Interview with Ionuț Croitoru, Co-Founder of Saint Roastery: „To Give Wholeheartedly, That’s What Saint Roastery Means to Us”

Chapter I – How Does a Coffee Story Begin?

How was Saint Roastery born?

It all started with the belief that we could offer people a moment capable of making their day a little brighter. Back in 2017, when we began working on the project, there were very few places where you could experience that feeling. At the time, both Simona – my wife and business partner – and I had full-time jobs and had been living comfortably for two years in a Mediterranean country.

Then our project was selected for the 2017 Start UP Nation program, and that became our turning point. We looked at each other and said, "Let's go home and build what we've been dreaming about for the past few years". That’s how Saint Roastery came to life.

Which coffee aroma instantly takes you back to the beginning?

Saint Roastery has always had a special connection with Kenya. We’ve travelled there many times, found endless inspiration, and built meaningful relationships with local coffee farmers. That’s why a Kenyan coffee will always remind us of where it all began.

Where does the name Saint Roastery come from? What does it say about your identity?

"To give wholeheartedly" is perhaps the best way to translate what Saint Roastery stands for. Choosing the name was a long journey – we went through more than 50 different options, yet none of them truly felt right. Then, one night, just before falling asleep, in that fleeting moment between being awake and dreaming, one of us suddenly thought of Saint Roastery. The next day, we shared it with our branding team, and it was an instant click. We all knew immediately that this was the name.

If you had to describe Saint Roastery in just three words, what would they be?

Great coffee, hospitality, well-being.

Chapter II – Beyond the Coffee Cup

What does specialty coffee really mean?

We’d frame it a little differently – we’d say it’s about delivering a specialty experience, the kind of experience we want every guest to have when they visit us.

It’s the smile that welcomes you in the morning. It’s your barista preparing your order before you’ve even asked because they already know your favorite coffee. It’s the music, the way the barista interacts with guests, shares the story behind the coffee’s origin, and, of course, the coffee itself.

What role does the roasting process play in shaping a coffee’s personality?

Roasting can either highlight the natural qualities of green coffee... or completely mask them. If coffee isn’t roasted enough, it may develop vegetal flavors. If it’s roasted too much, it will taste bitter. We often compare it to cooking a steak: there’s little point in paying for premium Wagyu beef if you overcook and burn it. The chemistry is very similar. No matter how exceptional the green coffee beans are, over-roasting can overshadow their natural flavor notes with bitterness.

What’s the biggest myth about coffee that you’d like to debunk?

A lot has already been said about coffee’s benefits, but if there’s one myth we’d like to address, it’s the one about crema. Crema is neither good nor bad – it doesn’t tell you anything about the quality of an espresso. It certainly looks beautiful, but it’s simply a mixture of oils, carbon dioxide, and fine coffee particles. Try scooping up just the crema with a spoon, without any liquid, and taste it. Often, you’ll find that it’s quite bitter.

What makes the Saint Roastery experience different from that of other specialty coffee shops?

From day one, our message to the team has been clear: we don’t want to compare ourselves with other coffee shops. Instead, we choose to be guided by our own values. We do everything we can to make the moments our guests spend with us as enjoyable – and hopefully as memorable – as possible. We believe in being honest and transparent in everything we do and in every interaction we have. And we’re never afraid to go the extra mile with a small gesture that can make someone’s experience just a little more special.

If Saint Roastery weren’t a coffee shop but a state of mind, how would you describe it?

What a beautiful question! If Saint were a person, it would be that friend who’s always there whenever you need them – the one who’ll meet you whether it’s raining, windy, snowing, or 40 degrees outside. The friend you always look forward to seeing because their presence helps clear your mind. Even when they’re silent, simply being around them brings clarity and helps you find your direction.

Chapter III – The Only Saint Roastery Location Inside a Shopping Centre

You have two street-front locations, while Băneasa Shopping City is the only shopping centre where Saint Roastery is present. Why us? 😊

We conducted a survey among our guests and realized something interesting: people are essentially the same, whether they visit us at our Victoriei location on a busy street, at Botanică surrounded by greenery, or at Băneasa Shopping City inside a shopping centre. It’s the same person – just at different moments of the week and different moments of life.

We were especially happy when long-time guests came to tell us how excited they were that we’d opened here because they’d recently moved to the Băneasa area and now Saint Roastery was much closed to them.

Why Băneasa Shopping City?

First and foremost, because we found understanding and a shared vision. There was an understanding that we’re an entrepreneurial business – that we’ll make mistakes, that our opening might be delayed (which, in fact, it was 😊), and that we’re not a corporation that does everything quickly, efficiently, and according to a predictable formula. Instead, there was trust in what we bring in return: we will give life to the spaces we become part of, we build communities, and we create meaningful experiences for our guests. Today’s guests are evolving – they’re looking for greater value for their money and they’re becoming much more intentional about where they choose to spend their time.

