In 2006, Opo Coffee owner Jonathan Pascual worked at Starbucks in Downtown Decatur- his first coffee job. Like all great baristas, Jonathan enjoyed a steady group of regulars whose orders he knew by heart, one of whom was former Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd. “He always got a mocha,” Pascual remembers. “I loved knowing regulars, being a part of people’s lives, and the community. That’s when I started to think it would be really cool to have my own coffee shop.”
After spending years behind the bar and managing shops around town, Pascual opened Taproom Coffee in Kirkwood in 2014, a beloved staple of the neighborhood. As Taproom grew and evolved, he saw an opportunity to create a different kind of experience that went beyond a cafe; Opo: a coffee shop, roaster, and training center built for community around coffee.
“Our business isn’t necessarily about the coffee itself,” says Pascual. “We utilize coffee as our medium, but we’re all about people. Everybody says that, but we really mean it and try to carry that out in everything we do.”
At Opo, that claim is proven true. The attention to people is apparent at every turn, starting with the name.
“Opo is a 'respectful yes' in Filipino,” which Pascual says is not only a nod to his family heritage, but a foundational part of their business approach. “Our mission is to use specialty coffee to make a positive impact in people’s lives around the world. Our employees, the farmers that grow our coffee, the community we serve. We built this business on 3 pillars- respect, positivity, and honor. The meaning of “Opo” communicates those values.”
That “respectful yes” mentality is backed with proof.
Since opening at the end of 2022, Opo has paid a certified living wage to all employees. They are part of “1% for the Planet”, committing one percent of top-line sales to environmental causes. Their business model is designed to be a community effort with no one majority owner and a board that holds each other accountable and true to their values.
“I knew I wanted to carry through the values I hold in my personal life to my business. I started asking, “How can I pay people well and take care of them? How do I bring more of what we do to the community?” says Pascual.
A key factor in Opo’s community involvement is their training center, a fully equipped coffee-lover’s dream filled with espresso machines and brewing equipment designed for education from their Specialty Coffee Association-certified team. “We designed this space for our staff to have the best skills possible, but it’s also here for whoever wants to be part of it. Plenty of people who just love coffee take classes, people looking to open their own shops- it’s all an extension of our values.”
All of this care and attention to detail clearly comes across in your cup of coffee. Head roaster Chris Averitt crafts precisely balanced blends and elegant single-origin coffees sourced from small farms around the world, which are expertly prepared by the shop’s team of baristas. It’s easy to taste when someone cares.
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Before opening, Jonathan and his team set up a pop-up in front of the soon-to-be Opo storefront to start sharing coffee with the community. As he made drinks on the Decatur sidewalk, he saw a familiar face in line- Mayor Bill Floyd. “Mocha, right?”
“It was such a full circle moment,” says Pascual. “I started my coffee career right down the street. This place has been part of my life. It’s cool we can invite people to join us to learn, connect, or just get their daily mocha.”