To paraphrase a memorable line from AMC's "Breaking Bad," Deniz Kosan is the one who brews.
Inspired by the hit TV series to build Walter's Coffee Roastery, Kosan claims his coffee shop in Istanbul is the world's "first Coffee Super Lab." Either way, it's become almost as popular as the Emmy-winning drama that initially aired from 2008 to 2013.
Kosan, the founder and manager of the shop, told TODAY.com that he'd dreamed about opening the place after watching the sixth episode of the series' third season, in which meth-maker Walter White discusses coffee with one-time assistant Gale Boetticher. In that scene, White marvels at Boetticher's brew and muses, "Why the hell are we making meth?"
Recalled Kosan via Facebook Messenger, "I was always joking that one day I'm opening a coffee shop named Walter's."
His business' Facebook page elaborates. "After working in the food and beverage industry all over the world for a significant amount of time, we all realized the lack of originality and agreed it is time to create a social space with an edge," reads a description of the venue. "We are passionate about coffee and we love 'Breaking Bad,' the greatest TV show of all time. So we wanted to combine our common interests…."
Although he opened the business March 29, news of the shop went viral recently, helping its vibrant Instagram account collect more than 13,000 followers along the way.
The shop's dedication to the theme is impressive. "HazMat suits, stainless steel appliances, you name it, we have it," the Facebook page states.
The shop has a mission to offer the purest coffee with an unparalleled experience. "We roast our own coffee, daily, with different roasting methods to reach the best batch, which makes it fresh," Kosan told TODAY.com.
The Facebook page asserts, "Once you set foot [inside], you simply won’t want to leave." Having the choice to leave is important, however, as not everyone on "Breaking Bad" was allowed to come and go as he/she pleased.
In addition to coffee, the shop also appears to be selling candy that looks an awful lot like the "Crystal Blue Persuasion" that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman produced on the show. (Here's hoping the candy version is neither that addictive nor that destructive.)
"I worked hard for this for two years," Kosan told TODAY.com. "And it feels good to earn some attention. Now it's time to grow and expand."
If Kosan does manage to build a coffee empire, hopefully he can avoid the equivalent of Gus Fring.
Are you a "Breaking Bad" fanatic who can't catch a flight to Turkey, but have a few bucks to spend? Perhaps you'd be interested in buying Jesse Pinkman's house, which went on the market earlier this week.
Follow TODAY.com writer Chris Serico on Twitter.