His original fire-engine red roaster, a Toper brand from Turkey, draws interest in the Parsons Avenue shop. “That old roaster is like a 1992 Toyota Corolla,” Habte says, laughing.

In 2010, with $17,000 in his bank account and a few credit cards, he rented a space on the East Side, bought the original roaster and slowly started selling coffee wholesale.

His original fire-engine red roaster, a Toper brand from Turkey, draws interest in the Parsons Avenue shop. “That old roaster is like a 1992 Toyota Corolla,” Habte says, laughing.