July is a month for slowing down, more time outside, more time with friends, coffee you sit with rather than rush through. This time pairs perfectly with Meron, a Transylvanian roastery built on exactly that idea: their name, for the Greek word for ‘days’ is a small nudge to be present and enjoy what's in front of you.
That patience runs through everything they do, from how they grow their business to how they roast. Nothing here is rushed, and it shows in the cup. This month’s coffees are a good excuse to slow down and taste for yourself.
The name comes from the Greek word for "days," a reminder to be present in the moment. Does that idea still shape how the business runs day to day?
Yes, absolutely. The name Meron comes from the Greek word mera (μέρα) ("day"), and that idea still guides us today. It reminds us to enjoy the present and appreciate the small rituals that make every day better - coffee being one of them.
For our roastery, we also like to emphasize where we come from. Our tagline is "Roasted in Transylvania." We're proud of our origins and believe our identity is closely connected to this region.
You've grown through a franchise model across a dozen-plus cities.Was this always the plan or did it evolve?
It evolved naturally. We never set ourselves a target number of locations or wanted to grow as quickly as possible.
We only open a new Meron when we find the right partner. Money alone is never enough. We look for people who genuinely understand specialty coffee, care about quality, and are willing to maintain the standards we've built over the years.
For us, sustainable growth is much more important than fast growth.
What's the hardest part of keeping a consistent cup and a business identity across that many locations?
Probably working with young teams and people with different backgrounds and mentalities. Sometimes our way of doing things may seem strict, but that's because we want every guest to receive the same quality and the same experience, wherever they visit Meron.
We've invested heavily in training programs for our teams, but just as important are our internal communication systems and support departments. Consistency doesn't happen by accident - it requires continuous education and close collaboration.
Your team has picked up national Barista, Cup Tasting, and Latte Art titles across multiple years. What are you doing intentionally that produces that many competitors?
We actively encourage our team to compete and provide them with the resources they need to prepare.
Competition pushes people to become better baristas and better coffee professionals. It requires a significant investment of time and money, but we see it as an investment in our people.
When our team members grow, the entire company grows with them.
How has your approach to sourcing changed as the business has grown?
As we've grown, we've simply become better at it.
Having more resources has allowed us to travel more, visit producing countries, build direct relationships with farmers, and access better coffees. At the same time, we've built a stronger quality control team.
Almost every morning you'll find eight to ten people, or more in our roastery cupping coffees together, evaluating quality, and selecting only the lots that meet our standards. That continuous tasting culture has become one of the foundations of our roastery.
What's a coffee or a lot you've roasted recently that surprised you?
A good example is our Colombia Las Flores, a Bourbon Aji lot.
When we first profiled it, it was already a nice coffee. But after allowing the green coffee to rest for another month before roasting again, it transformed beautifully. The cup became noticeably more floral, more complex, and much more expressive.
It's a good reminder that coffee is a living product, and sometimes patience makes all the difference.
Tell us about the coffee being featured this month.
This month we're featuring:
Indonesia Adena
Country: Indonesia
Region: Gayo, Sumatra
Altitude: 1100 masl
Producer: Fahman Yoga / Adena
Varietal: Typica, Red Bourbon, Tim Tim
Process: Natural
Tasting notes: Dark grapes, rum chocolate, sour cherry
Rwanda Gasharu
Country: Rwanda
Region: Western Province
Altitude: 1600-2100 masl
Producer: Valentin Kamenyi
Varietal: Red Bourbon
Process: Natural
Tasting notes: Red apple, stone fruits, figs
Colombia Carambolo
Country: Colombia
Region: Pitalito, Huila
Altitude: 1800masl
Producer: Nestor Lasso, Johan Vergara
Varietal: Tabi, Yellow Colombia
Process: Double fermentation
Tasting notes: Dried peach, yellow apple, red currant
You're the official Apax Lab distributor for Romania and Hungary. What made water chemistry feel like something worth bringing into your own offering?
Water is one of the most important ingredients in coffee, yet it's often overlooked.
Over the years we've tested many different mineral compositions and water profiles to understand how they influence extraction and flavour.
Today, every Meron location uses dedicated filtration systems for our espresso machines, filtered water for our guests, and specially prepared water for filter coffee brewing. Water chemistry is simply another way of respecting the coffee and making sure it expresses its full potential.
Romania's specialty scene has grown a lot in a short space of time. What does the Cluj coffee community look like now compared to when you started, and where do you think it's heading?
The growth over the past decade has been remarkable.
Cluj has a population of around 500,000 people, yet today there are more than 50 coffee shops serving genuinely good specialty coffee. When we started, the scene was only beginning to emerge.
I'd like to think Meron has contributed to that growth -not only through our cafés, but through training baristas, educating customers, and making specialty coffee feel approachable rather than intimidating.
The quality level continues to rise, and events like The Coffee Village Festival(in Cluj-Napoca, our city) bring together professionals and coffee lovers from across the country. I believe the Romanian coffee community is still growing, becoming more knowledgeable, and increasingly connected to what's happening internationally.
If someone outside Romania has never had Meron coffee, what's the one thing about how you work you'd want them to understand before they try it?
I'd like them to know that we genuinely care about quality at every stage.
Every coffee is carefully selected, every roast is evaluated multiple times, and every decision is made with respect for the producer and the work that went into growing the coffee.
Our goal is simple: to help every coffee express its best possible character in the cup.
