When Martin Macík first started thinking about opening his own café, it wasn’t a strategic business plan – it was simply the natural fusion of two worlds: his and his wife’s. She had been working in gastronomy for years, gradually climbing her way up to a managerial role. He was looking for a way to bring marketing back to real life – closer to people, to places, to real stories. The café became a natural meeting point of those two perspectives. A place where good food, great coffee and a sense of community could take off together.
In 2019, they opened their first location in Letná. Back then, Martin did pretty much everything himself – from construction work to city hall meetings to daily operations. “It was an intense time. I’d probably do many things differently today. But that’s exactly what taught me a lot – about myself, and about running a café,” he recalls. He was also surprised by how vibrant and interconnected the Czech coffee scene is – like a small community where everyone knows each other, but there’s still room for your own signature.
Four years later, he opened a second location – this time in Pankrác. “It was a completely different challenge,” he says. “People there weren’t really used to specialty coffee – but that’s exactly why it made sense. To bring quality to a place where it wasn’t yet expected.”
In Pankrác, Martin even has his favourite table. And the same ritual every morning: a glass of water, a fresh orange juice, and finally a cup of filter coffee. “Filter is what suits me best. It’s gentle, clean – it hides nothing. You can tell everything from it – where the coffee comes from, how it’s been processed, and how it’s been treated along the way,” he explains.
Even though he’s no longer behind the bar, Pilot Cafe is still part of Martin’s daily flight plan. He hasn’t forgotten those early moments, jumping behind the counter without any barista experience – sometimes straight into the chaos of peak hours. “I couldn’t make an espresso, but I did manage filter – and I still do it today, every morning in the office with my Fellow set. It was a bit of a punk start, but a great reality check too.”
Today, Martin is surrounded by a team he can truly rely on. And that’s key for him – keeping the atmosphere of the café personal, relaxed, but still professional. “I want people to leave not just with a great coffee, but with a good feeling. Something small that makes their day better – a smile, a moment of calm, or just the chance to be with themselves for a bit.”
Looking back, he considers their biggest success to be the fact that the Letná café survived the pandemic – and that they managed to open a second spot in a place where specialty coffee had to carve out its space. “It was a risk, but I believed that if we did things honestly, people would respond to it,” he says.
Besides cafés, Martin has another world – motorsport. “It’s a lifestyle that spills over into everything else I do.” Alongside Pilot Cafe, he also runs a media and marketing agency – MM Production – which handles not only his own brands, but also a range of external clients. Motorsport, marketing and cafés have one thing in common: the tiniest details and split-second decisions can make all the difference – even if they’re not always visible at first glance.
If he had never opened a café, he’d still be doing what he’s doing now. “Running a business gives me freedom – and responsibility. And the café adds a human layer to that. That’s what I enjoy,” he smiles.
His approach is best summed up by a simple motto – one he doesn’t hang on the wall, but lives by every day: “Nobody cares, work harder.”
No frills. No speeches. Just honest work – filter-brewed, no filter.
