No Coffee Shops in Budapest Vol.2

Like I mentioned on previous post, I was so disappointed before finding one thread of bright light.

“Why I cannot buy Fair-Trade coffee here? Is not Hungary a member of European Union? ”.

Then, Internet surfing gave me a solution. I managed to reach to the one I wanted through a homepage called Expat, a communicative website for bloggers who keep tracks their life in other countries. Treehugger Dan’s Bookstore & Café was that (I really want readers to visit this site). This is a coffee shop managed by Dan, a middle-aged American man, and is the only shop which people can have fair trade beans coffee. Let me make sure and clearly declare so as to avoid any misunderstanding. Tree hugger Dan’s Bookstore & Café is the only coffee shop using only fair trade and organic beans. One day, it was still in summer, I dropped off the tram at Oktogon and headed for the direction to one of the branch of his shops.


He is managing 4 branches in Budapest hiring Hungarian local staff, with his fluent Hungarian. The small shop at Oktogon has 4 piece of tall bookshelves on both walls and a few other lower ones in between them, which contains full of second-hand (mainly English) books emitting old glue smells. 2 pair of tiny café tables is just over the bookshelves. Getting though piles of old books, I grinned when I managed to arrive to a hemp bag hanging on inmost wall on which printed the official symbol mark of fair trade.

I could not make myself stop being surprised for a while because the price of the menu is much different from that I anticipated. There are just around 300 HUF (appox 180 YEN, 1.8 USD) for every sort of one cup of coffee. That is more than inexpensive. It is cheap. I often visit several sorts of coffee shops in Budapest, but this Dan’s coffee shop’s one is cheaper than any other ones. How can it be possible for using only Fair trade and organic beans?

I felt not in a mood for coffee at that time so I did not have cups there. Instead, I started to search for some English books which appeals to me. I bought a sort of cooking book named “Fish for thoughts”. I also bought one package of roast, powdered, fair traded and organic coffee beans to make a new habit: to drip coffee every morning and carry it in a tumbler in my business bag. After spending 1 another hour for seeking books, after having not found Mr. Dan, I stepped forward to go out. It was at that time I came across to him.

I easily recognized him since I have checked his face on an article somewhere in an internet. I paused walking for wondering whether I should come in and try to talk to him. I came inside. He seemed a bit busy, however, I found myself already begun questioning him.

“Are you Mr. Dan ?”
“Is this the only coffee shop which using only fair trade beans?”
”How do you gain profit from these price”
”Why are you running this business here in Budapest?”
”Why don't you raise the price?”

Maybe I recognized that I was asking too much stuff in quick succession. I was unease to get his reaction for my rapid-fire inquiring. On the contrary he was kind enough to answer with plenty of information.

“Yes I am”
”Actually there is one another place out of Budapest using fair-trade and organic coffee beans but they also drip non fair trade ones as well. So speaking to my country, my café is the only shop using only fair trade stuff”
”Well, we can make enough profit of course”
”Well, no particular reason, simply I just like this city”
”Do you know the price for a cup of espresso at a café in hotels along Danube? 1,300HUF (appox 850 Yen, 8.5USD). Don’t you think that is a stupid idea? Coffee is coffee. How come they can make a big profit? I just want to spread the idea to Hungarian local people. They do not know nor are interested. I want as many people as possible to try fair trade and organic coffee. That is why”

He was searching for an invoice and looked busy. Therefore I left his shop saying I would want to visit you again. Then he told me to e-mail him before coming so that we could have a small interview if I want. Of course I do, but I have just started to study about fair trade and have just made up my mind to make my own coffee by myself, everyday. I said to myself that if I could succeed to meet my new promise, then I would visit him again.



That was the case at the beginning of September. I have to praise myself. Since that time until now, I have kept making my own coffee for more than 2 month. Well, is it a high time to send an e-mail to him? Probably it is(Continues).