Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Barista Royal: Simply put: We roast delicious coffee together with people with disabilities. We've set ourselves the task of solving two problems: First, we want to offer coffee lovers the most delicious coffee. We rely on traditional, gentle drum roasting and use only high-quality coffee beans to protect the environment and offer our customers a full-bodied taste experience.
Secondly, we want to make a social contribution by integrating people with disabilities into the workforce. This not only creates jobs but also promotes inclusion and diversity in the professional field. By purchasing our products, our customers contribute directly to supporting this important mission.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Barista Royal: Yes, there are already providers of good coffee, but we go one step further. Our social approach is at the heart of our work. We not only roast first-class coffee, but also create social value through our inclusive practices. Every purchase directly supports the work and well-being of people with disabilities who are involved in the production process.
Barista Royal: Social Entrepreneurship in Practice
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Barista Royal: Our founding story is not only the story of a passion for coffee, but also of a deeper mission. Chris, one of the founders of Barista Royal, was confronted with the issue of inclusion at an early age. His sister was born with a physical disability and, even as an adult, struggled to find work despite her one-sided paralysis. Despite completing her training and making every effort, she was unsuccessful. This experience not only triggered frustration in Chris, but also a desire for change.
Michael, the second founder, a sensory scientist and true connoisseur, has always been driven by the question of why coffee tastes so delicious on vacation in Italy, but often sour and bitter in Germany. His curiosity led him on a journey through the world of coffee. When he shared his idea for his own coffee with Chris, their visions merged.
It was a moment of clarity: "We combine our passion for excellent coffee with the goal of creating an inclusive work environment." Thus, Barista Royal was born – a company that proves that social entrepreneurship is more than just a concept. It's a viable practice that can change lives.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Barista Royal: We live in a world where attempts are made to automate as much as possible. Work steps in many corporations are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness, processes are outsourced, or people are replaced by machines. When working with people with disabilities, it's a completely different story. Here, it's all about the people. We have to adapt work steps to our employees, not the other way around. This is the complete opposite of what's happening in the world today. To give a simple example: each of our coffees is a different color. We do this, on the one hand, to express what's in it; for example, our Amore E Basta is bright red. But the colors also help us integrate people with reading difficulties. This is precisely what presented us with major challenges at the beginning, because the processes simply weren't as scalable as we needed them to be.
The higher production costs are always the biggest challenge here. This is also the reason why we primarily pursue direct sales rather than retail. We would very much like to be represented in more Edeka, Rewe, etc. supermarkets, but in retail, margin pressure is often the primary consideration, not supporting social projects.
“We want to be the best-known brand for social projects in Germany”
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Barista Royal: In a year, we'll see you on "The Lion's Den." No, just kidding. We're constantly working to enchant more people with inclusively produced, high-quality products. Driven by the interest of our customers, we therefore began creating teas with "Tea of Dreams" last year – together with people with disabilities, of course. Our biggest goal for the coming year is to further establish both Barista Royal and Tea of Dreams – in direct sales to end customers, but also in companies, cafés, and retail. In five years, we want to be the best-known brand for social projects in Germany. We want everyone to immediately think of Barista Royal when it comes to Social Entrepreneurship To achieve this, we need the broad distribution mentioned above and strong trading partners who focus not only on high margins but also on their social responsibility in our society.
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Barista Royal: Munich is far more dynamic and flexible than its reputation suggests. There are an incredible number of bright minds with great ideas. However, one key difference compared to many other locations is undeniable: the high cost of living, especially rent, makes life incredibly difficult for small businesses. This limits the diversity and number of new startups. However, the financial pressure inevitably motivates people to "step on the gas."
Munich Startup: Public transport or bicycle?
Barista Royal: This question makes our founder Michael's heart race: He's a true cycling enthusiast. Nothing gets him going more than a fresh breeze while cycling—unless it's a good cup of coffee before, between, or after a ride.
