Hi everyone,
If you landed on this page, you may be interested in learning how a small coffee cart business led to a roast-house of my dreams!
I never was a big believer of "calling in" your vision. But - that is truly what I did. My coffee journey ironically started when I got my very first job... AT STARBUCKS. I was just about done with high school and my parents were pushing me to get a job while I started college. At the time, I wanted a fun job that was different from what I was studying in school. I couldn't think of anything better than working at a coffee shop. I had always been a social person, I loved being on my feet, and I loved coffee of course. I worked there for alittle over a year until my college courses started to demand more of my time. I loved my experience and I always looked back on it with such positivity. However, at the time, I did not think there was a future in the coffee business for me. I was taught to go to college, get an education, and get a steady job . My parents were big on education and getting a job as a "lawyer or a doctor". My parents were immigrants and for them, it was important for their kids to get a higher education and land jobs that were safe and stable. My brother went on to be a pharmacist and I went on to get my degrees in psychology and social work. After getting my masters, I spent the next 9 years working in the medical field, coordinating and leading clinical trials. Yes it was stable, yes it was meaningful, but it never transpired to be my passion.
A few years ago, I was searching for something that would bring me enjoyment, excitement and still be a source of income. I remembered my very first job and decided to go back into coffee, but this time, I wanted to educate myself in every aspect of coffee. I started learning how beans are sourced, where they come from, different ways of roasting, and all the various ways of brewing. I geeked out for a while, roasting at home, trying different roast methods and brew methods. My husband started to notice my obsession and instead of writing it off as a midlife-crisis, he encouraged me to continue to dive deep and see if it brings me happiness. Well, it sure did. I started roasting every weekend, and started to search different ways I can have people try my coffee without opening a coffee shop and that is how I started my coffee cart. At the time it was called Lioness Coffee (an ode to my son Leo). After working the cart for a year, hosting countless events, selling my coffee online, and experiencing sheer joy, COVID HAPPENED.
During that time, I made connections with my old boss who is a dear friend of mine and her husband who is a pro in the food and beverage industry. Together we brainstormed ideas and together we fell in love with building a coffee company in spite of COVID. We spent this time, building a company, spending time on every detail of the coffee industry, from learning about the best coffee farming methods, sourcing the best beans from around to world, and I practiced roasting them to perfection. We feel so blessed and lucky to have used this unfortunate time in our country and all around to world to build something that we believe will bring joy to people and at the same time, provide jobs and opportunities in all aspects of the coffee world.
I hope that you all taste the love and care that goes into the coffee we roast!
