier
L'Amber i jo ens vam mudar a Espanya fa més de 10 anys quan em van oferir la prometedora carrera de ciclista professional aquí a Girona, Espanya. Vaig començar com a ciclista en stage i vaig poder arribar al capdamunt del pilot, participant en curses que només somiava de petita. El Tour de França, els Campionats del Món, les Clàssiques a Europa, els Campionats Nacionals al Canadà... Ho corria tot. El temps passava i, mentre viatjava a curses o amb la meva dona, l'Amber (durant els nostres viatges fora de temporada), la meva passió pel cafè va començar a desenvolupar-se. Aprofitava totes les oportunitats per trobar el millor cafè, i aterrar en una nova ciutat era una recerca instantània per provar el millor. Vaig portar una màquina d'espresso i una petita torradora i la passió va créixer.
Mentrestant, la meva dona, l'Amber, s'estava tornant una mica boja. Tot i que li encantava donar-me suport, jo estava MOLT fora (186 dies a l'any, molts) i podia veure que volia començar alguna cosa on pogués estar envoltada de gent, treballar un dia normal i dedicar-se a alguna cosa que l'apassionés. Quan vaig arribar a casa després del Tour de França, ens vam preguntar quin seria el següent pas a les nostres vides. Havia completat totes les curses que sempre havia volgut fer i el meu coneixement i la meva passió pel cafè es feien cada cop més forts. L'Amber i jo ens havíem conegut en una cafeteria, així que el següent pas estava clar... "Obrim una cafeteria a Girona!"
La Fabrica va ser un gran èxit. La gent de Girona estava molt emocionada de provar alguna cosa nova, la gent d'Austràlia i Amèrica del Nord estava encantada de trobar un lloc que fes cafè com el que fan a casa (doble dosi, llet fresca, 18 grams) i aviat vam tenir ciclistes, estudiants, turistes, gent local... Per a la nostra humil sorpresa... Tothom entrava a dojo per les portes!
Vam començar a prendre tant de cafè que ens vam adonar que era hora d'expandir-nos. Així va néixer Espresso Mafia!
L'olor del cafè acabat de torrar va ser el millor i més fàcil anunci que podíem haver demanat. Ara subministrem cafè per a cafeteries aquí a Girona, així com internacionalment a Jakarta, Portland i Viena.
Benvinguts al nostre somni, esperem que pugueu prendre un moment, prendre un cafè i sentir l'amor.
- Christian Meier
hear what others have to say about us...
escoltar el que els altres tenen a dir de nosaltres...
"This is coffee making at its most precise." - Rouleur
"The shop decor is pristine, one could look in and imagine it in Copenhagen, or even Tokyo with a pared down aesthetic, minimal lines, and a whitewash over most things." - The Peloton Brief
"You can not leave without trying the chai latte." - Time Out
