By: Ashley Arax
Harvey Uyeyama is not your average teenager. Armed with an 1800s-era dual-barrel drum roaster and decades of coffee wisdom passed down from father to son, he launched his own coffee roasting business last year. Harvey’s Coffee is now delivering beans and caffeine highs to a growing number of customers in the Davis community.
Harvey didn’t set out to start a coffee roasting business. His entrepreneurship began with an idea for a curb painting venture. His father, John Uyeyama, was not a fan and told him he should look for a more sustainable business model. As a former coffee shop owner, John was still an avid roaster, and he invited Harvey to roast a new batch with him. Harvey cited his dad’s caffeine intake that day as providing the spark for the next idea: delivering small-batch roasted coffee door-to-door.
Harvey and a friend canvassed the neighborhood on foot, slinging the coffee from a black backpack. After an 8-mile trip generated only one sale, it became apparent that some refinements would need to be made. Harvey spent hours researching how to improve his sales pitch and product branding, and after some practice and snazzier packaging, his customer base started to grow.
Harvey approaches his roasting process with precision. The entirely manual effort relies on sensory cues like temperature, sound, and appearance—from listening for the first crack, to checking for the sheen of oil that signals dark roast territory (medium is preferred). He fills orders individually rather than batch roasts, and after the realization that many of his initial sales had turned into repeat customers, he started a subscription service. He keeps the subscription system organized through an app he built himself.
Sourcing beans is his favorite part of the job. Harvey gravitates toward Ethiopian and Kenyan coffees with fruity, floral notes that customers love.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than 200 pounds [of green coffee] showing up at your front door,” he told The Dirt.
As Harvey’s business has grown, so has his role in keeping it running. Several months after launching, his father John passed away. John’s legacy lives on not only in Harvey’s deep coffee knowledge, but also in the practical lessons he taught about how to run a business, like treating every customer as a long-term relationship.
Looking ahead, Harvey is exploring local retail partnerships. Long-term, he hopes to join the Davis Farmers Market while continuing to refine his business.
You can get in touch with Harvey’s Coffee on Instagram @harveyscoffee.shop or on his website www.harveyscoffee.shop.
