DRAFT. Coffee x tendlyn

There is always a balance to things. An outfit needs enough accessories to look complete; a latte needs an espresso and milk for the perfect mix; a meal is not well-rounded without a fine choice of drink; and Swiss café DRAFT. Coffee blends play with precision, from branding to packaging.

Tobias Nagele and Felix Rocha founded DRAFT. Coffee in 2024. The brand was born from their combined passion for excellent design, quality coffee, and creating community-driven experiences. To set a unique atmosphere that translates to inimitable, unforgettable moments, the concept of blending play and precision comes into focus.

Their Zurich flagship and the newly opened Basel café have the same polished look and feel in their designs—cool, sleek table and chair ensembles against the warmly colored backdrops—and paired with the scribbled, illustrative elements found on their food packaging and merchandise, it all establishes the perfect balance that is original to the DRAFT. Brand.

Read on for more!

Tell us a bit about your brand!

DRAFT. — contrary to what many people assume about the origin of the name — stands for something unfinished, something that is always evolving. As a concept, we began with DRAFT. Coffee, and our second location has since developed into a broader coffee-and-eatery concept. We kept our core branding, but allowed the interior to evolve.

tendlynCustom Coated Labels, designed by @draft.thecoffee

This reflects our entire brand philosophy: some elements of our brand are intentionally playful, unfinished, or even slightly “wrong,” while our approach to interior design is quite the opposite. This contrast is important to us. On the one hand, we have exceptionally detail-oriented interiors that can feel almost strict; on the other hand, our brand collateral is purposefully more unpolished and playful.

This is where our napkins play a key role - they break the interior’s perfection and add a small twist that makes the overall brand experience feel more approachable. This sense of contrast and playfulness is also reflected in our wider company culture.

Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.

For us, the napkins are of essence - why? Because our cafés have a very unique design language that is very precise and can be almost seen as “strict” - this is why our different brand elements are more playful, such as our hand drawn cloud logo, the name (DRAFT. stands for something unfinished) and our napkins which are a nod to playfulness.

tendlynCustom Napkins, designed by @draft.thecoffee

What made tendlyn a good fit for your packaging?

We’ve been following tendlyn for many years and felt that the brand offers a fresh, modern approach to packaging. We’ve created napkins, tote bags, and coffee bag labels with tendlyn and love both the quality and the creative approach they bring to more contemporary merchandise and packaging for small businesses.

tendlynCustom Classic Tote Bags, designed by @draft.thecoffee

Where are you finding inspiration for DRAFT. Coffee and in life at the moment?

In the messiness of it all! We are, at our core, a family-run business, and we draw inspiration from the life around us, from art, and from the unpredictability that shapes our days. We try to break conventions wherever it makes sense to do so - never at the expense of quality.

Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms, and we are incredibly lucky to have a very dedicated team that is fully invested in pushing DRAFT. forward, day in and out.

DRAFT. Coffee’s featured products: