The first news coverage about Fortune Teller Coffee was published in both the digital and print Leidsche Dagblad, an esteemed 160 year old Dutch newspaper.
The translation to English:
Predicting the future with coffee grounds
Leiden Turkish coffee is special, says Kaan Tezel (26). The brown stuff from its homeland not only tastes good, it contains…
also a divination element associated with it. The Dutch will probably find that interesting too, Tezel thought.
He designed – together with his father who still lives in Istanbul – an online fortune teller that can predict the future based on a photo of coffee grounds. In the Blossom Café on the Botermarkt he tries to sell this sensational product.
It works like this: when the coffee runs out, some grounds (coffee grounds) remain in the cup. Figures eventually appear that predict the future, but the drinker still has to do something for that. First, the cup must be placed upside down on a bowl to let it cool.
If you are specifically looking for love, put a ring on your cup. If you want money, put a coin on it. The fact that Tezel himself is very happy in love and filthy rich is unfortunately disappointing, he laughs. “But I never put anything on the cup. I let fate do what it wants.”
When the simmer has cooled, turn the cup horizontally in a circle. Then you can turn it over. “A total of five
a hundred different figures emerge. You get to see the figures that suit you.” All these figures are described in books that real fortune tellers in Turkey use. Tezels’ fortune teller’ Laila also knows them. “She highlights about five per session.” When a tree is visible, you get growth and stability. If you see a fish, you can count on good luck. And for those who see a crescent moon in their cup, a fresh start lies ahead.
After scanning the QR code on the cup you enter the world of fortune telling. Enter your name (makes it personal), age and gender (affect the interpretation of figures) – et voilà: Laila types a personal prediction of the future.
How did Tezel come up with this idea? “I moved from Istanbul to the Netherlands three years ago for my master’s degree in Political Sciences,” he says. “When I missed my family, I made Turkish coffee. Then I felt a bit at home”
Tezel is sitting in the Blossom Café, the first restaurant to sell his idea. “I thought: this should be sold in the Netherlands, it is so leaky.”
ker,” he says, taking a sip of coffee. “But the Dutch are not used to unfiltered coffee. I want to get that done
people start drinking it with the element of fortune telling, because I know that the Dutch are quite curious about that”
Tradition
In his home country, looking at coffee grounds is an important tradition, says Tezel. “Many cafes in Istanbul have a fortune teller that you can go to with your coffee cup.” Moreover, it is a form of company: “Groups of friends predict each other’s future, which creates laughter and
Dutch people should also be able to experience this, says Tezel. He didn’t think setting up fortune tellers in cafes like in Turkey was a good idea,
but an app that does the same job? That might work.
So it happened, Tezel created AI model Laila. He works with his father, who lives in Istanbul. “He does the technology, I do the
marketing,” says Tezel. The product can now be admired in two restaurants in the Netherlands. Tezel supplies the cups with QR code, the coffee and a
coffee machine. Because Turkish coffee and an AI fortune teller are an unknown phenomenon for many, demand is not yet very high, Tezel admits. “The owner of Blossom café was very brave to give me this opportunity. Most restaurant owners want to wait until there is more awareness.”
When I missed my family, I made Turkish coffee. Then I felt a little bit at home.
From a political science master’s student to an app designer, it’s a night and day difference. Whether Tezel wants to do something with his diploma,
he doesn’t know. “Never say never. But the academic field is vague. You write essays based on theory, but you are never in contact with
people. Now I am. I like that very much.”
Tezel does not yet notice that sober Dutch people see fortune telling as quackery. “Of course there is a difference with Turkey. There it is part of the culture, not here. But whether you believe in it or not, it is a fun way to experience coffee.”
A peacock and a rainbow appear in Kaan’s cup.
Fortune teller Laila makes a picture based on the figures in the coffee.