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Dublin · Ireland

3fe

Since 2009 · Colin Harmon

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Overview

3fe — short for Third Floor Espresso — was founded by Colin Harmon in December 2009, opening in the lobby of the Twisted Pepper nightclub on Abbey Street after Harmon, a former trustee officer at a Dublin investment fund, finished fourth at the 2009 World Barista Championships in Atlanta. The name comes from his third-floor apartment, where he trained for the WBC. Roasting started in January 2014 from a Dublin 1 roastery on a refurbed 50-year-old Probat UG22, with green-buying guidance from Steve Leighton of Has Bean.

Known for

  • Founder Colin Harmon — four-time Irish Barista Champion, 4th place 2009 WBC
  • Started December 2009 in the lobby of the Twisted Pepper nightclub
  • Began roasting January 2014 on a refurbished 50-year-old Probat UG22
  • Author of 'What I Know About Running Coffee Shops' (2017), widely used industry reference
  • Official Coffee of Leinster Rugby and the Irish Rugby Football Union

Why it matters

3fe is the brand that made Irish specialty coffee credible internationally. Harmon's combination of competition pedigree, plain-spoken business writing, and refusal to expand sloppily turned a one-man cart in a nightclub lobby into a roastery, eight cafes, training operation, and equipment supply business — and trained a generation of Irish baristas who now run their own places.

Production

destoning
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head roaster
null
color sorting
null
roaster machine
Refurbished 50-year-old Probat UG22 (since 2014)
filter equipment
null
cupping frequency
null
roastery location
Dublin 1, Ireland
espresso equipment
null
annual volume tonnes
100

Café

Lower Grand Canal Street, Dublin 2

Recognitions

  • 4th place, World Barista Championships (2009)
  • Irish Barista Champion (4 times)
  • Official Coffee of Leinster Rugby (2025)

Sources

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