Our Story

Südseite began with curiosity, movement, and coffee.

Hugo, originally from the Azores Islands, founded Südseite in 2021 in Heidelberg, Germany. But the roots of the project reach back several years earlier. In 2016, Hugo set off on a camper van journey through Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Poland. Rather than planning his route around landmarks, he followed a different compass: specialty coffee.

From café to café, roastery to roastery, he encountered a new way of understanding coffee—one rooted in transparency, craftsmanship, and taste. Visits to places like Coffee Collective and Tim Wendelboe left a lasting impression and continue to shape Südseite’s philosophy and roasting style to this day.

Back in Heidelberg, Hugo knew what he wanted to create: not just another café, but a relaxed space where people could feel at home. A place built around quality, care, and community—where exceptional coffee would always be the top priority. Südseite opened its doors serving coffees from roasters Hugo deeply admired, including Friedhats, Tim Wendelboe, Kawa, Morgon, DAK, Nomad, and others.

The name Südseite carries multiple layers of meaning. It is a nod to Margem Sul, one of Hugo’s favorite regions in Portugal—a place defined by the ocean, surfing, sun, and the feeling of the south. At the same time, it reflects a happy coincidence: the very first Südseite location sits on the south side of the river Neckar. And then there is the contrast that makes the name especially fitting—the south–north dichotomy. While the name evokes warmth and southern light, much of Südseite’s inspiration comes from the Nordic countries, whose coffee culture and roasting philosophy have profoundly influenced the way Südseite approaches coffee.

One year later, Südseite’s journey took an important turn.

Jan walked into the café as a customer—already deeply passionate about coffee. It quickly became clear that Hugo and Jan shared a similar taste and vision. Conversations turned into cuppings, and a few months later, into a decision: they would start roasting together.

Jan’s background as a chemistry teacher proved invaluable, allowing them to understand the roasting process on a deeper, more analytical level. Combined with their shared sensory preferences, progress came quickly. Those first weeks of roasting were intense and unforgettable—the excitement of discovering flavors, refining profiles, and realizing they were onto something special is still vivid today.

Around this time, Jan’s friend Andi began joining their cupping sessions. A mathematician with a Ph.D. and an AI consultant by trade, Andi brought a natural curiosity and deep geekiness to everything he touched. Like many during the pandemic, he had fallen in love with sourdough baking—and taken it very seriously. His meticulous approach, experimentation, and obsession with fermentation soon became a key part of the project. Without ever formally planning it, a team was formed.

As their ambitions grew, they began searching for a second location—one that would allow them to expand roasting capacity and bring a small sourdough bakery to life. A few months later, they discovered an old mill in Heidelberg-Wieblingen. Recently renovated, full of character, and overlooking the river, it was love at first sight. The historic mill became the perfect home for both the roastery and the bakery.

Andi’s dedication to sourdough baking proved essential in shaping what would become Südseite’s flagship café—a place where specialty coffee and sourdough baking truly merge. Here, coffee and bread are treated with the same respect: fermented, developed, and crafted with intention.

Today, Südseite is the result of shared passion, curiosity, and craftsmanship—coffee roasted with precision, bread baked with care, and spaces created for people to feel welcome.

This is Südseite.

What a journey!

Hugo grew up in the Azores and founded Südseite in Heidelberg in 2021 – but the story actually begins a few years earlier. In 2016, he packed his campervan and drove north, through Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Poland. No fixed itinerary, no tourist attractions – just specialty coffee as his guide.

Coffee shop by coffee shop, roastery by roastery, he discovered a different way of thinking about coffee – one built on transparency, craftsmanship, and taste. Places like Coffee Collective and Tim Wendelboe left an impression that continues to shape how Südseite roasts and thinks about coffee today.

Back in Heidelberg, Hugo had a clear vision: not an ordinary coffee shop, but a place where people genuinely enjoyed hanging out. A place built on quality, care, and a sense of community – with exceptional coffee at its heart. Südseite opened its doors with coffees from roasters Hugo loved – including Friedhats, Tim Wendelboe, Kawa, Morgon, DAK, and Nomad.

Why Südseite?


The name Südseite (South Side) carries multiple layers of meaning. It is a homage to Margem Sul, one of Hugo's favorite regions in Portugal – a place characterized by the sea, surfing, sun, and the feeling of the south. At the same time, it reflects a happy coincidence: The very first Südseite location is on the south side of the Neckar River. And then there's the contrast that makes the name particularly apt – the South-North dichotomy. While the name evokes warmth and southern light, much of Südseite's inspiration comes from Nordic countries, whose coffee culture and roasting philosophy have profoundly influenced how Südseite views coffee.

Jan came into the cafe

A year later, Südseite's story took an important turn.

Jan came to the café as a customer – already deeply immersed in the world of coffee and with genuine passion. It quickly became clear that Hugo and Jan shared similar tastes and visions. Conversations turned into cuppings, and a few months later, a decision: they would roast together.

Jan's background as a chemistry teacher proved invaluable – it allowed them to understand the roasting process on a deeper, more analytical level. Combined with their shared sensory preferences, they made rapid progress. Those first weeks of roasting were intense and unforgettable – the excitement of discovering new flavors, refining profiles, and feeling that they had something special in their hands is still vivid today.

A team has been formed


It was around this time that Jan's friend Andi started joining their cupping sessions. A mathematician with a doctorate and an AI consultant by profession, he brought a natural curiosity and an enthusiasm for everything he touched. Like many others during the pandemic, he had fallen in love with sourdough baking – and taken it very seriously. His meticulous approach, his experimental spirit, and his obsession with fermentation quickly became an important part of the project. Without ever having made a formal plan, a team had formed.



The Mill

With growing ambitions, they began searching for a second location – a place that would allow them to expand roasting capacity and bring a small sourdough bakery to life. A few months later, they discovered an old mill in Heidelberg-Wieblingen. Recently renovated, full of character, and with a view of the river – it was love at first sight. The historic mill became the perfect home for both the roastery and the bakery.

Andi's dedication to sourdough baking was crucial in shaping what would become Südseite's flagship café – a place where specialty coffee and sourdough baking truly merge. Here, coffee and bread are treated with the same respect: fermented, developed, and handcrafted with intention.

Today, Südseite is the result of shared passion, curiosity, and craftsmanship – bread baked with care, coffee roasted with precision and spaces created where people feel welcome.

This is Südseite.