This summer, Nossa Familia Coffee is thrilled to welcome Boon Boona Coffee as part of our Guest Roaster series highlighting Black-owned coffee companies. From August 12th to September 8th, we’ll be offering Boon Boona’s Bereka Blend on drip and freshly roasted by the bag at Nossa Familia cafés. This medium roast blend is approachable and versatile, with notes of milk chocolate and hazelnut that shine as both espresso and with milk. Bereka Blend offers a warm and inviting flavor that reflects the rich traditions of East African coffee culture.
Photo Credit: Boon Boona Coffee 2024. Left to Right: Feven Fesaha, Wholesale GM. Ali Gulduren, Director of Coffee. Allyson Magee, Retail GM. Efrem Fesaha, CEO.
About Boon Boona Coffee
Boon Boona Coffee, founded by Efrem Fesaha, connects the rich coffee traditions of East Africa with the vibrant coffee culture of Seattle. Inspired by his Eritrean roots and the traditional coffee ceremonies he experienced during a trip to Eritrea, Efrem created Boon Boona to share the unique flavors and communal spirit of East African coffee. They source coffee beans exclusively from Africa, focusing on sustainable relationships with growers and cooperatives, particularly supporting women-owned farms. Boon Boona aims to foster a warm, inclusive environment in their cafes, creating spaces that celebrate diversity and community.
The Story Behind Bereka Blend
Boon Boona crafted their Bereka Blend to honor the East African coffee ceremony. “Bereka” represents a key part of the ritual, symbolizing community and connection. The blend brings together two distinct coffees: a nutty, smooth component from Cameroon, and a floral, sweet component from Ethiopia.
The Cameroon coffee, sourced from Kribi Coffee, marks Boon Boona's first offering from West Africa. Kribi Coffee, founded by Jacques Shalo, supports over 600 farmers and processes half a million pounds of coffee annually. The Ethiopian component comes from the Aricha washing station in Yirgacheffe, known for its sweet floral notes. This coffee was procured by Temenyu, an Ethiopian family-owned importer, as part of the Wonberta exporter group.
Boon Boona makes a positive impact with Bereka Blend by sourcing the components directly from Ethiopian and Cameroon owned exporters to ensure farmers are paid above market average. Proceeds from the sale of this coffee support Vision House, a King County nonprofit supporting families and children experiencing houselessness.
Q&A
Nossa Familia with Efrem Fesaha, founder of Boon Boona Coffee
Q: Can you talk about your transition from finance to the coffee industry and what prompted this change?
EF: I started in corporate finance in 2005 and by 2010 I was burnt out, especially after the financial crisis. I told my CFO I planned on quitting and spending some months traveling and took a flight to Africa. After a few months, I returned having seen coffee from a different lens than the one I was familiar with in Seattle. I took two months to work on my business plan and pitched my idea to a few banks, only to get rejected. I needed to pay my bills, so I got back to finance but continued to work on my coffee dream. Finance provided some foundation to help me on my entrepreneurial path. I was able to step away from my day job 3-4 months after opening my first brick-and-mortar location in Renton, January of 2019.
Q: How did your trip to Eritrea influence your decision to open a coffee shop and roastery?
EF: Eritrea borders Ethiopia (birthplace of coffee), so the entire East Africa region has been exposed to coffee for hundreds of years. Additionally, Eritrea was colonized by Italy for 50 years, and the Italians brought their espresso machines with them to Eritrea. In Eritrea, I saw a convergence of both traditional and contemporary coffee consumption styles and I desired to see it happen within my cafe.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting Boon Boona?
EF: Access to capital. It took 7 years to get to that point.
Q: How has your connection to Eritrea influenced your approach to coffee roasting and your business?
EF: Eritrea is where I found my love for coffee, it is also where I learned about community and coffee. Growing up in Seattle, coffee was more about getting it and going (speed).
Q: Can you tell us about the traditional Eritrean coffee ceremonies and how you’ve incorporated these practices into Boon Boona?
EF: The East African coffee ceremony is how many East African people consume their daily coffee, and it's a practice that we honor and continue at Boon Boona Coffee. The ceremony involves pan roasting green/unroasted coffee beans, then brewing the beans in a clay pot known as a jebena. The coffee is brewed three times and served in small cups called finjal/sini. The three rounds have names that vary based on languages in East Africa. However, across languages, the last round is called Bereka (To be blessed). A blessing is provided by the guests who consumed the coffee towards the host who produced the coffee as a form of gratitude for the hospitality.
Q: Can you share some of your earliest and most impactful coffee memories?
EF: Gatherings with friends/family in our living room with my Mom roasting and brewing coffee the traditional East African way.
Q: How do these early experiences with coffee differ from the typical American "grab and go" culture you encountered?
EF: It's a much slower pace. A coffee ceremony takes 2-4 hours.
Q: What are your future goals for Boon Boona? What’s next?
EF: Certifying our roaster organic, expanding our wholesale reach, but most importantly continuing to deliver on the things we set out to do.
Q: What has been the most rewarding aspect of your coffee journey so far?
EF: The most rewarding aspects of the journey have been the relationships built and the financial impact on growers, small importers, staff, and community.
Photo Credit: Boon Boona Coffee 2024
Special Pop-Up Event
Join us for a special Pop-up event with Boon Boona on Saturday, August 24th from 11am to noon at Nossa Familia's Central Eastside Café. At this free, open to the public event, you’ll learn about a traditional East African coffee ceremony, hear about the origins of coffee, and taste coffee from one of the oldest techniques for brewing.
Date: August 24th
Time: 11:00 AM - NOON
Location: Nossa Familia Coffee, Central Eastside Cafe, 1633 SE 3rd Ave (at Clay)
Learn More About Boon Boona Coffee
Follow Boon Boona on Instagram: @boonboonacoffee
Visit Boon Boona Cafes: Locations
Order Boon Boona Coffee Online: Shop Now
Attend a Coffee Ceremony at Boon Boona's Renton Location: Register
About Our Guest Roaster Series
One of Nossa Familia’s core values is ‘Always Be Making Friends’ (ABMF). We value the camaraderie and friendships of other specialty coffee roasters and have actively sought deeper connections through coffee trades and guest features in our cafes.
In May 2020, Nossa Familia Coffee committed to dedicating all our guest features to Black-owned coffee businesses to support and elevate their work. This decision is part of our company-wide commitment to be allies to our Black community, find ways to educate ourselves, improve, do the work to confront discrimination, and counter systemic injustices for people of color. We recognize that making a deliberate choice to promote and buy from Black-owned businesses supports racial justice, builds a more equitable economy, and ultimately strengthens the community.
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