He barely drank coffee. Now he’s running NICPOŃ in Gdańsk’s Letnica, breaking coffee rules and proving that a little trouble can taste pretty damn good.
Before NICPOŃ, who was Maciej?
I started in hospitality in 2017. A friend persuaded me to try specialty coffee. Ironically, I barely drank coffee and couldn’t distinguish a cappuccino from a flat white! A year later, I was head barista.
What pushed you to open your own place?
My girlfriend encouraged me enormously. She still helps with paperwork and the café. The reality check? Great coffee doesn’t automatically pay the bills!
Why choose Letnica?
I wanted specialty coffee outside Gdańsk’s obvious hotspots. Somewhere neighbours could enjoy great coffee without travelling downtown.
NICPOŃ means troublemaker. Are you one?
A little! I like doing things differently. We wanted a playful name that makes people smile.
What annoys you about coffee culture?
Snobbery! Drink whatever makes you happy. Espresso, sweet latte, caramel syrup. There’s no correct way to enjoy coffee.
Your autumn menu favourite?
Banana Bread Latte! I created it because I love warm banana bread. Our Maple Orange Latte combines maple syrup, orange, cardamom and smoked salt.
A beginner, flat-white addict and coffee geek walk in. What are you serving?
A pour-over for the beginner, a flat white for the addict, and experimental Vietnamese coffee macerated with lavender for the geek.
Strangest coffee you’ve tasted?
That Vietnamese coffee! Blueberries, cinnamon bun and lavender. Incredible. Specialty instant coffee, though? Maybe we’ve taken convenience too far.
What’s the reality behind running NICPOŃ?
Invoices, repairs, endless responsibilities and very few days off. It’s mentally exhausting. But regulars remembering me, smiling and sharing my latte art make everything worthwhile.
What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve ever done?
As a child, I wandered off in Toruń and disappeared! Police got involved. Teenagers eventually helped reunite me with my family. My crying grandmother rewarded them with ice-cream money. She still reminds me about it!
Maciej takes his coffee seriously, but thankfully not himself. At NICPOŃ, there’s room for coffee geeks, caramel syrup lovers and everyone in between. He’s building something personal in Letnica, one cup and one familiar face at a time. And considering he once had the police searching for him as a runaway kid in Toruń, perhaps the name was always meant to be. Once a little troublemaker, always a Nicpoń. At least now everyone knows where to find him.