Sorin Achiței, Manager at UtilDeco – OPYA, is a business professional with more than 30 years of experience in business management, sales, marketing and commercial development. He began his career in 1992 and has since gained extensive experience in both entrepreneurship and the private sector, working across different industries.
In 2015, he joined ADV Group, where he has actively contributed to developing and strengthening the group’s business activities, with a focus on sustainability, commercial growth and social impact. Drawing on his corporate and entrepreneurial experience, he has helped build a competitive and sustainable business model for the social enterprises developed within the group.
For Sorin, business is about more than numbers. It is about people, impact and creating genuine value through effective management, marketing and well-developed products.
OPYA is a specialty coffee brand developed within UtilDeco, a work-integration social enterprise. It combines a passion for high-quality coffee with a strong social mission. Every OPYA product supports employment opportunities for people from vulnerable groups, turning an everyday coffee purchase into an opportunity to contribute to meaningful social change.
The brand focuses on sustainability, social responsibility and an authentic specialty coffee experience, from carefully selected coffee beans to roasting and delivery.
About OPYA: Specialty Coffee with a Social Mission
Hi Sorin, thank you for accepting my invitation to this interview! To begin, could you tell us a little about OPYA and the story behind your freshly roasted specialty coffee brand?
OPYA was born out of a desire to build an authentic brand that offers not only high-quality coffee but also creates a genuine social impact. We are a specialty coffee roastery developed within UtilDeco, a work-integration social enterprise that is part of ADV Group.
We work exclusively with specialty coffee, using carefully selected beans, traceable origins and recent harvest lots, which we freshly roast in small batches.
At the same time, every order directly contributes to supporting employment opportunities for people from vulnerable groups. For us, great coffee and meaningful social impact go hand in hand.
How does OPYA’s social enterprise mission influence the brand’s everyday operations and business decisions?
Our social mission is part of our DNA and influences every decision we make, from how we build our team to how we interact with customers and plan the brand’s development.
We want to demonstrate that a social enterprise can create competitive, sustainable products without compromising on quality. With OPYA, social impact is not simply part of our marketing communication. It is a real commitment behind every product we deliver.
How does OPYA contribute to the employment and social integration of people from vulnerable groups, and how do you see this impact developing in the future?
Through OPYA’s activities, we directly contribute to supporting and developing employment opportunities for people from vulnerable groups within UtilDeco and ADV Group.
I believe the future belongs to businesses that successfully combine economic performance with meaningful social impact. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the values behind the brands they choose, and this will matter even more in the years ahead.
The Specialty Coffee Market in Romania
How would you describe the specialty coffee market in Romania today?
The market has grown significantly over the past few years, and we are seeing increasing interest in coffee quality, traceability and authentic experiences. Consumers are better informed and more willing to explore different coffee origins, brewing methods and flavour profiles.
However, Romania is still in a market education phase. Many consumers are transitioning from commercial coffee to specialty coffee, and it takes time to understand the real differences between these two worlds.
What distinguishes a specialty coffee roastery from a commercial coffee brand?
The difference starts with the raw material and continues throughout every stage of the process. In specialty coffee, we focus on carefully selected beans, clearly identified origins, recent harvests, traceability and fresh roasting.
Commercial coffee is often industrially produced, stored for extended periods and roasted more intensively to achieve a consistent flavour profile. Specialty coffee, on the other hand, aims to bring out the natural flavours and distinctive characteristics of each coffee origin.
Brand Building and Product Positioning
How important is brand storytelling when it comes to selling coffee?
It is extremely important, especially in a competitive market. People do not just buy a product; they also connect with the values and emotions behind it.
In OPYA’s case, its social impact gives the brand authenticity and a clear sense of purpose. Customers know that when they choose our coffee, they are also supporting a meaningful cause.
OPYA Freshly Roasted Specialty Coffee – Photo Source: OPYA
How do you help consumers understand and appreciate specialty coffee?
Through educational content and consistent communication. We explain the differences between coffee origins, roasting techniques, brewing methods and flavour profiles, both online and through direct interactions with our customers.
Our goal is to make information accessible and help people who are discovering specialty coffee feel more comfortable exploring this world.
Business Development and Sales Channels
What are the main sales channels for OPYA coffee?
Our main sales channel is our online store, but we are also continuously developing our B2B activities, corporate partnerships, HoReCa collaborations and local partnerships.
We have also built an active community around the brand, and customer recommendations play an extremely important role in our growth.
How important is E-commerce to your business?
E-commerce is essential. Most of our orders currently come through online channels, allowing us to reach customers across Romania quickly and efficiently.
At the same time, our online store gives us the opportunity to communicate the brand’s values more effectively and build a direct relationship with the OPYA community.
Digital Marketing and Online Brand Growth
What role does Digital Marketing play in growing the OPYA brand?
It plays a decisive role. In a competitive market, Digital Marketing is one of the main tools for building brand awareness, growing a community and establishing customer trust.
For us, it is essential that our marketing communicates more than just the product. It needs to highlight what makes the brand genuinely different: freshly roasted specialty coffee with a meaningful social impact.
Which Digital Marketing channels work best for you – social media, paid advertising, SEO, email marketing or others?
Social media and Content marketing work very well for community building and engagement. Email marketing is particularly important for customer retention and maintaining regular communication with existing customers.
At the same time, we continuously work on SEO, paid advertising campaigns and educational content development, because the specialty coffee market still requires a considerable amount of consumer education.
Challenges of Building a Specialty Coffee Business in Romania
What are the biggest challenges of running a specialty coffee business in Romania?
One of the biggest challenges is educating the market and differentiating specialty coffee from commercial coffee.
At the same time, logistics costs, strong competition and the constant need to produce relevant content and maintain consistent communication make this a dynamic and challenging market.
The Future of Specialty Coffee in Romania
How do you see the specialty coffee market evolving over the next few years?
I believe the market will continue to grow and mature. Consumers are becoming increasingly attentive to quality, sustainability and authenticity.
In the future, I believe the brands that will stand out are those that offer more than just products: they will deliver experiences, transparency and genuine values.
What are OPYA’s future growth priorities and objectives?
We want to continue growing the OPYA community, expand our B2B activities and strengthen the brand’s position in Romania’s specialty coffee market.
At the same time, we want to increase the project’s social impact and demonstrate that the Social Economy can create strong, competitive brands that are relevant to today’s market.
Discover OPYA – Specialty Coffee with a Purpose
If you enjoy premium specialty coffee from renowned coffee-producing countries such as Brazil and Colombia, I recommend discovering OPYA.
Its coffee is freshly roasted in Romania, with careful attention to the unique flavour profile of each origin.
Choose OPYA and enjoy great coffee with an origin, a story and a real social impact.
Discover OPYA – Visit the Online Store
Nicoleta Ion – AI Visibility, AEO & GEO Consultant with 10+ years of experience in Communication, Digital Marketing and SEO. I work with professionals and brands that want to be easier to discover, understand and recommend in AI Search, from ChatGPT and Gemini to Perplexity and Google AI Overviews. I continuously research how search is evolving and test what influences visibility in AI-generated results.
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