How La Cabra uses Notion to keep its global cafés consistently excellent

La Cabra’s workspace grew the same way the company did: one need at a time.

First, Notion was a place to communicate. Then it became a place to run projects. Over time, it grew into a system for activations, HR, payroll, onboarding, inventory, maintenance, and operations.

“We didn’t build it to what it is now,” said Cyril Alcazar, Managing Director at La Cabra. “We solved one problem and then we solved another problem … and then it became this whole system.”

Now, Notion helps the team stay organized while taking on ambitious projects:

• Meeting notes → a shared record: AI Meeting Notes capture decisions and action items from global huddles.

• Opening roadmaps → weekly decisions: Project managers, architects, contractors, and internal teams track punch lists, approvals, and open questions in one place.

• Brand principles → shared context: Teams can see the background and reasoning behind decisions, instead of relying on someone to retell the story.

Esben describes Notion as “a shared reference rather than a control system.” It holds “principles, background, and key decisions so teams understand the reasoning behind the work.” That gives each location enough structure to stay aligned and enough room to feel local.

Take, for example, a seasonal strawberry-shiso danish that La Cabra created in collaboration with a Japanese skincare brand. To launch it well, the team had to coordinate the marketing team in Denmark, the partner’s social posts, ingredients, pricing, logistics, allergen information, and café teams.

In Notion, all of that work lives in one project. The team can see what’s launching, when it goes live, what the partner is doing, and what each café needs to know.

That matters because a launch doesn’t end when the pastry reaches the case. It ends when the standard holds everywhere a customer meets it—in the feed, on the shelf, or at the counter.

“When someone comes in and a team member is well informed of the product, it’s easier for them to talk about it,” Cyril said. “They’re more excited about the interaction.”

As La Cabra grows, consistency comes down to small things repeated well: roast quality checks, launch notes, allergen details, and the cardamom-to-sugar ratio that makes a pastry taste the way it should.

“The biggest challenge of these brands expanding globally is the dilution of the experience of the brand,” Cyril said. “Staying true to what we do is key.”

Notion keeps the working details in one place: launch notes, meeting follow-ups, opening plans, allergen updates, and the reasons behind key decisions. That means a barista can explain a new pastry, a project lead can see what changed, and a new café can open with the same standards without depending on someone to retell the story.

“With good operations, our team gets to focus on the most important thing,” Cyril said. “It’s a high-touch business. It’s all about the connection with the guests and providing that experience.”