Galitebe Coffee

Nestled in a quiet suburb in Sakai city, on a ten minute walk from Nankai-Koya Line – Hatsushiba station is a small coffeestand called “ Galitebe Coffee “. Galitebe Coffee, or Gartenbi Coffee as it’s pronounced, opened its doors on August 10, 2023, and is managed by a friendly young couple. The unique name “Galitebe” holds a special meaning, originating the owner embarked on a journey in Ethiopia looking for coffee. During this trip the owner stumbled upon a small village hosting a coming-of-age ceremony. In this intriguing tradition, villagers would line up cows and young adults would run over these cows backs……..naked, earning themselves special nicknames if successful. While the owner didn’t partake in this unique event, he received the nickname “Galitebe” as a welcome gift from one of the villagers. “Galitebe” combines “Galit,” meaning colorful, with “Ebe,” signifying pattern, resulting in the delightful meaning of “Colorful Pattern.” Galitebe’s logo features a lion which is the owners favorite animal and also used to be the animal on Ethiopia’s flag in the past.

The coffee stand sits in a renovated ironwork factory, which is owned by the owner’s family and has been converted into a coffee stand and cultural center, each with its own entrance. The exterior still resembles a factory with its white corrugated metal sheets, but the entrance which used to be a roller shutter now makes place for a stylish black wood exterior consisting of vertical slats and glass in wood door and windows. Entering inside you will find a narrow but cozy interior with a kitchen counter immediately on your right that features a beautiful natural hard wood countertop. On your left stands a a beautiful intricate roasting machine and in the back you will find a small seating area with a leather sofa for two and a small table with two chairs as well as two shelves with beautiful unique ceramics for sale.

The menu is simple and consists only of coffee and includes drip coffee, ice coffee, latte (550 yen), honey latte, americano, mocha and a galitebe coffee shake! Not written on the menu but sometimes available are daily sweets. During our time of visit the daily sweets was a delicious “red bean paste and cream cheese scone sandwich” as you can see from the photos.

Galitebe Coffee is a small but cozy coffee stand run by friendly owners, serving delicious coffee and sweets, making it a must-visit for coffee lovers alike.