INSIDE FRANZ MORISH: A Founding Story

“I wanted to create a place of well-being, not a cafeteria,” says our founder, Tom. Anyone who breathes in the fresh aroma of coffee upon entering our roastery, takes in the charming design, and soaks up the warm atmosphere will immediately believe him. Since our opening in March 2017, we have evolved both visually and, above all, in terms of our approach. Although we couldn't always foresee the next steps, they were never accidental. Where there's a goal, there's a way. And our goal is really, really good coffee. We'll tell you about our journey so far here.

In our last blog post, you met our founder, Tom: “ MEET: Tom – How a footballer opened a coffee roastery” (link to the blog post). To say that Tom doesn't do things halfway would be an understatement. He's Team “All In.” So when he dreamed of a meeting place for coffee lovers, it had to be more than just a café. It had to be a place…

… where everyone feels welcome.

… to reach the person with the highest coffee standards.

… which doesn't yet exist in Leipzig.

… in which the team finds more than one job.

… where Tom can take responsibility for the quality of the products.

… which comes from direct trade and fair trade sources.

… which is becoming synonymous with Leipzig's coffee culture.

A kingdom for a roastery

After ten years of exploring coffee on a personal level, Tom began searching for the perfect space to launch his professional coffee business in 2015/16. At the time, he was studying business psychology and didn't want to leave things to chance: "I didn't just pick the location on a whim, but did a bit of research. Where does our target audience live? This neighborhood was undergoing high-end construction projects and experiencing the most significant growth – it was really coming into its own," Tom recalls. Of course, the space also had to be impressive and offer enough room for the roaster. He himself lived in the area back then and drove past our current location every day: "The building was already there at that time, but I wasn't thinking on such a grand scale. But I looked inside every day because it was empty. And at some point, the questions started to form in my mind: Where could the coffee machine go, where could the roaster go?"

"And at some point it started in my head:
Where could the coffee machine be placed, where the roaster?

The ideas are becoming tangible. So tangible, in fact, that by mid-2016 Tom has cobbled together a business plan and sent it to the building management. Shortly thereafter, the first site visit takes place. Tom's verdict: "Awesome." Goldschmidtstrasse 39 offers everything Tom had previously only imagined – and actually even more: room to grow. The lease begins on September 1, 2016, and with it, the official story of Franz Morish.

Some paths are not to be walked alone.

In the following months, Tom focuses primarily on one thing: making decisions, for which he usually develops the necessary expertise during the decision-making process itself. He has a degree in sports management and is currently studying business psychology – but recognizing and planning for real-world economic relationships is something you only learn by doing. He attends roasting courses and is becoming a coffee sommelier – but discovering your own style and roasting your own coffee is something you only learn by actually working at the machine. He has a vision of how his team should collaborate and interact. But true leadership is only demonstrated when the employees are working in the shop every day. New questions arise daily: What kind of kitchen does a professional restaurant need? What interior design style best represents the coffee vision? Where does one actually source good beans? What? €2.19 coffee tax per kilogram of roasted coffee? And: What should the shop actually be called? Tom has excellent support in his network. His best friend has relevant experience in starting a business and in the restaurant industry. His marketing professor thoroughly examines the business plan and concept. Tom knows exactly what kind of impression he wants his coffee roastery to give when it opens, and he enjoys the freedom to decide everything according to his own taste. At the same time, he has people around him who share valuable feedback and invaluable experience.

The desire for more (coffee)

He approaches the question of name and logo with the same professionalism as the choice of location. "I've read studies that show how massively people react to each other. And that includes in writing and images." Furthermore, the name should reflect both the German origin and the international perspective (in case one happens to become globally known or something ;-) ). And so, in retrospect, the logo is almost a logical conclusion. "Franz," a quintessentially German name, plus "morish," an old British English word that means nothing less than "makes you want more."

Franz + Morish = Origin + Promise

Above the flowing lettering sits the head that brought our coffee roastery from vision to reality – his own. He doesn't hide behind a brand and the values ​​it's supposed to embody. He wants to stand behind them himself, to show his face.

What's next?

On March 23, 2017, Franz Morish opened with three permanent employees, three part-time workers, and Tom. "I had to start with staff because the café itself is simply large. I could never have managed it alone. Especially with the roasting," he summarizes his decision at the time. Leading a team while everything else is new and new challenges await daily – that's ambitious: "Suddenly I had to deal with staff. With people who have needs and aren't always in a good mood. That was exciting." You can read how he succeeded here: (Link: INSIDE FRANZ MORISH: Our Team Philosophy )