More than two dozen whole bean coffees are arranged in clear vertical tubes lining the walls of a new cafe in Asheville, North Carolina, called Kota Kai.
The flagship cafe of wholesale and private label roasting company Coffee Library, Kota Kai reinforces the library theme through dark wood and illuminated explanatory displays. Tent-like cloth ceilings, potted ferns and tropical botanical wallpaper conjure a sense of world-traveling adventure.
Named after Coffee Library Founder Drew Hawkins’ two sons, Kota Kai opened late last year.
“The textures are inspired by various journeys around the world, along with the desire to bring a literal coffee library to life,” Hawkins told Daily Coffee News. “When my wife and I went backpacking around the world, we spent months planning our adventures in coffee shops prior to our departure. I wanted this place to inspire folks to plan their next adventure.”
Opposite the walnut, tile-fronted bar within the 1,000-square-foot space is the library area, with bulk coffees divided into five sections, four based on global regions of the coffees’ origins and one for blends.
Customers can fill plastic-free, FSC-certified recycled and reusable cardboard tubes with any one coffee, or create their own custom blend on the fly. All coffees in the library are priced the same, regardless of what Coffee Library paid for the greens.
The roasting company maintains direct sourcing relationships and also works with numerous importers to maintain a wide variety.
“Our goal is to get to direct trade across all of our origins, which will take time to establish across the world, and is definitely one of the most exciting journeys for our company,” said Hawkins. “I don’t just visit these farms; I bring my kids along, most recently to the Tarrazu region of Costa Rica to visit Eduardo of Cafe Navarro, a new direct trade relationship that will begin in 2025. It’s important to me that they see the challenges these farmers and the world face, and understand the positive impact our company aims to make.”
Coffees for bulk sales, espresso drinks, cold brew and other offerings at Kota Kai are roasted by Coffee Library Head Roaster Noah Marines in a Loring machine at a separate 8,000-square-foot roastery that opened last September.
Hawkins co-founded the roasting company with family friend Greg Gregory with the intention of providing a more accessible, lower-minimum-order option for customers seeking custom blended private label coffees.
“Our goal [was to] to shake up the private label scene by giving anyone the ability to create their own coffee blend,” said Hawkins. “We faced plenty of challenges getting off the ground. Two months in, the roaster broke, and we had to Frankenstein some infrared pizza oven burners to keep the operation afloat while we waited for the arrival of our state-of-the-art roaster. But we were committed to making it work.”
At the roastery and fulfillment center, former head roaster Rei Rekiom leads operations and pitches in on sourcing and quality assurance. The facility also hosts wholesale training for baristas and tastings for prospective customers.
This December, Coffee Library will add a new feature to its web store that allows customers to build their own custom blends online, offering a similar flat rate.
Kota Kai by Coffee Library is located at 753 Haywood Road in Asheville. Tell DCN’s editors about your new coffee shop or roastery here.
Howard Bryman Howard Bryman is the associate editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
