Growing up, Khaled Alfas was immersed in the family business: roasted wholesale Lebanese coffee beans and nuts. Though he deviated from that after school, the pandemic spurred him to get back to his familial roots – and the industry.

But this time, he decided to focus on the retail side instead of wholesale. So, at the height of the pandemic, Khaled and his business partner, John, rented a space and opened The Bearded Baristaa, an 11 table cafe also offering takeaway coffee.

“I wanted to create a space for people…a place for customers to come and work and have a chat and sit around and chill. It’s a home away from home for people,” Khaled says.

“John’s behind the scenes taking care of all the nitty gritty things. I’m focused on taking care of the people in front of the house and making sure they have the right amount of coffee to go about their day,” explains Khaled.