Many reading this won’t know, but RoR Roastery first started at Daily Dose Lounge, Dragan, who was overlooking operations at the time, has always been kind enough to involve me in occasional cupping sessions and trying out their different beans for feedback.

This is where I was first acquainted with Dragoslav, as he was around offering his expertise to Dragan with roasting. It was very interesting at the time to say the least, to have feedback from him, while I cupped their coffees.

Fast forward many years ago, Dragoslav has been a familiar face, I have spotted him now and then at national competitions as a judge. I knew the competitors were going to have a tough time, not only is he going to grade them strictly but also honestly.

I have a word in mind to describe Drago - radical. He makes me think in ways I wouldn’t have imagined otherwise. What makes him unique is his perspective, it’s not of the follower mentality, rather a leader, a disruptor.

He won’t hide it like it’s black and white, rather he will say it to you as is. People might not like his approach, but I am starting to have an understanding where he is coming from. And I have the utmost respect of him and his opinion.

It was truly a pleasure to host him on The Coffee Story, and this is not the end. Stay tuned for another article coming soon on portafilter.

How did you start off with coffee, Dragoslav?

It all started in 2014, I was working for a famous bakery chain in Belgrade, Serbia. I happened to meet with the Java Coffee crew and Marko from CoffeeDesk at a coffee festival later that year. This is how my journey to the world of coffee began, by networking with coffee people.

Shortly after, I signed up with Java Academy to partake in a coffee course, and I have not looked back ever since. This paved the way for me to compete in the SCAE Serbian Barista Championship in 2016, sponsored by one of the bakery directors, Mihailo, who also sourced and roasted Salvadoran Cup of Excellence.

I have the local coffee community to thank. Nenad helped me understand the competition machine, Milos helped me make sense of the dial-in process and be confident in the face of the competition, Krle and Max from Java Academy who supported me with the inception of my signature drink.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without appreciating my haters, who repeatedly questioned my ability to perform, based on the fact that I worked in a bakery. It’s a tough world out there, and failing is part and parcel of life. But, “stop” is a word that is not in my dictionary, it fueled me to continue learning and become better at what I do.

I ended up spending most of my free time with Java’s crew, or hanging out at coffee shops connecting with baristas. I had a liking towards craft beer, and that helped me further develop my sensory skills. I came upon an opportunity to join the Java team, and from that moment onwards there was no going back. They invested in me, and I reciprocated the way I knew how to, by being part of the SCAE Serbian Brewers Cup and placing 4th.

The more experience I accumulated, the deeper I dove into the rabbit hole. I became part of Kisobran’s team, and assisted them to open a micro roastery called Zaokret. I was volunteering for the 2017 World of Coffee Budapest, and this is where I connected with Dragan and Rustam who were woking in Cafe Rider at the time. They convinced me to give Dubai a chance, and thats how a new chapter in my coffee journey started.

Fast forward to 2018, I am now in Cafe Rider on a trial basis, and also training with Tabera, the Russian roasting champion, to potentially replace Rustam and Dmitriy. Dragan however had other plans, he introduced me to Saud and his father Abdulla. They welcomed me to be a part of their family, I fell in love with Ajman and call it home.

You have been involved in so many projects, can you explain what it is that you do for Wacup, Koub, RoR and CoffeeDesk?

As I mentioned, Al Nuaimi Family has been my biggest support so far, and I am giving back the way I know best. My first coffee project with Saud was WACup Coffee Hub. It was a success, but there was an element missing - the local culture. And that’s how Koub (Arabic name for cup) was born.

Koub is a concept that merged the Emirati heritage and specialty coffee. The first location is based in the heritage district of Ajman Museum. This solidified Koub as an Emirati brand representing the local culture at the Expo 2020 Dubai, and paves the way for us to open even more locations across the UAE.

The chapter of RoR Roastery initiated with Dragan. This is a roastery that supplied coffee to our partner cafes - Daily Dose Lounge and WACup Coffee Hub. We were the core team. Gradually, the demand picked up, and we started roasting for new up-and-coming clients.

As business picked up, the team grew, and we opened a brand new roastery in Al Quoz. The name RoR might be new in the UAE, but we have already made a mark amongst the local community thanks to our coffee and participation in many competitions. All of this was not possible without the support of Brewing Gadgets.

The chapter of CoffeeDesk started while I was still working for Java. However, looking at the UAE market, there was simply not enough choice to buy quality equipment, and often out of stock due to high demand. This was despite the fact that Brewing Gadgets were trying their level best to supply. CoffeeDesk, originating from Poland, is quite literally a breath-of-fresh air for the Middle East region and follows a unique methodology to be the ideal cafe equipment supplier.

To sum up, I wear many hats for the businesses I have mentioned above. I am the co-founder of Wacup and Koub, Business Development Director for RoR Roastery, and in charge of R&D for CoffeeDesk UAE.

You have spoken a lot about collaborating and working together, this is in some ways the essence of speciality coffee. Can you elaborate your views on this.

I am a firm believer in sharing knowledge, this in some way has a magnetic effect on people. I love the UAE coffee scene because individuals collaborate with roasters, cafes and others, not hesitating to give knowledge back to the community. I don’t need to mention them, they know who they are.

And lastly, the more you know, the more you don't. Raise yourself up by raising others. I am always accessible amongst my peers, and I’m down to catch up over a cup of coffee if you need further explanation of what I’ve discussed so far.

And this is not the last you will hear from him. Stay tuned for another post coming soon on portafilter.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.