Kreuzberg expands to Paso, takes over Amsterdam Coffee House

San Luis Obispo-based Kreuzberg Coffee Co. has expanded to Paso Robles, taking over Amsterdam Coffee House. And soon, the new owners will open a small Batch shop selling ice cream sandwiches there.

James Whitaker, Chris Tarcon and Alexander Ruckendorfer were approached by Stephanie Rianda, the owner of Amsterdam Coffee House, and asked whether they wanted to buy the business. Rianda said she wanted to focus on her family, and she felt like the trio were a good fit for the business.

Her coffeehouse had been using coffee beans from the roastery inside Kreuzberg Coffee Co. for nearly two years.

The roastery is owned by all three men, while Whitaker and Tarcon own Kreuzberg Coffee Co.; Batch, the ice cream sandwich store; and Bowl’d, an acai bowl cafe — all in San Luis Obispo.

The trio took over ownership of the Paso Robles coffee shop on Jan. 1. They operated the store as Amsterdam Coffee House for about a month before closing for a week to transform it into Kreuzberg Coffee Co. The approximately 1,500-square-foot space at 725 13th St. reopened Saturday with the new name.

The renovations were strictly cosmetic, Whitaker said, noting that they changed furniture and put in concrete countertops among other finishing touches to give the space a similar feel to the San Luis Obispo store. He declined to disclose financial information.

The coffee shop offers a menu similar to the San Luis Obispo location’s, Whitaker said, but it has added items such as smoothies more suited to the hot Paso Robles weather.

In March, the owners plan to open a small Batch store with window service in the Paso Robles coffee shop. The ice cream sandwiches will be sold from a street-facing window.

The Paso Robles Kreuzberg Coffee Co. has a staff of about eight to 12, a mix of full- and part-time employees. The majority of the staff from Amsterdam Coffee House was retained.

Whitaker said they hope to continue expanding all three of their brands and are always seeking opportunities both within and outside of the county.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Kreuzberg expands to Paso, takes over Amsterdam Coffee House."