With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1514012
58 5 . A L L I S O N K U H L ; 6 . R E N E A S E R WA BC BU S I N E S S .C A F E B R U A R Y 2 0 24 BOOM, ROASTED Across B.C., these coffee makers are elevating the classic cup of joe by topping it off with a sense of giving back to their communities by Megan Zolorycki INVENTORY 5. Kicking It Old-School Initially founded in 1984, Milano Coffee Roasters has a long history in Vancouver. Now owned by Linda and Brian Turko (since 2003), the company has continued to bring "premium cof- fee concepts to new heights"—a skill that Brian learned from the original founder, Francesco Curatolo, whose 75 years of experience roasting around the world can be found in every cup. Milano has seven locations, all serving hand-roasted beans from up to 20 differ- ent origins. Brian is also a certified master espresso blender. milanocoffee.ca 2. Medium of Connection Brandon Litun started roasting coffee in a popcorn popper in 2015 while plying his trade full-time as a so- cial worker. (No word on whether there was any kind of butter aftertaste.) Coffee roasting was a form of therapy for Litun, which led him to open Smoking Gun Coffee in Chilliwack in 2021 (after some COVID piv- ots) to provide a place for community. As Litun puts it, "coffee creates connections." Smoking Gun roasts anything from light and bright to dark and developed. smoking guncoffee.com 4. Vibe Check Dave Upshaw named his business after his wife (everyone take note): Bright Jenny Coffee Inc. The biz launched out of a farmers market in 2015, and Upshaw roasted his beans at home until 2018, when the duo opened their brick- and-mortar location in Kelowna with a mission "to brew vibes as bright and beautiful as the coffee we roast." The vibes are certainly good— Bright Jenny provides coffee for dark-roast lovers and those who like something a bit more "wild, fruity, bright and beautiful." brightjenny.ca 1. Blondes on the Beach "It's not just coffee, it's a lifestyle," says Martin DesRosiers, founder of Beach- comber Coffee Co. DesRosiers founded his Gibsons-rooted slice of paradise in 2015, providing craft coffee to locals and visitors to fuel the ad- venturers of the West Coast. Beachcomber gives back to the Sun- shine Coast through fundraising efforts, donations and various charitable programs. The company's coffee is certified organic and fair trade, with heavy notes of choco- latey nutty goodness. beachcombercoffee .com 3. House Rules Why have beer or beans when you can have both? Founded by Darren Hollett and Kurtis Warren, House of Funk Brew- ing Co. opened its doors in 2019 in North Vancouver. "Our aim has always been to challenge the status quo—to change the way people think about beer and cof- fee," say the owners. And that's exactly what they did. HOF roasts light in small batches to "accentu- ate the nuanced ter- roir," say Hollett and Warren, and provide flavours such as black tea mixed with a puff pastry. houseoffunk brewing.com 6. Bean Friends for Awhile Bailey Mitchell and Jesse Nelson have shared a common love for coffee since their college days, hence their aptly named venture, Anar- chy Coffee Roasters. What started as a business in Whis- tler quickly grew to a home base in Kelowna in 2020. The company focuses on creativity in every cup and is a whole lot of fun for Mitchell and Nelson. Their coffee "caters to all coffee drinkers" with a unique spin on the traditional dark roast. For every bag sold at one of their retailers, the pair donates $1 to outreach programs in Kelowna. anarchy coffeeroasters.com 1 2 6 3 4 5