ONCE UPON A TIME
2009
Athens. A random walk. A whiff of something rich and roasted.
That’s all it took for Nikos Zervos to get hooked. On a little street called Benaki, he stumbled into a tiny coffee shop pouring something different—TAF, and with it, the whisper of this thing called third wave coffee.
A few cups and a few great convos later, the vision was clear.
He was going to bring this experience home—to Crete.
Sure, it was the middle of Greece’s economic crisis. Sure, people thought he was nuts. But in September 2009, one of Greece’s very first specialty cafés opened its doors in Heraklion.
Enter Giorgos Kontorinis, espresso aficionado and barista wizard. He brought the flavor—and the finesse—to level us up.
And suddenly, Heraklion had a new vocabulary:
single estate, latte art, specialty coffee.
Some rolled their eyes. We rolled up our sleeves.
We introduced five different single estates to Heraklion and people went from skeptical to obsessed.
2011
Then, our very own Giorgos took 3rd place at the National Barista Championship. Not bad for a kid with a tamper and a dream.
2012
We knew we had something worth sharing—so we built a space to teach it.
Coffee Studio was born.
Part lab, part school, part love letter to the bean.
Workshops, seminars, latte art classes, barista training—it all lived here.
We moved into a proper space on Andrea Papandreou Street and got to work teaching Heraklion how to swirl a perfect heart into their cappuccino.
2013
And then... Hacienda.
Our first neighborhood café. A space built around quality, craft, and community. No shortcuts, no fluff—just damn good coffee, local products, and a crew that cared.
The love was instant. And growing.
Our own George Kontorinis secured 3rd place in his second appearance at the Panhellenic Barista Championship!
2015
We introduced Nitro Cold Brew to Greece.
Yes, in the middle of that Heraklion summer heatwave, we rolled out ice-cold, smooth-as-silk coffee on tap. And people lost their minds.
2016
More talks. More stages. More festivals.
Giorgos was now sharing what we knew with the whole country—whether at HORECA, the Athens Coffee Festival, or just around our bar counter.
2017-2018
The second Hacienda opened its doors, and with it, the Hacienda Bakehouse was born.
A whole new layer of flavor—fresh pastries, breads, and treats to match our coffee craft.
Then came Papanastasiou Avenue, our first Bakeaway spot, where quality met convenience.
Oh, and we made a pilgrimage to La Marzocco in Florence.
Because when you love coffee, you honor the machines that make the magic.
Also: we became dog friendly.
(Because tails wagging = hearts happy)
2020
Big year!
We opened our 4th location in the historic heart of Heraklion — St.Catherine Square — and gave Hacienda a brand refresh.
New colors, new textures, same soul.
Our bakehouse outgrew its shell, so we built it a new home on Mafsolou Street.
Bigger, better, and still filled with the smell of warm croissants..
2021
The world slowed down, so we sped up delivery — bringing the Hacienda experience to people’s doorsteps.
We even traveled to Costa Rica to connect with one of our small-batch coffee farmers. Full-circle moments.
Then came The Brewhouse, and with it, a whole new line of cool drinks and hand-crafted refreshers.
We also hit 4,000 loyalty members—a whole Hacienda family, earning perks and showing love.
2022
And yep—we launched Hacienda merch so you could take the vibe home.
2023
Our 5th Hacienda arrives: a second Bakeaway on Christomichali Xilouri Street.
Fast. Friendly. Fully Hacienda.
What a big year! We had triple participation and distinctions at the Panhellenic Barista Championship in Athens!
2024
Our 6th Hacienda is taking shape!
It's located in one of Heraklion's fastest-growing neighborhoods, right next to the tennis courts in the Koroni Magara area.
From one little spark in Athens to a full-on movement in Crete, this story is still brewing.
And we’re just getting started.
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