The history of the Rombouts company begins in 1896, when a young man from Antwerp, Frans Rombouts, a coffee enthusiast, met businessman Alphonse Feys. Together they developped a cof- fee that rapidly became a favourite in the brasseries and restaurants of the Antwerp region.

But it wasn’t until 1958 that the company saw national, and even international success. At the Brus- sels World Fair, Rombouts presented to the whole world his new invention, the individual plastic coffee filter. Over the following years millions of filters were sold in Belgium and across Europe.

This success generated significant income, allowing the Belgian group to acquire the French coffee Malongo in 1967.

Success Story has found the grandchildren and great grandchildren of founder Frans Rombouts, who speak passionately about the events that defined the life of this business over the last 120 years.