A Mustache, A Dream, and Parental Leave: The Birth of Bönan & Mustaschen

Walking into Bönan & Mustaschen feels like stepping into a story—one filled with warmth, character, and a deep love for coffee. In the heart of Växjö, Sweden, this café stands out for the people it brings together. 

HUDES | Worldwide Digital Magazine for Manual Coffee Brewers

At its core is Andreas, a man whose journey from coffee curiosity to café owner is driven by a simple yet powerful philosophy: great coffee and genuine human connections belong together. 

In this conversation, he shares the story behind Bönan & Mustaschen, the challenges of specialty coffee in a small Swedish town, and his dream of taking coffee craftsmanship even further.

Andreas, founder Bönan & Mustaschen

HUDES: Let's start with the name—Bönan & Mustaschen. It’s such a memorable and unique brand. What’s the story behind it? How did the mustache theme become a core part of your identity?

Andreas: We wanted a name that conveyed both lightheartedness and clarity. At first, I was hesitant about naming my coffee bar after my facial hair, but when my colleague, who helped me start the café, suggested it, it kind of grew on me. It’s very important to me that Bönan & Mustaschen feels like home, and I think the name helps build that feeling.

HUDES: Before we dive deeper into the café, let’s talk about you. Can you share a little about your background? How did coffee become such a big part of your journey?

Andreas: I’ve worked in the service industry my whole life—people and their stories mean a lot to me. 

Nearly 15 years ago, when I had my first child and went on parental leave (where coffee is a crucial survival tool), I started wondering why I was drinking coffee when it didn’t even taste that good. 

There had to be a way to get a better cup of coffee! So, I bought a grinder to get freshly ground beans. From there, I stumbled upon specialty coffee through a now-closed café in town, and the rest is history. Somehow, I can never just be a little interested in something—I have to know everything!

BREWING - Great filter coffee from Bönan & Mustaschen 

HUDES: What inspired you to start this café? Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide, “This is it. We’re opening a coffee bar”?

Andreas: Alongside my full-time job, I worked a few hours at a café to learn how to steam milk, dial in espresso, and so on. Unfortunately, the café (the only specialty coffee shop in town) went bankrupt, leaving Växjö without good coffee. And that just wouldn’t do. 

One day, a friend called me and said he’d found a small, cozy space that would be perfect. So, after 12 years at the same job, I quit, and Bönan & Mustaschen became a reality.

HUDES: Bönan & Mustaschen isn’t just a coffee shop—it feels like a place with personality. How would you describe the philosophy behind your space? What kind of atmosphere do you want people to experience when they walk in?

 Bönan & Mustaschen vibes

Andreas: My two biggest passions in life are coffee and people. Every person carries a backpack filled with stories, experiences, failures, victories, and emotions. It’s incredibly fascinating to meet people and learn about them. 

Coffee works in a similar way—each bean is a combination of origin, processing methods, and roasting. I love bringing out the best in both people and coffee beans. At Bönan & Mustaschen, these two exist in perfect harmony.

I often talk about the importance of The Third Room. We have our workplace or school, and we have our home, but we also need a third place where we can pause, build new connections, and simply feel at ease without pressure. 

That’s what I want to create with Bönan & Mustaschen—a space where everyone is welcome. From the homeless man who stops by three times a day to get some hot water in his thermos and leftover sandwiches at closing time, to the businessmen enjoying their post-lunch espresso—everyone is treated the same. It’s in these human encounters that life is at its best.

HUDES: Coffee is at the heart of everything, but every café has its own way of selecting and serving it. How do you choose your coffee? Do you have a particular approach or preference when it comes to sourcing and brewing?

Andreas: I source coffee from a variety of micro-roasteries. For me, besides great coffee, it’s important that they, in turn, treat people well. The coffees I serve are a mix of my own preferences (well-balanced, clean coffees that reflect their origin) and my customers’ tastes. In a small town like Växjö, I need to offer a broad selection.

HUDES: Växjö isn’t necessarily the first place people think of when they talk about coffee culture. What’s the coffee scene like there? How has your café contributed to the local coffee community?

Andreas: Bönan & Mustaschen has managed to build quite a broad community of coffee nerds in Växjö. I love uplifting people. Some of the staff I’ve hired had no prior professional experience with coffee, yet we’ve won both gold and silver medals at the Swedish Aeropress Championship and secured two second-place finishes in the national Brewers Cup. 

Two of them have moved on to become a roaster and head roaster at two of Sweden's bigger specialty coffee roasters. One has started her own coffee bar in another town. 

Both I and the coffee bar have been among the top ten nominees for the Swedish Gastronomy Awards for several years. 

That’s a pretty good track record for the six years we’ve been open. And it’s all built on a belief in people.

HUDES: Running an independent coffee business comes with its own challenges. What have been some of the biggest hurdles you’ve faced—whether it’s sourcing beans, dealing with rising costs, or just keeping things fresh and exciting?

Andreas: Our biggest challenges come from Växjö being a small town and specialty coffee being a very niche thing. So our main role is to expand people’s knowledge and encourage them to step outside their comfort zone when it comes to coffee.

HUDES: In a time when many cafés feel similar, Bönan & Mustaschen stands out. What do you think makes your café special? What’s something people might not realize about your approach to coffee or hospitality?

Andreas: Every person is unique and should be treated as such. And for me, that’s not just something you say—it’s something you do. We’ve managed to create a place where people feel welcome and involved. 

A warm place. It requires a lot from me and my staff, but what we get in return is amazing! Before opening Bönan & Mustaschen, we visited different coffee bars and noticed they were all quite similar. So we decided to do something completely different in terms of aesthetics. Instead of bright, tiled, and sleek, we went for dark, wooden, and personal.

HUDES: If we were to step into Bönan & Mustaschen right now, what’s the one drink or experience you’d want us to try? What’s your personal favorite thing on the menu?

Andreas: I have a special passion for hand-brewed filter coffee. So I would absolutely recommend a V60 with a clean, juicy Kenyan coffee. Nothing fancy—just really, really good.

HUDES: Lastly, what’s next for Bönan & Mustaschen? Do you have any future plans—new coffee experiments, collaborations, or maybe something completely unexpected?

Andreas: I’m in the early stages of learning how to roast coffee. My ultimate dream is to be involved in the entire process—from sourcing the beans on-site to roasting them and finally brewing them for the customer. That would be absolutely incredible. (hudes magazine)

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All photos by Bönan & Mustaschen for Hudes magazine.