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What inspires you about coffee?

Its pure awesomeness! Nothing is a invigorating and tasty as this liquid we have come to call coffee. I also love the story behind coffee – its journey is fascinating.

Why is it important for you to list the price of your espresso machine – $18,000 – on your literature?

For shock value. Who the hell spends as much on an espresso machine as a Honda Accord?…Only those purely fanatic about coffee quality.

You write that your beans are selected from the world’s top 1% of coffee. What is that number based on?

It is simply an estimation based on the number of specialty grade offerings that are available from the variety of importers servicing the American coffee market. I would surmise that it is actually less than one percent but who wants to deal with fractions or decimals?

What would you say differentiates the Portola experience from other ambitious SoCal coffeehouses/roasters like Intelligentsia and LAMILL?

The design of our shop and personalities of our staff was intentional – to provide a welcoming and interactive experience. Everything about our business is centered around quality and education. There is SO much to learn about coffee – and we provide an ideal venue for those interested in immersing themselves in everything coffee. Also, we roast on site. Despite being the best model for freshness, the customers love seeing it in action and offers yet one other way to explain what it takes to get a killer cup of coffee.