The Trader Who Reads Bulgaria by What It Orders
Прочети на български
Ivan Mangalski does not roast coffee. He does not pull shots or steam milk. When asked whether coffee is an art, a craft, or a habit, he answers without hesitation:
For me it's a habit, because we don't roast coffee, we're traders. So it's a habit and also a love for coffee.
Ivan Mangalski
This is not false modesty. It is a precise description of where he stands in the chain, and that position gives him a view nobody behind a bar can have.
BIB-FOODS Ltd, the Bulgarian company Mangalski represents, has been operating for over fifteen years, with its core coffee business established since 2010. Based in Eastern Bulgaria rather than the capital, the company imports everything from the lowest grades for vending machines to specialty roasts from Sprout in Denmark and Beanbros in Holland. They represent equipment brands like Varia, Subminimal, Fiamma, and El Rocio. The full spectrum of Bulgarian coffee consumption passes through their catalogue.
What the Order Reveals
By the order you can understand a lot about a person. What they order, what coffee. Really many things can be understood, because we sell all kinds of coffee from the lowest grades for vending to specialty coffee of brands from Denmark and Holland. Really you can understand a lot about a person by their order.
Ivan Mangalski
A roaster sees their own beans. A barista sees their own customers. A distributor sees the whole country ordering at once, cheap grades on one side, specialty on the other, and the same customer base slowly moving between them. When someone shifts from vending-grade to specialty, that shift registers in an order before it registers anywhere else.
Patience and the Missing Order
When asked what his most difficult customer taught him, Mangalski's answer is immediate:
Patience, for sure.
Ivan Mangalski
This is not the patience of waiting for a customer to choose between drinks. This is the patience of managing a relationship across time, of staying steady when the complaint is sharp.
There is another kind of attention that comes with the job. When asked if there is a customer he worries about when they do not come, he says:
Yes, of course. Again, we're traders and we try to do our job well. We know the habits of our customers and when those habits are disrupted we definitely worry.
Ivan Mangalski
The regular who always orders on the fifteenth does not order. The pattern breaks. A barista might wonder if a customer is traveling. A distributor wonders if a business is struggling.
Who Taught Him
Traders rarely name a teacher. Mangalski does, without hesitating.
The greatest influence on me, if we are talking about a person, is Yordan Dabov. I learned quite a lot from him.
Ivan Mangalski
One person, not a school and not a certificate.
In an industry fond of diplomas and competitions, that is a quiet answer.
Neither Excuse nor Performance
Mangalski refuses the idea that coffee could be an excuse.
Coffee is more of a reason. I don't think coffee could be an excuse, but it's definitely a reason. Many things can happen around coffee.
Ivan Mangalski
When asked whether it is harder to make good coffee or to explain it:
To make it. Good coffee just speaks for itself.
Ivan Mangalski
Asked what he has never said to a customer but badly wanted to:
I've always tried to be honest with my customers, so whatever I wanted I always told them. Even if it was to my detriment. There hasn't been something I've kept silent about.
Ivan Mangalski
On drinking coffee standing up versus sitting down:
For me the two ways of drinking coffee are equal, equivalent. Sometimes a person just drinks it on the go, to get and feel that taste, to get that caffeine hit so to speak. Other times they can take advantage of the time they have, enjoy it, spend their time more leisurely. For me both ways are equally significant, I don't separate them.
Ivan Mangalski
He serves both markets. He does not need to argue that one is better.
If coffee disappeared tomorrow?
Good question. That thought definitely doesn't cross my mind. We'd retire.
Ivan Mangalski
BIB-FOODS Ltd will be exhibiting at Good Coffee Festival 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does BIB-FOODS Ltd distribute in Bulgaria?
A: BIB-FOODS imports the full range of coffee, from vending-grade to specialty roasts from European craft roasteries like Sprout (Denmark) and Beanbros (Holland). They also represent equipment brands including Varia, Subminimal, Fiamma, and El Rocio.
Q: How long has BIB-FOODS been operating in the Bulgarian coffee market?
A: The company has been on the market for over fifteen years, with its core coffee business established since 2010. They are based in Eastern Bulgaria and serve customers across the country.
Q: What can a coffee distributor learn from customer orders that a barista cannot?
A: A distributor sees the entire market ordering at once and can track shifts in taste and demand across regions before they become visible elsewhere. The order reveals who is experimenting, who is scaling, and how coffee culture is changing in real time.
The Barista
Frequently asked questions
What does BIB-FOODS Ltd distribute in Bulgaria?
BIB-FOODS imports the full range of coffee, from vending-grade to specialty roasts from European craft roasteries like Sprout (Denmark) and Beanbros (Holland). They also represent equipment brands including Varia, Subminimal, Fiamma, and El Rocio.
How long has BIB-FOODS been operating in the Bulgarian coffee market?
The company has been on the market for over fifteen years, with its core coffee business established since 2010. They are based in Eastern Bulgaria and serve customers across the country.
What can a coffee distributor learn from customer orders that a barista cannot?
A distributor sees the entire market ordering at once and can track shifts in taste and demand across regions before they become visible elsewhere. The order reveals who is experimenting, who is scaling, and how coffee culture is changing in real time.