Kumquat Coffee

AJ Kim was headed to dental school until a Q-grader class with instructor Miran Oh redirected him into coffee, and in 2018 he and Scott Sohn turned a Highland Park juice bar into Kumquat by hand, with no budget for contractors. Kim has since logged fifty trips abroad to build direct relationships with farmers in Ethiopia, Ecuador, Panama, and Colombia.

The Highland Park shop is a converted juice bar, built out by Kim and Sohn themselves on a tight budget, and it still reads that way - a small, bright room with a bungalow feel, sunlight through big windows, light wood surfaces, and white walls. The barista bar takes up most of the floor, seating is a mix of small tables, bar stools, and a communal table in back, with a bit of bench seating outside on a limited patio. Nothing about the room performs for a camera; the shelves of beans, filters, and brewing gear are there because customers actually buy them.