Our Blog
Beyond the Beans: Thamer Bajjali
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee This week I sat down with one of our wholesale Roastery team, Thamer Bajjali. Thamer found his passion for coffee after his first sip of a doppio cappuccino at our Newport Beach coffeehouse. From coffeehouse guest to wholesale delivery driver to now roaster, he has come a long way in his coffee journey. Read more about how he became a roaster and how his coffee knowledge has developed with time. What is your position and how long have you worked with Kean Coffee? I am one of our wholesale …
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: 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 …
Beyond the Beans: Melissa & Sunep
By: Brittany Leslie – Wholesale Account Manager and Educator, Kean Coffee Let us introduce you to one of our Kean Coffee barista dream teams, Melissa Hufford and Sunep Ozukum from our Newport Beach coffeehouse! Our Newport team has been gifted with this talented couple hailing from Hawaii, USA and Nagaland, India, respectively. Sunep and Melissa shared with us their coffee journeys, favorite drinks, and more about themselves. What started your coffee journey? Melissa: “I’ve always loved coffee. I always thought latte art looked fun and that being a barista looked cool. Coffee first piqued my interest when I was living …