The history Athens’ first coffee roastery

The journey of our traditional Greek coffee recipe from 1901 until today

The story of the Rizopoulos family in the coffee roasting business can be traced as far back as 1901. When Andreas Rizopoulos left the region of Aigion to settle in Athens. He started selling traditional Greek coffee and pre-ground beans from his bike, allowing him to cover a large area in Athens’ early 1900’s, carrying with him a small manually operated coffee grinder in order to serve the passersby and the patrons of the traditional coffeehouses of that bygone era. His clients were quite particular when it came to the quality of their coffee blends and the traditional method of Greek coffee preparation (using heated sand and a boiling pot). In a few years’ time, the business was passed on to Andreas’ brother, Charalampos.

Our first small little store

Initially, the Rizopoulos coffee roastery, which had a size of barely 25 square meters, was located on one side of Kotzia square, opposite the Athens town hall. Since then, our roastery has remained in that particular location, with the exception of the period from 1957 to 1959, during which it was temporarily relocated to a nearby street due to ongoing construction and renovation works spanning the entire block in which it was situated (Athinas str., Sofokleous str., Streit str., and Kotzia square).

The return to the original location

During the month of February 1959, the Rizopoulos coffee roastery returned to Streit str. at larger facilities that allowed our business to expand in the wholesale coffee trade – a move which significantly increased the market share of Rizopoulos coffee in Athens and, gradually, all of Greece.

Present state and future prospects

Today, the Rizopoulos family tradition in the art of coffee roasting is proudly and competently carried on by the grandchildren of Charalampos Rizopoulos. The recipe for the traditional Greek coffee blend comes from those times in the past when coffee was prepared in the traditional manner, using heated sand, releasing its strong, distinct flavor and rich aroma.

Our traditional blend is the culmination of the experience and tradition that goes back three generations, carrying in your cup the unique flavour and rich aroma you have been enjoying for more than a century.

We remain a family-run roastery, still upholding the traditional ways of coffee roasting; furthermore, we cultivate a meaningful and personal relationship with our clients, in Athens and other parts of the country. At the same time, our business maintains an international network of collaborators, in countries such as Germany, Luxembourg, the USA, among others.

Old printed material

Our coffee accompanies you for more than 100 years. Being a part of many Greek families and generations, our coffee cherishes a memory of a tradition. Some of these memories have survived to this day.