Balat roastery with an SCA training academy, supplying Istanbul cafés before opening.
Uğur Gözcü spent ten years at Coffee Department in Balat before co-founding ARC with Ibrahim Yılmaz, an Authorized SCA Trainer and Q Grader. Yılmaz teaches the academy's SCA Barista, Brewing and Roasting Skills courses. They roast on a ROEST P3000 and sell lots from six countries online, including Ethiopia and Kenya.
On Yarım Balat Sokak, a wooden staircase rises over a bare stone wall through the middle of the shop. The espresso bar and a hand-brew station sit beneath it, where V60 is poured to order. Glazed doors at the back open onto a courtyard with trees, and benches stand on the pavement out front.
