Karakter Koffie en Thee

Bloemendalerweg 14, Weesp, Netherlands

Karakter started as a physical coffee and tea shop in Weesp back in 2015. Owner Monique had been thinking about it for a while, especially after visiting tea plantations in Indonesia and South Africa and realizing how much the quality can actually differ. That, plus an earlier barista training, turned into a full passion project. The name fits: coffee and tea have their own character, just like people. The physical store closed after four years because running it solo was a lot, 10 hour days, five days a week. So she turned it into a webshop instead, and the whole store interior now lives at Bloemendalerweg 14. From there they ship 7 types of coffee beans, 50 loose leaf teas, and accessories like Bunzlau Castle ceramics across the country. Locals can still pick up orders on Thursdays and Fridays between 10:00 and 14:00, or by appointment. And you can always hit her up for advice, she still likes sharing what she knows. It's a smaller operation now, but the focus is still on quality, no…