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50 tasteoftheseacoast.com hat do you like? This is a key question German native Yalcin Kaya asks customers before they order at his Kaffee Vonsolln. Translated as “coffee from Solln,” Kaya’s neighborhood in Munich, Kaya describes his establishment as a roasterie disguised as a coffee shop, proudly pointing to the shiny, industrial-sized roaster peeking out from the kitchen. Kaya roasts over a dozen different blends using 30 or more single-origin coffee varieties, as well as baking traditional German pastries and a wide variety of American favorites. How did you get into this business? In Germany, after high school you have to do a three-year apprenticeship in a field before college. I picked coffee roasting because my friend picked that. He said, “Why don’t you come with me, we’ll have fun.” He’s a major distributor in Europe now. He has his own big manufacturing roasterie and everything. What is a Master Roaster? A three-year apprenticeship earned me a Master Roaster certificate. In Germany, you can’t just open up a roasterie unless you are certified. You have to be a Master to get a license to open a coffee shop. It’s the law, and it’s the same for everything: You want to be a car mechanic? Three years. You want to be a baker? Three years. How do you help customers choose? When I offer coffee to people, I offer them a medium roast or a dark roast. I take the liberty to pick for them and narrow it down. If I told you I had 10 coffees, one is Guatemalan, one is Kenyan, Ethiopian, you don’t know. I can’t expect you to know. That’s my job. I should know, and I should guide you. So I ask, “Where do you go for coffee? What kind of coffee do you like?” You see, I’m classifying you now. I listen to what you are saying. You don’t just pay for a cup; you pay for my expertise. And people want to be educated, once they know they’re talking to an educator. How is a European coffee shop different from an American one? I think of a coffeehouse as a place where people talk to each other. You laugh, meet, and enjoy yourself instead of sitting here working all day. In Europe no one would ever bring their laptop. That would be unheard of. You eat and talk—you don’t just sit and read the paper or check your email. Yours might be one of the few cafés in town to offer unlimited Wi-Fi, which might explain the laptops. Why so generous? I have the space and I’m not packed all the time. If I’m not busy, then please, come in and sit. And you don’t have to keep buying stuff either. I do sympathize with the others though; they need to turn tables. I don’t blame them for cutting people off. With all the places you’ve traveled to, how does Portsmouth compare? The culture here is different—even though it’s New Hampshire, it’s almost like it’s not a part of New Hampshire. It’s a unique place, like a city-state, like Hamburg. There’s a European culture here. And I’m not just making this up! I’ve asked my friends, old Europeans, and they think so too. My shop is popular because people have discriminating tastes here. They want good stuff, but not too expensive. This is good stuff at the same price of everyplace else. I think that’s why people keep coming back. T Kaffee Vonsolln 79 Daniel Street Portsmouth, N.H. 603-373-0570 vonsolln.com By Amy BevAn Owner, Kaffee Vonsolln, Portsmouth, New Hampshire yalcin Ka ya tasteprofile PHOTOGRAPH: ALLIE BURKE
