In our first series of interviews, we’ve decided to share a story of a traditional coffee place located in Sarajevo, called Andar that was once a shoe store.
Nestled in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija, Andar, originally a shoe shop since 1933, is now a beloved tea and coffee spot. Owned by Muhamer’s granddaughter, Maida, this charming establishment has earned its place as the #6 among Sarajevo’s top 51 tea and coffee places.
”I wanted to honor the tradition and heritage that my grandfather and father left”
What inspired you to name this place Andar?
We always called this place Radnja (shop, store, a place for crafting shoes, shoemaker’s place) even though the real name was Sport’ fashion. After some time my father changed the name to ANDAR, which read backward and means the same Radna(without j).
After a few years, one customer from Spain came and told us that Andar means walking translated to Spanish, which was an extraordinary coincidence.
What is the history behind the shoe coffee shop?
My grandfather and father were shoe craftsmen and I was meant to inherit the tradition and work, but the times changed and I wanted to try something new. That’s when I decided to open a coffee place in our Radnja. I wanted the place to look like an old Bosnian house with all the details like pillows and furniture.
So, the details like wooden shoes and tools and are original?
Yes, everything from shoes to small traditional details like tools and floors is original and located in the same place as when this place was a shoe shop.
That’s so cool; I love your way of keeping the tradition; it makes this place unique and warm.
When it comes to beverages, what do you suggest people should try when visiting your café?
I always suggest dibek coffee because it’s better in its aroma and taste. And it’s a traditional coffee that’s best combined with one of our cookies like baklava, hurmasica, ruzica and kadaif) P.S. my favorite one is kadaif. And we also prepare homemade juices from different fruits and plants. Juices from lemons, blueberry, spearmint and roses are the best!
And the last one, do you plan to expand your store or open a new location?
I’d say our place is pretty unique and if you have two locations you’d lose the originality. So, the answer is no, we can’t have two same places and I think you’d agree.
We couldn’t agree more! Thank you for your time, Maida!
