The story of Seven Virtues Coffee Roasters began not in a cafe, but with a shared dream for a new path. We actually moved to Portland so Misa could pursue a degree in Chinese medicine. Back in New York, Misa had experienced some profound healing from Chinese medicine and felt a calling to help others in the same way. We both came from a background of trying to help and heal people—Misa worked with developmentally delayed adults, and I was a therapist and counselor.
Part of the motivation for my career change was also the need to create more financial stability for our future family. My wife, Misa, has struggled with her health her entire life and there were many times when she felt miserable. She eventually realized that her passion for Chinese medicine wasn't as strong as that of her peers, and it became clear that continuing in our roles wouldn't provide us the income we would need to have a family, especially if Misa was unable to work.
Despite these immense challenges, Misa is the most thoughtful person I know. She ran our business and became a mother, all while dealing with her health issues. Over the years, she continued to struggle, and due to the Great Recession and the pandemic, making money has been a constant challenge. This is a story about honesty and patience—two of the virtues that have guided us through it all.
The real idea for a specialty coffee business started with a simple ritual. Every week after my yoga class in Campbell, California, I'd stop by a local coffeeshop for a cup of coffee. The energy and "buzz" of that experience were powerful, and I thought, "I could do this."
With no experience in coffee or running a cafe, I naively thought we'd open a shop, people would come, we'd make money, and everything would be great. I was extremely foolish. Thankfully, my wife Misa also has the entrepreneur gene and was fully on board. She had cafe and restaurant experience, so she understood a lot more than me. Together, we opened our first local coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, in 2007.
At the beginning, we served Stumptown Coffee. At that point, it was still a local, independent company, and the support, training and coffee they provided was outstanding. We also brought in New York bagels from Misa’s hometown of Queens, since Portland didn’t have any authentic NY-style bagels at the time.