How is the experience here different from your other locations?

There’s a real sense of energy and life here. In the mornings, people arrive full of energy, grab an espresso, and then continue with their shopping. There are so many smiles, and we love seeing familiar faces meeting up at Saint, greeting each other with those joyful, enthusiastic reunions. As the day goes on and the afternoon settles in, the atmosphere becomes calmer. People come to unwind. We often see them sitting by the window, gazing into the distance – perhaps at nothing in particular – simply enjoying a great cup of coffee and taking a moment to relax.

How was specialty coffee been received by visitors to Băneasa Shopping City?

From day one, it was welcomed with smiles, perhaps also because we opened during one of the busiest times of the year – in November. Then December arrived, and... wow. There was such a wonderful buzz everywhere. We loved witnessing moments like: "Oh, he loves coffee—let's get him a bag of coffee and an AeroPress as a gift. He's been saying they wanted to make great coffee at home."

What would you recommend to someone discovering specialty cofee for the first time?

Experiment – as much as possible. Specialty coffee is all about flavors. If you enjoy floral notes, try a coffee from Ethiopia. If you’re drawn to red fruit flavors, explore coffee from Colombia. Every coffee tells a different story. If one coffee isn’t quite to your taste, don’t stop there. Look into the variety and the processing method. If you enjoy clean, crisp flavor profiles, choose a washed coffee. If you’re after something more adventurous and funkier, you might fall in love with a naturally processed or anaerobically processed coffee.

Is the Băneasa Shopping City location different from your other locations? Do you offer anything here that’s exclusive to this location?

This is the only Saint Roastery location with an open back bar, because we wanted to reveal the "behind-the-scenes" side of a barista’s craft to our guests. You can sit right at the back bar and watch the team in action as they prepare your coffee. As far as we know, we’re the first coffee shop in Romania to introduce this kind of open back bar concept. It also means our baristas must be even more attentive – to every movement they make, to cleanliness, and to every detail of the process. But we believe the experience it creates for our guests makes every bit of that extra effort worthwhile.

What’s your best-selling product, and what’s one item you wish more customers would try?

Our bestseller is the cappuccino. It’s that perfect balance of espresso and milk – precisely 150 ml, because that’s what a cappuccino is meant to be. That said, we’d love to see more guests discover our brew methods. We invite them to take a seat at the back bar, listen to the story behind the coffee, and watch as the barista prepares an AeroPress or a V60 right in front of them. Brewed coffee is about slowing down and savoring both the coffee and the moment. It takes time to prepare – and that’s exactly the kind of time we all need to disconnect, so that we can reconnect more authentically afterward.

Some items are always on your menu, while others change regularly – for example, your pastries and desserts through partnerships with local producers. How do you approach your menu?

First, our menu is seasonal. We have a summer drinks menu and a winter drinks menu, and every year we introduce something new and special. This year, our Cold Brew Tonic has become one of our highlights. Its popularity has grown year after year and it’s now one of our guests’ favorite summer drinks. Cold brew is coffee steeped in cold water for 24 to 36 hours. It’s served chilled, either with tonic water or milk, making it the perfect choice for hot summer days. As for pastries, we believe we serve the best cheesecake in the city. It’s made by our partners at Sweetology and delivered fresh every day.

How do you define hospitality? What does it mean to you for a guest to feel truly welcome?

Hospitality is something you feel. We know we’ve done something right when a guest leaves with a smile. For our guests, hospitality is that feeling of comfort that settles in the moment they take a seat. It’s about welcoming them warmly, noticing when their glass of water needs refilling, remembering the name and favorite order of someone who visits two or three times a week, recalling the coffee they bought last time and recommending something similar – but with a new twist. It’s also about saying goodbye when they leave. It’s the music playing softly in the background, the cleanliness of the tables and the space, and every little detail that shapes the atmosphere. At Saint Roastery, hospitality begins with the team behind the bar – the people whose mission is to make every guest feel genuinely cared for.

You recently became B Corp Certified. What does this achievement mean to you, and what does it communicate to the people who walk through your doors?

Becoming B Corp Certified was the result of a year-long journey during which every aspect of our business was thoroughly assessed. At its core, B Corp is about the impact a company has on people. That includes our team, diversity and inclusion – we’re especially proud to have two colleagues who came from institutional care and have found a sense of purpose working alongside us – as well as providing salaries that go beyond minimum standards and support a good quality of life. It’s also about the financial health of the business, the communities we are part of, and the resilience and responsibility of the entire supply chain. We spent a great deal of time discussing – and evaluating – the farmers we work with and the positive impact they, in turn, have on their local communities.

In essence, B Corp certification demonstrates that a company is committed to treating people and the planet with the same level of care and responsibility as it treats profit. Last but certainly not least, we’re proud to stand alongside brands such as Patagonia and Rituals, which are also part of the global B Corp community.