To start your coffee brand in the Netherlands, nail the compliance and go-to-market basics in this exact order: register your business with KVK (choose eenmanszaak for simplicity or BV for liability/investors), get a BTW/VAT and EORI number, and register as a food business with NVWA. Set up HACCP (a lean, written plan is acceptable for roasting/packing) and implement traceability (lot codes, one step up/one down) plus a recall procedure. For labels, follow EU FIC rules: name of food (e.g., “whole bean coffee”), net quantity (g), best-before date (THT), business name/address, storage advice, country of origin if relevant; nutrition table is usually not required for pure coffee. If you place packaging on the Dutch market, enroll with Afvalfonds Verpakkingen (EPR) and design recyclable mono-material bags. Roasting facility: check zoning and any omgevingsvergunning, install proper ventilation/odor control, and meet fire safety. Importing green beans: decide Incoterms, use a customs broker, and build supplier QA (CoA, sustainability claims, organic via SKAL). Finance/pricing: model roast loss (15–18%), packaging and fulfillment; target 60–70% D2C margin and 30–40% wholesale. Sales: launch D2C (subscription), marketplaces (Bol.com), and HoReCa/office distributors. Tax: apply the reduced 9% BTW for coffee, enable OSS for EU cross-border. Keep tight cashflow and QA.
