For the past six years, Olga Kolarz has been a steady presence behind the bar at Companion Tea & Coffee in Berlin. What began as a new chapter abroad has grown into a story of persistence, connection, and quiet leadership. Originally from Toruń, Poland, Olga found in coffee not just a career, but a way to build her community in a city that can often feel transient.
As the café’s manager, she trains new team members and keeps the communication flowing smoothly. Her focus goes beyond calibrating espresso shots and latte art – it’s about creating an atmosphere where people feel seen and appreciated. The regulars who have been returning for years, still ordering their familiar drinks, are a reflection of that care in a city where it is so common to be anonymous or even lonely.
Outside the café, Olga finds balance on roller skates. It’s where she resets, recharges, and channels the same determination she brings to her work. Whether guiding her team through a morning rush or gliding across Tempelhofer Feld at sunset, she moves forward with purpose – always finding joy in motion.
Olga, what is your first memory with coffee?
My first memory is from my early childhood. The smell of a very strong black coffee, my family used to drink. We call it ‘’Parzucha’’ which is literally fine grind, dark roasted coffee brewed with hot water in a cup. I’ll remember the comforting smell of that coffee lingering around my grandma’s house forever.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the coffee industry, and how did you get started? What did you do before coffee?
I think that at the time when I decided to pursue my dream of working in the coffee industry, I couldn’t really understand why I actually wanted to do it. One day, I woke up and decided that I wanted to learn about coffee. The longer I work around coffee, the more it makes me realise it’s connected with my first memory of coffee in my life. The smell of coffee brings me comfort, and watching my family members serving each other coffee was always an act of
care and love.
Tell us a bit about the place you work at. What is your role there?
I started working at Companion in September 2019. It was my beginning of a new chapter of life abroad. I wasn’t really skilled as a barista at the time, and I wasn’t fluent in English or German at the time, but one thing I knew for sure – I knew how to work hard, fast, and I would never waste a chance when it came to making my dreams come true.
Working at Companion gave me something I never got anywhere else. The feeling of appreciation, belonging and stability in the city where everything feels uncertain and short-term. Becoming a manager of Companion made me realise that we can achieve whatever we want in life as long as we can dream about it and work for it. My job is to train new members of the team and be a bridge between Chris and Shawn (the owners) and my colleagues.
What kind of experience do you want your customers to have when they visit you at the cafe?
We’re really lucky when it comes to our customers. We have a lot of regulars who’ve been coming at least a few times a week since I can remember. Memorising all of the drinks might be my favourite game I like to play with myself. It’s extraordinary to watch how some people are changing; they get married, have kids, move away and then they come back to the cafe after being away for a longer period of time, and they still order the same drink. By making people’s drinks the way they like them, I can feel that it makes them feel seen and cared.
What is your favourite part of the day in your cafe, and why?
Without any doubt- morning shift. Getting ready for the day, watching through the huge window of the cafe, the street waking up while sipping my first coffee of the day is my favourite part of the day.
How do you stay motivated and inspired to keep improving your coffee-making skills?
I think my team keeps me motivated and inspired. Trying coffee together, dialling in a new espresso or beach brew, and genuinely looking forward to hearing what my colleagues think about coffee. Also, definitely giving each other a challenge when it comes to pouring latte art, who doesn’t like that?!
What are some common misconceptions about our industry that you’ve encountered, and how do you address them?
The first thing that came to my mind is that some people think that whoever works in the specialty coffee industry must be a coffee snob. Working with a high-quality coffee made me appreciate a good cup of coffee, but from my perspective, one of my favourite memories connected with coffee is, objectively speaking, when I had the worst coffee of my life.
The memory of 90-cent, very dark-roasted, thick espresso from an espresso bar in Italy, served by the probably 12-year-old daughter of the owner, will stay with me forever. Not because of the flavour but because of the whole experience. I think, as people passionate about coffee, we should be able to appreciate both. Some people feel judged while asking for their drink to be extra hot, they want to pour some milk into their pour-over or add some sugar.
The fact that I’m a trained barista and I know how to make a good cup of coffee will never entitle me to dictate how someone should drink their coffee. Coffee has always brought me comfort, and that’s what I want to give to the customers.
How do you inspire your team when the café gets intense?
I think the most important part is to stay calm (also because I’m fully aware my team can read me very well). As much as I know, I can work fast. There are things that we can’t make faster, even if we try. Appreciating my colleagues’ hard work, especially after a rush, is crucial. It’s actually something I learned at Companion.
In Poland, it wasn’t a thing to hear from your employer to hear a simple “thank you’’. I might have never heard genuine words of appreciation from any of my bosses before. My mindset was pretty clear that as long as I’m not criticised and I get paid, that means I’m doing a good job. It changed a lot for me when I got employed by Chris and Shawn.
Hearing thank you daily and words of appreciation helped me to build my confidence at work, made me feel seen and made me realise how important it is to share the same experience with my colleagues.
What’s one lesson the café environment has taught you that you use in daily life?
As long as you have good people around you, everything is going to be alright.
How did roller skating become such a big part of your life?
Well, for sure, it was never in my bingo card. I started roller skating 4 years ago. Deep down, I like to be challenged, and I found it in skating quite quickly. Learning tricks and moves that I once found impossible to do brought me great satisfaction.
What feeling keeps you lacing up your skates, even after a long shift?
Realisation that life is short. As much as I like my job, rollerskating is purely something I’m doing for myself. Making coffee, serving and entertaining people – it brings me to the point where I think about making other people’s day my priority quite easily. It definitely gives me satisfaction, I love working with coffee and interaction with people keeps me inspired, but through skating, I can turn off my thinking and for an hour or two, be only for myself.
– nothing makes me feel more free than skating.¨
What’s the connection, if any, between skating and being a barista?
Well, there’s nothing like a good flow and music in the background. I can’t imagine either
without having those two.
Do you feel freer on the café floor or on wheels?
Truth has to be told- nothing makes me feel freer than skating. There’s nothing like skating during the sunset at Tempeholfer Feld or travelling and skating around the city you’ve never been to before. I wish I could explain that feeling, but it’s definitely something I wish everyone could experience at least once in their life.
At the same time, you have to stay focused and stop overthinking (which I’m a master at, haha). It made me realise that we can achieve whatever we want as long as we really want it and work for it. Everything seems to be a little bit more possible. It’s a very freeing feeling.
Where in Berlin do you find your best inspiration?
I can’t name just one place. I think Berlin, in general, is very inspiring. You can find whatever you’re looking for, which also makes it a dangerous place if you’re not entirely sure what you’re looking for. There are so many options, it’s quite overwhelming. My life is far from what I imagined 10 years ago, but I’m more than grateful to call Berlin my home.
What coffee challenges are you looking forward to? Any new projects or collaborations?
Something I’m definitely looking forward to is growing and moving forward with my coffee career. I’m hoping to find new ways to stay in motion, learn new things and keep my spark bright off and on skates. This year, I had the pleasure of working on a few exciting skating projects; hopefully, more are about to come.
Quick Fire Questions for Olga Kolarz:
Filter coffee or espresso-based?
Espresso.
Milk coffee or black coffee?
Milky.
The most underrated coffee drink?
Cappuccino.
The most underrated coffee brewer?
AeroPress.
Favourite piece of barista equipment?
Comandante Grinder.
How do you make coffee at home?
Bialetti or pour over.
No.1 café in Europe that every coffee geek should visit?
MAZELAB in Prague.
Favourite city outside your own for a coffee tour?
I think Prague or my hometown, Toruń. All of the Czech and Polish people from the coffee industry I met along the way are really passionate and have a great knowledge. I was never disappointed whenever I went to a specialty coffee place in either of those cities.
