For East Africans, coffee is much more than just a quick caffeine fix to get through the workday. It’s a beverage that requires care and community involvement. In the traditional, multi-part ritual called the “coffee ceremony,” East Africans gather with family and friends to spend time roasting, brewing, serving, and drinking coffee.
Efrem Fesaha, Founder and CEO of Boon Boona Coffee, grew up partaking in this ceremony and saw that Seattle lacked access to the quality green coffee beans the coffee ceremony required.
After a trip to Africa in 2012, Fesaha decided to create his company with a goal of supporting and serving the coffee communities here in Seattle, and throughout the U.S. and Canada. Boon Boona Coffee specializes in distribution of organic, direct/fair trade, un-roasted East African Coffee.
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This video was produced as part of a class taught by Seattle Times photographer Erika Schultz for the UW Journalism program.
