There’s so much to love about this award-winning, design-driven coffee shop that not only offers delicious coffee but the perfect edit of Japanese and Scandinavian homewares and printed goods. A tall and narrow, four-hundred-year-old building on the busy, pedestrianized Quay Street in Galway is home to COFFEEWERK + PRESS. Bright yellow accents feature on the windows and door and carefully edited yellow products punctuate the interior and website. Coffee beans are sourced from roasters in Pennsylvania and local artists feature on the packages from roasters in Copenhagen.

"I am inspired by constantly recreating the space to reflect our ever changing evolution of designers, that creates a dialogue between me, my customers, staff and community."

COFFEEWERK + PRESS, founded in 2015 by Daniel Ulrichs, showcases the overlap between Irish and International design and art while exploring the world of specialty coffee. Housed in a beautiful four-hundred-year old building on the west coast of Ireland, Daniel collaborated with interior architect Stephen Walton to design the space. Daniel believes the future of good business lies in conscientious trade with an adherence to social and environmental awareness. Coffee is sourced from a variety of International based roasters who exemplify ethical business practices. Alongside the coffee he works with a variety of design houses throughout the world bringing their unique style and products to the west of Ireland. The antithesis of mass production many of these designers produce hand crafted products; supporting local economies and ensuring high quality results that appeal to the physical and aesthetic.

What is COFFEEWERK + PRESS best known for? Speciality Coffee, fine art postcards, Gestalten book selection and Irish Textiles.

How is your coffee sourced?  Many of our coffee roasters utilise direct trade a practice by which they pay above and beyond market value to both individual and collective farmers throughout the world. This ensures fair compensation for growers who apply environmentally and socially conscious growing methods. Using these high quality beans we ensure that every cup of coffee we sell reflects our passion for this industry.

Where do you source COFFEEWERK + PRESS products? We source our products in Ireland and Internationally – with a focus on small designers/design houses and authentic producers. Attention to detail is paramount when sourcing our selection.

What makes COFFEEWERK + PRESS so unique? The dialogue between drinking a cup of speciality coffee in a design orientated space.

Who are your customers? We aim our business towards everyone, welcoming everyone from the young teenager to the elderly, local residents and foreign tourists. Galway is a very tourist orientated city between the months of March and October, and this changing demographic is reflected in our customer base.

How has the internet impacted your business? Although we are currently not online, we see an increase in interest on our social media platforms, IG and FB. We have also been very fortunate in the international press response, with articles appearing in such publications as the New York Times, Irish Times, Culture Trip among others. This media exposure has solidified our reputation among both local and international customers.

Daniel Ulrichs, shopkeeper at Coffeewerk + Press

Who inspires you? I am inspired by my customers, my staff, designers, coffee roasters and people engaged in progress business practice.

Before I was a shopkeeper…  I was a musician.

The hardest lesson learned in starting a business?  Time management. Finding a work/life balance.

The best lesson you have learned opening a shop? To follow your instinct, and to be true to your concept/vision and persevere.

Your advice for anyone wanting to open a shop? Perseverance is fundamental. You can create everything – Rome wasn’t built in a day.

If I wasn’t a shopkeeper I would be.. A Musician or involved in the running of a music school.

Favorite shops

• Article in Dublin

• Labour And Wait in London

• Gestalten in Berlin (closed)

• Aesop concept stores

• 14 oz . Berlin

"Due to the consequences of globalisation and large online retailers, which have drastically increased competitiveness, it has become more difficult for high street independent retailers to compete. Therefore I see a shift towards smaller, more unique, concept orientated design companies, that offer an experience to their customers that cannot be achieved in the virtual world."