An old warehouse transformed into a little ruin—a café brought together by sharing

Text & photos / A Man’s Daily Life

 
After exiting the Muzha MRT station, we slowly walked along Muzha Road,
passed the Wanshou Bridge spanning the Jingmei River, and saw the red dot on Google Maps,
which was right across the street, diagonally ahead. While waiting at a red light I’d forgotten how long,
I noticed mountain paintings on the café’s exterior wall and wondered what scenery they depicted—then the green light came on.
The weekend-only little ruin, Ruins Coffee Roasters, before we opened the door,
I naively hoped there wouldn’t be too many people today.

As soon as we stepped inside, light rock music played, mixed with the hum of conversation and the aroma of coffee,
the space wasn’t large, but everything felt relaxed and carefree,
with additional seating on the second floor under low ceilings, and outdoor seating accessible through the back door.
We found our own seats first, then ordered food (coffee and desserts) from the counters on either side.
The staff at the counters seemed constantly busy, cool and focused yet all very friendly,
and happy to answer any questions about the style of coffee you wanted.

This place was originally an abandoned warehouse for 10 to 20 years,
which was transformed into a roastery called Little Rags Coffee at the beginning of last year,
and then officially reopened in June or July as Ruins Coffee Roasters.
Back in August and September, there was also an event called “Coffee Old Kids x Little Ruins 2016,” where 15 café owners and 20 baristas took turns running the place for two months.
With its coffee, desserts, beer, music, and conversations, Ruins Coffee Roasters
suddenly became one of the liveliest spots in all of Taipei.

Ruins Coffee Ruins Coffee Roasters The décor here is quite unique,
preserving the original structure while adding various creative touches,
including a full wall of tools, chairs that might be storage boxes,
a massive roasting machine, and even a Christmas tree that feels perfectly at home in the wooden cabin-like setting.
and features reused desks and chairs reminiscent of student days, lacking high-end or spacious facilities,
yet offers the rarest warmth of human connection and beautiful scenery.