Red Bay Coffee is a Black-owned specialty coffee roaster founded in 2014 by artist and entrepreneur Keba Konte, who started out in a converted garden shed in Oakland's Fruitvale district. The company sells direct-trade whole-bean and ground coffee along with subscriptions, matcha, drinkware, apparel and accessories, so a customer can start with a single bag and stay with a standing delivery.
Its stated mission covers diversity and inclusion, social and economic restoration, and environmental sustainability, including hiring from communities that face barriers to employment, so the coffee and the mission are treated as one piece of work. The roastery headquarters at 3098 East 10th Street in Fruitvale doubles as an event and rental space, and the company runs cafes across Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco, including shops on Grand Avenue in Oakland, Alcatraz Avenue in Berkeley, and three San Francisco locations, one of them in the Ferry Building.
Whether you are walking into a cafe for a cup or ordering beans to be shipped, it is a straightforward way to support a roaster that has kept its roots in East Oakland. Find your nearest cafe or order beans today.
Red Bay Coffee