Ankara Coffee festival kicks off in capital

A three-day coffee festival started in the Turkish capital Ankara on Friday to gather coffee lovers of the region.

The festival -- organized by Dream Sales Machine -- opened its doors in Bilkent Station shopping mall for a taste of different coffee beans and brews with its guests.

It brings the leading brands and tastes of the third-generation coffee trend together with professional baristas from the region, design products, live music performances, seminars and workshops.

The festival is expected to reach thousands of coffee lovers in Ankara this year, Dream Sales Machine Managing Partner İlker Akar told Anadolu Agency.

Akar branded 2018's festival motto as "the source, the journey, the people" which describes the journey of the coffee bean from the plantation to the coffee lovers and its connection between people.

The festival features 90 brands, Akar said, adding, it is an effective platform for brands to meet with consumers.

He added that the third-generation coffee trend is the reason for the increasing demand for coffee and coffee shops with professional baristas in Turkey over the past five years.

The increasing demand in coffee led the festival -- launched in Istanbul in 2013 -- to expand its venue to Ankara, Akar said.

"The Ankara coffee festival is not only a festival to taste coffee and get a coffee experience but also to spend a nice, enjoyable day," he stated.

Around 8,500 coffee lovers attended the 2016 edition of the event, while the festival hosted over 15,000 visitors in 2017.