coffee Archives — Berkeleyside

At Equator Coffees in Oakland, where four employees walked out on the job, citing racial inequity issues at the company. Photo: Brandy Collins

These East Bay coffee businesses say equity and diversity shouldn’t be an afterthought

By Brandy CollinsOct. 1512 p.m.Oct. 15

High-end coffee companies that prioritize equity on a global level are looking closer to home to resolve racial bias in the coffee world.

Allegro Coffee Roasters to leave Whole Foods. Will racks for online grocery delivery replace it?

By Brandon YungMarch 41 p.m.March 30

Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, has been dedicating more and more space to grocery delivery services since that sector is growing rapidly

John Krause founded Big House Beans in 2014 with a mission of forging “second chances.” Krause himself was in and out of prison for 11 years of his life.

Big House Beans creates jobs, ‘family’ for formerly incarcerated

By Supriya YelimeliDec. 12201912 p.m.Dec. 13

John Krause spent 11 years in and out of Bay Area prisons before founding his East Bay-based coffee company, which gives second chances to former inmates.

Recent stories

Quokka Brew is a cold brew coffee product that claims not to cause jitters.

This cold brew company founded by Cal undergrads claims to caffeinate without jitters. We gave it a try

By Cirrus WoodDec. 520192 p.m.Dec. 5

Quokka Brew says it counteracts the anxiety-causing effects of coffee with amino acids and plant extracts, but does it work, and more importantly, does it taste good?

Rich Avella, at age 18 in the '80s, doing a nose wheelie in Denver.

Back in the ’80s, this Highwire Coffee Roasters co-founder was a BMX star

By Kevin L. JonesApril 29201910:15 a.m.Dec. 2

Rich Avella went from trick-riding BMX bikes to co-founding one of the most successful specialty coffee chains in the East Bay.

A robotic arm holds a coffee cup underneath a drink dispenser

Are robots better baristas? Berkeley’s Bbox café thinks so

By Cirrus WoodFeb. 1520199 a.m.Nov. 21

By creating a mobile app and robots that prepare and serve orders, Bbox provides cheaper, more efficient coffee, and plans to expand its technology to more restaurant automation.

This coffee roaster in Berkeley supports poets, one bag of beans at a time

By Cirrus WoodSept. 10201810:30 a.m.Nov. 7

Nomadic Coffee recruits and pays emerging and established poets to write verse to include in every bag of beans.

Oat milk is the new favorite dairy alternative. Here’s where to get it in the East Bay

By Hailey JohnsonMay 17201811 a.m.Oct. 30

With its thick consistency and rich taste, oat milk is quickly becoming the dairy alternative of choice in the coffee world.

Bites: Pompette in Berkeley is closed, Dyafa celebrates grand opening in Jack London Square, Kono pizza cones coming to Berkeley

By Sarah HanApril 18201812 p.m.March 24

Catch up on the latest East Bay food news and events.

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