Grounded Coffee and Zahir’s Approach to Coffee

Grounded Coffee and Zahir's Approach to Coffee 

In Rotterdam, we met Zahir founder and owner of Grounded Craft Coffee — a coffee bar and roastery where coffee, design and a genuine love for the product come together. It's a compact space, but one with its own character. Art on the walls, coffee being roasted and packed, and the feeling that there is always something happening behind the scenes. 

Originally from South Africa, Zahir has called the Netherlands home for the past thirteen years. Rotterdam has become his city, and Grounded has grown into a place where he can explore his passion for coffee in his own way. 

His relationship with coffee started as a hobby. What began with experimenting on a small sample roaster at home eventually grew into a roastery, with Zahir developing his own approach to roasting. Coffee became the meeting point between science and creativity — experimenting with roast profiles, different origins and the endless possibilities of the bean.

Today, Grounded works exclusively with specialty coffee and carefully selected beans. They source with ethical and traceable values in mind, with a clear focus on where the coffee comes from and the people and places behind it. The beans are roasted slowly and lighter than average, allowing the character of each coffee to remain present.  

That attention to origin is something we immediately recognised. For both Grounded and VICO, the material is where everything starts. Knowing where something comes from, choosing the right ingredients, and understanding how they influence the final product are all part of the process. There is a shared appreciation for doing things with care rather than simply looking for the quickest way to the end result. 

Grounded also has an interesting relationship with the space itself. The coffee is roasted and crafted by the people behind the brand, while the bar gives them a place to share it. It feels less like a traditional coffee shop and more like an extension of the product — a place where you can see, taste and experience what they are working on. 

We photographed Zahir in this environment, surrounded by the things that make up his everyday work. A bag of freshly roasted beans, the equipment he works with, and the small details that give the space its character. It’s a setting that reflects the way he approaches coffee: personal, curious and hands-on. 

There is something familiar in that way of working. Taking a product seriously, knowing where its materials come from, and continuing to refine what you do because you care about the result. 

Grounded is part of Rotterdam in much the same way that VICO is. Built locally, shaped by the people behind it, and driven by a passion for the product. Sometimes the best places are the ones that don’t need to be big to have something worth discovering. 

More information about Grounded Coffee: https://groundedcoffee.nl/ 
Clothing: The Good People, Pannekoekstraat 52a in Rotterdam 
Photography: Joey van Dongen, https://www.cloudcuckoo.nl/ 
Location: Grounded Coffee, Proveniersstraat 46b, 3033 CL, Rotterdam