The story
MONDAY TO SATURDAY
9 am - 5 pm
It began with the coffee
The coffee came first, but we designed the cafe around the whole experience - what goes into the cup, how it is prepared, and how the room makes you feel.
- Coffee roasted by us from the beginning
- Designed around light, sound, smell and comfort
- A family business with a logo born from doodling with our son
I grew up in Hungary, where coffee was part of the rhythm of daily life. It meant sitting down, taking a break and talking - not simply getting caffeine. As a child, I would even steal the last drops left in my parents’ cups.
In my early twenties, I began noticing that some coffees made me feel unwell, while others I could drink freely. The difference was quality: good Arabica, roasted medium rather than very dark and blended with Robusta. That was when I realised coffee could be rich and full of character without being bitter.
That discovery stayed with me. Years later, when life forced a change of direction, it became the beginning of Café Lounge.
The logo began here
Sketched by Gábor
My husband sketched our logo while drawing cars, diggers and machines for our two-year-old son. It appeared between two requests and has remained unchanged ever since.
In 2008, the recession brought my architecture career to an abrupt stop. My husband and I had built our life in Carrick-on-Shannon - we had a home and two young children here - so moving away was neither something we wanted nor a realistic option. Instead, we decided to change direction.
In 2009, I spent most of our family savings on a 250g Hottop roaster from Taiwan and started roasting in our kitchen. It was a miniature version of a professional machine, complete with a drum and cooling tray. Many early batches went straight into the garden before I learned the basics. The coffee was questionable, but the garden had never looked better.
Opening Café Lounge in 2010 allowed me to bring my two interests together. I wanted control over the coffee itself, so we roasted it. I took intensive barista courses because good beans could still be ruined in the cup. And as an architect, I knew the surroundings mattered too.
The café was designed around light, space, sound and even smell. Soft surfaces helped reduce echo, while the menu avoided large meals, strong cooking smells and the constant noise of cutlery. But this was a new idea in a small town, so the room also needed to feel familiar and welcoming - not like an architect’s showpiece.
From 250g to 12kg
The roaster that started it all
This little Hottop is the roaster I began learning on in our kitchen in 2009. It still works today. Behind the glass is the 12kg production roaster now used by Artessa — the same basic process, on a very different scale.
The first few years were difficult. Café Lounge was a new kind of place for Carrick-on-Shannon, and many people expected a sandwich bar rather than a coffee house. We were asked for free refills, very large mugs, extremely hot cappuccinos and, more than once, a chicken tikka sandwich.
We barely survived, but some customers understood what we were trying to create. Their encouragement kept us going. One customer wrote “Everything was very nice” on a napkin before leaving. I still keep it beside our front door at home and see it every morning on my way to work.
My husband was part of every stage. He worked in the café during those early years and created the logo we still use today, sketching it between drawings of cars and diggers for our two-year-old son.
Coffee roasting grew slowly too. A few retail bags became a second small roaster, then a 1kg machine in the café. In 2013, we leased a unit behind it and installed a 5kg Probat roaster. The roastery moved to The Hive in 2017 and eventually became Artessa - a name combining architecture and espresso. The equipment has grown, but the original idea has not changed.
HONESTY LIBRARY
Our customers have looked after the bookshelf since the beginning. Take a book home, return it later or bring another one.
COFFEE AND BREWING KIT
Our retail shelf carries Artessa coffee, brewers, filters and useful accessories. We can also grind beans for your own coffee maker.
TEA LEAVES FOR HOME
14 loose-leaf teas: black, green, Pu-erh, fruit, herbal and rooibos. Even our chai latte begins with real chai leaves.
SUMMER FAVOURITES
Artisan Irish ice cream, milkshakes, iced coffees and affogato when the warmer days arrive.
Where our coffee is roasted
Artessa
Every coffee served at Café Lounge is roasted by Artessa, our boutique roastery just across Carrick-on-Shannon.
The roastery
N41 RY66
The owner
Georgia
The coffee we serve
Lounge blend
Coffee for home
Single origins and blends