Our Blog
Beyond the Beans: Jessica Hurtado
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kéan Coffee This week I sat down with Kean Coffee barista, Jessica Hurtado. Jessica shares with us her coffee journey which started with café con leche in her family’s kitchen and has taken her all the way to a coffee farm in Costa Rica. For Jessica, working in coffee and interacting with the coffee community has created an atmosphere of learning and joy found in pulling the perfect shot of espresso while working with the best people behind the bar. What is your role at Kéan Coffee and how long have …
Beyond the Beans: Meet Mike Lilly
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee This week we sat down with Tustin coffeehouse shift lead, “Coach” Mike Lilly. Since he started working with Kéan Coffee, Mike has become a senior barista and also a new dad! We talk about his coffee experience, what it’s like to be a coach in the coffeehouse and on the field, and more. How long have you worked with Kean Coffee and what is your position? I am a senior barista and shift lead. I have been working at Kean Coffee since 2016. I grew up in Tustin/Santa Ana …
Beyond the Beans: Monica Tenorio
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee This week we were able to sit down and talk with Kean Coffee Tustin senior barista and shift lead, Monica Tenorio. As a staff leader, local activist, mom, and student, Monica is constantly impressing us with her work ethic and the amazing attitude that she brings to the team and our guests each day she is at the coffeehouse. What is your position and how long have you worked for Kean Coffee? I am a senior barista and shift lead and I have been working at Kean Coffee for …
Beyond the Beans: Ike Coulter
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee This week we were very happy to talk with one of our long-time baristas, Ike Coulter. Ike is a seasoned and skilled barista, having honed his skills over time whilst training under fellow Kean Coffee barista and barista trainer Mike Richardson and owner Martin Diedrich’s guidance, ensuring excellent, artisan crafted drinks with every order. His focus on quality is an extension of his caring nature and the high standards he upholds for himself and the coffeehouse. We are super lucky to have Ike on the Newport Beach coffeehouse team! …
Beyond the Beans: Mike Richardson
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kéan Coffee If you have ever been to Kéan Coffee in Newport Beach, it is highly likely that you have seen Mike behind the bar. Mike has been with Kéan Coffee since we first opened our doors in December 2005. Over those years Mike has become highly seasoned in his skills as a professional barista and grown close with our community in Newport Beach. Mike shares with us some of his many stories of how he first started as a barista, what it was like to compete and train under the …
Beyond the Beans: Eric Miyoda
By Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee In this week’s Beyond the Beans interview series, we get to know Eric Miyoda! Eric has been working at Kéan Coffee for six years now, each day working toward his goal of learning more about coffee and honing his skills. When he is not working on his latte art, he is working on his own graphic and physical art. Learn more about Eric’s coffee journey in our interview below. What made you decide to pursue a coffee career? What did your coffee journey look like before working at Kéan …
Beyond the Beans: Meet Samantha Brewer
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee In this week’s Beyond the Beans interview series, we get to know Newport Beach barista, Samantha Brewer! Living up to her last name, Samantha has been brewing coffee and bringing smiles to guest’s faces with her cheerful attitude since 2016. She has recently returned over the summer to Kéan Coffee after finishing up her studies at San Francisco State University and we are so happy to have her strong barista skills back on bar. She tells us about her history with Kéan Coffee and how communication plays a role …
Beyond the Beans: an interview with Stephanie Summerville
Beyond the Beans: Stephanie Summerville By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee First working at Diedrich Coffee and then continuing her journey at Kean Coffee, Stephanie Summerville has mastered the flow behind the bar. Stephanie is currently the assistant manager at Kean Coffee, Newport Beach, where she has spent 9 years dialing in espresso to perfection, building lasting relationships with our coffeehouse guests, and being everywhere at once. She explains how she manages the coffeehouse’s busiest times and what she does in her free time. What first brought you to the coffee industry and how did …
Beyond the Beans: Kristin Lerner
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee Meet Kristin Lerner. She has demonstrated her coffee skills by becoming certified through the SCA as a Brewer and Barista. We knew of her talent even without the certification, as she has been a long-time member of the Kéan Coffee family and trainer at our Tustin coffeehouse. Her years of training new and experienced baristas, world traveling, and having a sparkling personality make her an amazing teacher and communicator. Her expansive knowledge allows her to not only tell you what makes our Rwanda single origin so wonderful and the …
Beyond the Beans: An Interview with Ramone Valerio
With his coffee journey beginning at Kéan Coffee in 2010, Ramone has provided a decade of excellent service and skill as a barista. After becoming friends with so many of our regulars, many have probably wondered where he seems to disappear to for a few months out of the year. When he is not slinging expertly crafted espresso drinks at our Tustin coffeehouse, Ramone is touring around the country with his rock band, Dayseeker. He introduces to us the life of a barista, part-time musician, and dad.
Beyond the Beans: Michael Bingham
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee From Barista, to Production Member, to Roaster. Michael never expected that his curiosity towards specialty coffee as a young teenager would end up setting him on the path of building a coffee career. Through 8 years of hard work and demonstrating his skills as a barista and Roastery team member, Michael continues to gain more coffee experience and knowledge that makes him a valuable member of our Kéan Coffee family. He shares his Kéan Coffee story with us and dives into his passions outside of the coffee realm. Can …