Zahno Cafés de Spécialité

In Lausanne, Switzerland, a city alive with culture and creativity, Yves Zahno is crafting something extraordinary. As a musician, journalist, and founder of Zahno Cafés de Spécialité, Yves sees coffee not just as a drink, but as a performance — one where rhythm, artistry, and passion guide every roast.

“I see a lot of common things between music and coffee roasting,” Yves reflects. “There is a tempo… in French, we say you cannot go faster than the music. The roasting process takes a while — you cannot go faster, because maybe the roasting will not be as you like. Same with music. If you play too fast or too slow, this is not good music.”

“Anyone Can Roast” – When Precision Meets Creativity

Yves describes roasting as both an art and a science. “The interesting part for me is working on the curves, the rate of rise, the development ratio — all that stuff,” he explains.

He’s also struck by the difference in consistency compared to his early days roasting on small, gas-powered equipment. “I was very surprised about the cupping. It was very good coffee, very clear and fruity… You can never be as consistent as the machine can be.”

That’s the beauty of his process now: he sets the creative foundation, perfecting roast profiles like a musician writing a score, and then anyone — staff, friends, even family — can “play the piece” by following the profile. “Once that [profiling] is done and you’re happy with the results, the coffee in the cup is okay for anyone to roast. Even my father or my mother could do this, because it would be the same recipe… It’s very innovative.”

“This Suits Me Very Much” – Roasting Reimagined

For years, Yves roasted coffee in tiny one-kilo batches, limited by equipment that was “really heavy and using gas.” The economics didn’t add up, and consistency was always a challenge. He often wondered why the industry hadn’t moved beyond traditional drum roasters. “I was always surprised that no one had thought about a solution — something different than the drum system we’ve used for almost a century, spinning and really heavy and using gas,” he recalls.

So when Yves first heard about Bellwether in 2018, it felt like the answer he had been waiting for. He immediately reached out, only to learn that the roasters were available only in the U.S. at the time. When Bellwether finally came to Europe, he knew it was the perfect fit. “This is something that suits me very much for what I’m doing, because I have multiple jobs, and this roaster allows me to do them at once,” he says.

By adopting this new approach, Yves became the first person in Switzerland to bring a Bellwether roaster into his coffee business — not just solving old problems, but opening up a new rhythm for his work and craft.

“Electricity Is the Future” – Freedom to Roast and Create

Balancing music, journalism, and coffee requires flexibility — something Yves has found with his roaster.

“It’s very intuitive. I can put 20 kilos on the machine and play my guitar while it’s roasting my profile. This is fantastic,” he says.

For him, roasting is never just a technical process; it’s part of a shared experience. “I like to have an artistic community here,” Yves says. “My friend is playing the double bass, and I would also be playing and roasting at the same time.” The ability to step away while still trusting the machine means he can keep performing, creating, and connecting — all while knowing his café continues to deliver the flavors he has carefully composed.

That freedom extends beyond his current space. “Electricity is the future,” Yves says.

“So much simpler to install, and there’s no need for all these authorizations that are costly and time-consuming.”

Because the roaster is all-electric and ventless, he can take it anywhere — from exhibitions to future cafés — without worrying about gas lines, construction, or permits. “You can go everywhere with these roasting machines,” he explains. It’s mobility that lets him experiment, expand, or simply bring his passion into new spaces, all while contributing to a lighter environmental footprint.

Leading a New Chapter in Lausanne

More than a coffee business, Zanho Cafés de Spécialité is Yves’s stage for expression. Driven by curiosity, sustained by creativity, and powered by his belief in both tradition and innovation, Yves is proving that coffee can be as moving as music.

👉 Inspired by Yves’s journey? Learn more about how cafés are shaping the future of coffee roasting.