Greetings Slow Food Whidbey Island community! We’re excited to announce our first 2024 event – Coffee Presentation with Slow Food Whidbey Island board VP Richard Karno, February 3rd, 2024, 1:00 p.m. at the Greenbank Progressive Club.

Richard has worked in the specialty coffee industry for more than 30 years. He founded the Novel Café, a seminal bookstore coffeehouse in Santa Monica, CA in 1990. Following the purchase of his first coffee roaster, Richard founded Groundwork Coffee Company, the largest organic coffee roastery in Southern California. In 2012, he sold Groundwork and created Lucky Jack Coffee Company with his wife Tessa. They moved to Whidbey Island in 2017, where Richard met fellow OG (original gangster) coffee guy, Gary Smith, founder of Mukilteo Coffee Company. Feeling the call of the beans once again, Richard began roasting coffee for Mukilteo, while simultaneously creating the Unplugged Coffee Company here on Whidbey with his wife Tessa.

Richard will discuss the basic dos and don’ts for coffee consumers, the present and future states of the coffee industry, and the reasons why consumers need to educate themselves before choosing their favorite coffee. The presentation will include a free-flowing Q and A session, followed by coffee samples and delicious coffee infused baked goods.

The cost for the presentation is $15.00 for members, and $20.00 for non-members. To sign up to attend, please email us at info.sfwi@gmail.com. Space is limited, so sign up soon!

We look forward to seeing you on February 3rd!