Owner and founder Kurt Weinberger began King Bean Coffee Roasters in his parents’ garage in South Carolina in 1994. He was 23 years old and had recently finished a stint in the navy, stationed near Seattle.

The coffee scene was exploding in the Pacific Northwest, but hadn’t found its way to South Carolina. Kurt, the son of fine dining restaurateurs, fused his newfound passion for coffee with his culinary upbringing. He purchased his first roaster, a small and humble Diedrich, and began roasting coffee. His parents’ restaurant was our first wholesale client.