1951

The oldest coffee house in Ghent

The 1950s also saw the addition of the taproom, and that "Salon du Café" was an instant hit. The first Turkish and North African migrant workers also immediately felt welcome here. And that word Mokabon? Shouldn't it be spelled with two k's? No, it's just a short Italian way of saying 'good coffee'. Did you know that there's also a Mokabon in Verona?

1964

Erminio Mazzaro develops his own espresso machine

Erminio soon noticed that Belgians drank their coffee differently from Italians. He conceived the plan to design his own coffee machine that would serve coffee to the taste of his Belgian clientele. In Italy, he set up a small coffee machine company, which he moved to Destelbergen around the mid-1960s.

1991

Tom Duran: Passion for the craft and an eye for detail

When Erminio reached retirement age, his children would normally have continued the business in the Donkersteeg. But they too felt the pull of migration and moved to the United States. Mokabon came into the hands of new owner Tom Duran.

Tom elevated the coffee business with his expertise and craftsmanship. He freshly roasted his coffee blends every week using the slow-roast method. Premium coffee beans carefully selected, roasted, and inspected—that was his motto.

2023

Generational change

Grace and Quentin took over the business from Christine and Tom at the beginning of 2023. Grace is Christine's daughter and practically grew up above Mokabon. She has been heavily involved in the business that her mother co-owned with Tom Duran since 1991. It is therefore natural for her to be the new face of the business. Quentin, meanwhile, is perfecting his skills as a coffee roaster under Tom's watchful eye.