New Coffea Roasterie CEO brings passion for local businesses

Nov. 19, 2019

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Darin Kaihoi, who became CEO of Coffea Roasterie in August.

Name: Darin Kaihoi

Age: 34

Hometown: Willmar, Minn.

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

It all starts with “I met a girl…” and now I’ve been married and living in Sioux Falls for a little over a decade.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

We have a great overall quality of life in Sioux Falls with friends, family, work and the vibrant growth of the city.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

Everything is tied together for me: partnering with incredible farmers and dedicated industry professionals, working alongside our talented and passionate crew, and serving our amazing customers coffees, teas, pastries and products that we’re excited about and proud of.

How did you get connected to your industry?

I had service industry experience when I started with Coffea as a part-time hobby job a little over six years ago. I fell in love with the world of specialty coffee and found myself pursuing it as a career.

Describe Coffea in three words.

Thoughtful, quality, community.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

We love contributing to fundraisers for local organizations and causes, as well as promoting the arts through featuring local artists and live music in our cafes. I have to say that one of my favorite events we’ve started doing annually is giving away a free drink of any kind for teachers and school staff on National Teachers Day.

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

I’m going to cheat on this question and say that I would love to see locally owned and operated businesses of all kinds continue to open and thrive in Sioux Falls. Local businesses create culture and give back in such unique and important ways, and it’s really fun right now to see so many new local spots opening up!

Where do you see yourself (and Coffea) in five years?

I hope to still be working in coffee, with Coffea, contributing to the growth of specialty coffee locally, nationally and internationally. We’re always trying to learn, get better at what we do and grow in the right ways. I hope that we can continue to find opportunities and success following that path.

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New Coffea Roasterie CEO brings passion for local businesses

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Darin Kaihoi, who became CEO of Coffea Roasterie in August.

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