The History of Smit and Dorlas

The legend holds that S. R. Smit was disappointed by the quality and presentation of coffee in restaurants, coffee houses and hotels in Amsterdam. He dreamed that one day Holland's coffee industry would emulate the rich heritage of pomp and circumstance it enjoyed in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabs (and people of Yemen) regarded the preparation of coffee as sacred, and those that indulged in it were of the highest order in society. It was with that exotic and prestigious vision, that Smit began his coffee company in 1822. At the time, the tea industry in Amsterdam was burgeoning but the coffee industry was about to enjoy its renaissance--that same year, the French introduced espresso.

Smit's coffee company began modestly, but with the assertion that above all, his product would be of the highest quality. Suppliers were to proffer coffee beans with uniformity and without defect. In his pursuit of perfection, he alone inspected the Arabica beans by hand. In the early days of his business, he personally delivered the product via bicycle.

Strong of limb and will, Smit quickly propelled his company to a position of royal stature.

His coffee was served in the most prestigious hotels in the city and was enjoyed by royalty and common men alike. He became a master at blending different beans to satisfy any taste and supplied exclusive clientele with his custom one-of-a-kind blends.

Three years later, noticing the success of Smit’s recipe for specialty coffee, and

utilizing Smit's tried and true business plan, H.F. Dorlas began his own specialty coffee company in the Gouda region of Holland. Dorlas also flourished in the specialty coffee business, and in a very short time the two became competitors.

Over the next 150 years, the ongoing rivalry drove both companies to perfect their products. Eventually, the relationship between the two companies grew into one of mutual admiration and respect. Both companies had independently developed the same fine standards for specialty coffee and utilized the same suppliers and trade routes.

In 1975, Smit and Dorlas merged their two prestigious companies. S&D today is committed to the tradition of excellence in quality standards. S&D has expanded sales to Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Europe and the U.S. S&D coffee is served in Turkey, South America and territories of the Netherlands. Exclusive resorts and hotels such as The Grand Hotel Amsterdam and Occidental Grand Aruba serve S&D custom made specialty coffee blends to their discerning guests.

The success of the company lies in the fact that S&D has never lost sight of the vision these Dutch entrepreneurs both held close to their hearts: Provide only the best beans to ensure the most aromatic and palatable blends of coffee imaginable.