Grounded Craft Coffee

Grounded Craft Coffee is a Rotterdam-based specialty micro-roastery that got its start where all good stories begin—in a living room. Today, they roast specialty coffee every week in small batches, with an emphasis on ethical sourcing, traceability, and a flavor that’s anything but ordinary.

The story of Grounded Craft Coffee unfolded in the classic way: first, a small experimental roaster in an apartment, a few dissatisfied neighbors, and friends who’d had one too many serving as tasters—and then a real commercial roaster. The micro-roastery has been operating in Rotterdam since 2018 and has since been building a reputation as a place where coffee is treated as a craft at the intersection of science and creativity.

Grounded is led by two founders: Zahir Omar, who serves as head roaster and is passionate about experimenting with different roasting profiles, and Ibtesam Davids, a marketing and branding specialist. Together, they’ve combined their strengths and shared respect for high-quality coffee into a single project. The team is rounded out by Guido Waas, who oversees product development and education—from selecting the right coffee to hosting workshops for restaurants and businesses.

Grounded roasts slowly and lighter than usual, so the resulting coffee is neither bitter nor heavy, but fresh and cleanly balanced. They source their ingredients thoughtfully—in line with ethical values, traceability of origin, and with consideration for the environment and local farming communities. That’s why they work exclusively with specialty beans. Grounded also consciously opts for reusable PET bottles instead of traditional coffee bags—these can be returned for a discount or refilled, resulting in less waste.