Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Blankenzee.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always loved coffee since my tenage. Many years ago, my friend who owns a big coffee company in Korea encouraged me to study the professional world of coffee, and I saw my underlying passion for this drink that stretches through history and transcends culture. My underlying passion continuously grew through learning from barista classes to latte art courses, and I finally obtained an official Coffee Taster certificate. But this knowledge and expertise was a blessing and a curse. Try as I may, finding good coffee proved to be difficult a few years ago in Orlando. After exploring many cafés, restaurants, and grocery stores, I finally decided to introduce my friends and neighbors to high-quality coffee by launching Rosso Specialty Coffee in Central Florida.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been such an easy road for me as specialty coffee was not commonly known in Central FL back then. Now thanks to many early starters, more and more people have become specialty coffee drinkers. Also, being an immigrant hasn’t helped me much as my network compare to others who were born and grew up in the State is much shallower. Tough to break through the ice as a woman-owned business as well. However, since 2018 I never take time off from my work and keep on thriving to achieve my goals. In the first quarter of this year, I’ll open up my first retail shop in downtown Avalon Park and hopefully another location in the fall.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I chosen the word “Rosso” because it’s “Red” in Italian and red represents love, passion, dynamic, romance, sexy…so on. I’m very passionate about what I do and committed to delivering the quality of my products to my customers. When I started my business, I announced that I’d only buy specialty grade coffee beans and roast them to medium level; thus, my customers will experience the flavors that each coffee offers. Coffee is not all about dark brown bitter taste water that people have to mask the unpleasant flavors with loads of sugar and cream. People should be able to drink it black by their choice rather than forced to choose a ton of stuff added drinks. To me, “Integrity” is everything, and manufacturing high-quality product is my commitment to my customers, so I want my customers to believe that they get what they pay for and enjoy each cup they make. I’ll never cut corners to create bigger revenue; I’d rather eat less and keep the quality of my products.
How do you think about happiness?
There are three things that I love in my life. – Freshly ground smell of coffee. – I do enjoy outdoor activities, especially tennis and golf, because sometimes being outdoor helps me to forget about stuff, of course interactions with playmates. Love my family especially my parents in South Korea as they are the backbone of my life; taught me to be who I am and what I am.
Contact Info:
- Email: kblnkz11@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.rossospecialtycoffee.com/
- Instagram: @rosso_specialty_coffee
- Facebook: @Rosso Specialty Coffee
Image Credits
Karl Rex
