Stefano Um was not a coffee connoisseur. Growing up in the rice fields of South Korea and then emigrating to Brazil at the age of 12, he was mostly concerned with living in the countryside that reminded him of home. That, and being able to retire comfortably.
When he purchased an abandoned farm in southern Minas Gerais in 2009, it was an investment in just that. He had never worked in coffee before but quickly realized he had a deep passion for growing it and began producing high-quality, traceable coffees for Asian clients. And so, Fazenda Um was born.
Stefano quickly saw the potential that existed in Brazilian coffee and realized the business could be—should be—expanded.
Um Coffee Co. was established in 2014 as a collaboration between Stefano and his two sons: Boram, a trained Q grader, and Garam, an SCA-trained coffee instructor. They opened a coffee shop, roastery, and coffee school in São Paulo. Being in the heart of the largest city in Brazil, Um Coffee Co. quickly became a household name in Brazilian specialty coffee culture—they were voted the “best coffee shop in São Paulo” three times.
Today, Um Coffee Co. is focused on expanding and elevating Brazilian coffee through competitions and innovation at the production level. Boram and Garam are both competitive baristas, holding numerous national titles between the Barista and Brewers Cups, respectively.
