Introducing “Spill the Bean”
- Caterina Ciacatani
- Jul 29, 2015
- 4 min read
Being located in one of my favorite malls in Dubai, the Sunset Mall, “Spill the Bean” is here to stay and spoil us with the exquisite tastes and the laid back atmosphere.
The cool, chatty staff – led by Ola herself – serve incredible coffee and delicious food in a beautifully decorated coffee shop.
Let’s meet Ola, the owner and manager and see what she has to say about “Spill the Bean”:
How did “Spill the Bean” get started?
The idea for Spill the Bean started a long time ago. My husband and I are both co
ffee lovers and we’ve always been looking for a laid back place to hang out in and enjoy a great coffee, with some delicious munchies, and a good book. So a few years ago, we decided to bring that dream place to life. That’s how Spill the Bean came to life.
Why “Spill the Bean”? (How did you come up with the name?)
Are you familiar with the expression to “spill the beans”, which means to let out your secrets, what’s on your mind, the things that are bothering you, or the things that are pleasing you? Well, there’s nothing like a cup of coffee to bring people together; and when good friends and good coffee are joined in a great set up, beans are split. That chit chat between friends, family, colleagues, is very important, especially in Dubai where often you’re far away from your family and loved ones. I think for many people that little bit of chitchat over a cup of coffee fuels them to keep going.
What do you strive to offer to our city?
Spill the Bean is an independent specialty coffee shop built on the marriage between single origin coffees from different areas of the world and reinvented coffee shop food to create a healthy but decadent affair aimed at serving and delighting the community around us.
We aim to be that neighborhood coffee shop, that is both business friendly, with communal tables for meetings, outlets for laptops everywhere and wifi, and family friendly with a mummy and baby room, child friendly foods and decaf for mummies, and regular playgroups. We even regularly have events planned for our customers, ranging from blogger networking events, to holistic healing seminars, to coffee cupping events, to keep them engaged and coming back for more than their daily caffeine hit.
What’s the concept behind the food you serve?
So with the coffee, every month we have at least 3 different coffee beans from different regions of the world. Think of a caffeinated sensorial journey to Columbia, Peru, Ethiopia, Guatemala, or Mexico, maybe. Think of the flavor profiles, aromas, cremas, and body specific each of these regions and savoring the nuances in the sights, smells, and tastes. Now pair that little party in your mouth with healthy but indulgent yummies. Low fat, low sugar, low cal, gluten free, and dairy free are no longer synonymous with taste free. Let’s just say you’re definitely going to get your fair share of super foods in our delicacies for some added goodness. That’s our food concept- healthy food that doesn’t tastes indulgent.
What are the most popular coffee drinks at your cafe? And your personal favorite menu items?
A lot of people are use to espresso based drinks (cappuccino, latte, espresso, etc…) but we try to promote our brewed coffees too as that’s often how the flavor profiles of the coffee is best experienced with single origin beans. Chemex and aerpress have become some of our most popular brewing techniques that customers always ask for.
Our hot chocolate is also a best seller as it’s made with good quality dark chocolate- no syrups or powders or added sugars. It’s silky, smooth, rich, and oh so chocolatey :)
Another favorite is the date cold brew, which is single origin cold brewed coffee blended in with date. A healthy drink that tastes like a dessert and coffee all in one- you can’t go wrong with that.
My personal favorite right now is the Kenyan cold brew.
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
I come from a design background and worked in advertising then branding for a long time before setting up a brand consultancy business.
What do you love the most about your job?
The coffee!! And meeting so many cool new people all the time.
What’s next on the horizon for “Spill the Bean”?
We are currently working on 2 new outlets and are gearing up for the coffee competitions that are coming up towards the end of the year. We also have a new menu coming up soon. Lots of exciting stuff for us :)
To sum up: “Spill the Bean”, with the excellent flavours and depth to both hot and cold drinks, the cosy ambiance and the smiley stuff will be your next favorite coffee shop in Dubai, in case it’s not already! See you there!
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