Maren Ernst founded her eponymous roastery in 2014 in Cologne's Südstadt district, drawing on years of experience in the corporate coffee industry where she worked in marketing and product development for a coffee machine manufacturer. She began roasting single origins on a 5 kilogram Diedrich roaster visible behind the counter of her first cafe, a setup that gave customers a direct window into the craft. By 2016, growing demand led to a dedicated production facility equipped with a 20 kilogram roaster, and a second cafe location near the university opened in April 2017. Ernst's roasting philosophy leans light, prioritizing the inherent character of each origin, with beans sourced from regions like Kochere in Ethiopia and Kenya.