Roaster Stories: Kross Coffee Roasters of Crete and Third Wave Freddo

Written by Resi

Updated on Jan 23, 2026

I strive to keep all content fresh, but details may change

Article commissioned for crema magazine. This version has been translated.

Nowadays, specialty coffee shops across Greece are setting new impulses by preparing the beloved Freddos exclusively with high-quality coffee. But how did this shift in thinking actually come about in the Greek coffee scene? A brief excursion to the beginnings starts in 2005, when third-wave ideas first flickered through the mind of Yiannis Taloumis, founder of the family import and roasting company Taf from Athens. Gradually, Taf transitioned from commercial coffees to specialty coffees, laying the foundation for a novel coffee culture. In 2009, Taf cemented their pioneer status with the opening of Greece’s first specialty coffee shop, a showcase for the top-tier beans carefully acquired on origin trips.

The change in mindset initially remained confined to the capital, until brothers Sotos and Stavros Michael scattered the seeds for a new appreciation of coffee and its flavor potential on the island of Crete. Of all places, where Frappé and Greek Mokka dominated the coffee habits of the local population and where the hinterland still clings desperately to cultural identity to this day. Of all places, where Freddo Espresso bristling with bitterness is traded as the elixir of life on the many hot days of the year.

Despite all the obstacles, particularly the taste preferences of locals and logistical problems, Sotos and Stavros became workhorses of the third wave away from big-city open-mindedness when they took on the challenge in 2010 of making specialty coffee palatable to Cretans.

Bringing Specialty Coffee to the Island of Crete

The brothers grew up with the clatter of dishes and pots and the diversity of Mediterranean cuisine, as their parents loved and lived gastronomy. A fine sense for culinary matters was essentially placed in their cradle. “Working 365 days a year is in our DNA,” laughs Sotos, who studied for four years in London before settling in the charming coastal town of Chania in 2002 and taking over a franchise business for coffee beans in 2005. While quality was emphasized from the beginning, coffee traded as specialty only entered the assortment five years later.

With the founding of Kross Coffee Works in 2013, the coffee lovers finally realized their vision for something entirely their own. “Until 2009, it was forbidden in Greece to serve coffee where it was also sold. Only when this legal hurdle was cleared could we think about opening a café,” says Sotos. He stumbled upon the perfect location at one of the many historic sites in the middle of the old town. As a design inspiration source for the combination of exposed masonry and selected designer furniture, none other than London’s pulsating café scene served as reference, which also found its way into the grinders in the form of gently roasted beans from Ozone Coffee Roasters. A contrast program to the minaret of the former Ahmet Aga mosque, a remnant from Ottoman times that rises above the rooftops in the same alley.

Was Third Wave Freddo ready for the island? At a time when Illy, Hausbrandt, and Lavazza completely flooded the market with their dark-roasted Arabica and Robusta blends, it took persistent persuasion to bring fruity single origins to the people. “The majority of our local guests tried specialty coffee for the first time in their lives. So we lured them with the offer that they only had to pay if the coffee actually tasted good. Complaints were very rare,” Sotos looks back with satisfaction. “We all know each other by name here. Especially the young people come to us for the community feeling and learn to appreciate the unfamiliar flavor profiles more and more.” That the beloved Frappé was entirely absent from the menu initially raised questions but was forgiven over time.

At the latest after Sotos participated in national championships in 2014 as the first non-Athenian, the good reputation of Kross Coffee Works as persistent ambassadors for specialty coffee spilled over to the mainland as well. High time to set off for new shores. In 2017, the coffee shop in the old town was converted into an in-house roastery and café operations were scaled back. That same year, Kross Coffee Works opened another location in a historic city villa directly at the Peace and Friendship Park at Nearchou 1. The café is the perfect liaison between a quiet oasis with vacation vibes and a gathering place for freelancers, creatives, and cosmopolitans. “Chania is the epitome of serenity. We want to present ourselves just as relaxed. Whether flip-flops or tie, anything goes but nothing is required,” Sotos describes the atmosphere.

With a Freddo in hand, groups of people indeed sit for hours on the terrace, surrounded by palm fronds under sail-like parasols, while behind the wooden counter with marble topping, tamping and shaking continues tirelessly. A second brewing station from Kross Coffee Works is located on the main street Tzanakaki, where entrepreneurs and office workers stride across the threshold every few seconds to treat themselves to a caffeine-rich break.

Roasting for the Perfect Freddo

Things move at a leisurely pace in the roastery, as it’s now used exclusively as a lab. Coffee sacks lie scattered lazily around the roaster. The bean repertoire is seasonal. The classic chocolate-sweet Lighthouse Blend is standard in the assortment, which holds up better against ice cubes due to its full body, donated by beans from Brazil and Colombia, than an Ethiopian coffee, for example. Because when the Michaels speak of wanting to shake up the coffee scene, it doesn’t rattle the status of Freddo Espresso and Freddo Cappuccino. Quite the opposite. Leaving these two institutions of Greek coffee culture out would likely be shooting themselves in the foot. Instead, the characteristic cold drinks are perfected down to the last detail and prepared with the highest-quality beans. A Peruvian with generous acidity also meets ice cubes in the mixer from time to time.

When it comes to filter roasts, Sotos and Stavros orient themselves toward the Scandinavian roasting approach. “We want coffee to be taken seriously, but not too seriously,” is the motto. “Many of our guests grow with us and expand their coffee knowledge with every sip,” says Sotos. To maintain quality standards, the coffee professionals also pass on their expertise unfiltered to 15 café operations that fill their grinders with Kross Coffee Roasters. In Heraklion, for instance, where they work closely with Frankly Coffee, one of the most prominent café concepts in Crete’s economic center.