Spotlight: Journey Coffee Co.

Journey Coffee Co. is a local, family owned business in Vacaville and Fairfield that generously donated the coffee for our Celebration of Support. Owned by Morne and Nicole van Staden, we were curious to learn more about their specialty “third wave” coffee business and their company’s mission. Read the complete interview with Morne below and learn how they got started, why community involvement is important to them, and their belief that people matter most.

Tell us about Journey Coffee:

“We moved here 5 years ago so I could pursue a career in aviation but the person that I was working for passed away very abruptly. We decided to look at it as an opportunity to figure out what we really wanted to do with our lives and who we want to be.  We love people and community and wanted to provide a safe place for people who are lonely to come and feel like they belong. Coffee was a thing that kept coming up in our passion and what we wanted to do in life so we started Journey Coffee out of our desire to create community. Our vision was to create a place for people to go where they could feel like they were a part of a family. Our mission is to create a space where people feel welcomed, valued and loved.

Another area that we wanted to make a difference was in our young people. We have a passion to develop our young people to have a future and a hope. We challenge our young people with our excellence, value and honor in the work place. We always tell our staff be true to themselves whether they are at home or at work. It is important to build relationships with our staff because if we invest in them they will invest in us. Most of our staff has been recommended by other staff or regular customers from the café.”

What is “Third Wave” Specialty Coffee?

“Third wave and Specialty coffee focuses on where the coffee comes from, the origin of the coffee and is it ethically sourced. Most people do not think about where their coffee comes from or the price that has to be paid to have that cup of coffee. That is what makes Specialty and third wave coffee unique because it is concerned about these farmers and the relationships with these farmers. We have a farmer that we have developed a relationship with and we throw a Christmas party for them every year. They send us pictures of the party and they seem to enjoy having the opportunity to be able to do that every year. We are happy to be in a place where we can provide something like this to a farmer that works so hard for his family and employees.

Another way a coffee is considered specialty and third wave is the roasting techniques and how it is prepared. Roasting scored within an 80 point range is considered a specialty coffee. Brewing and preparation are also factors that differentiate a specialty coffee. It is important to use the right equipment to extract coffee and also the presentation. The challenge is people and product are our first value and at the same time having a high level of excellence.”

How are you involved in the community?

“We partner with The Leaven, a local non-profit that provides programs for early education intervention designed to transform communities. We also work with Shelter Solano, which provides services for the homeless in Solano County. Journey would like to help employ some people from the Shelter Solano program eventually. We also have a café on Saturday and Sunday at the Valley Church in Vacaville where we serve coffee.”

What does the future look like for Journey Coffee Company?

“One thing we will be focusing on is retail growth. We would like to get corporate accounts so that we can expand our business and reach more communities. Our ultimate goal is to create a bridge for community and the world.”

Learn more about Journey Coffee locations, hours, and specialty coffees at: journeycoffeeco.com