Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Owh
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Georgia, and grew up all around North Metro Atlanta. As a young Asian-American, I felt the lanes and pressures to pursue conventional careers. I thought about pursuing medicine, mathematics, or corporate life, but ultimately wanted to find something I was passionate about. While in college, I found it in a great cup of coffee. It was a single origin pourover from Ethiopia.
From there, my obsessive personality took over. I invested in basic brewing equipment, home roasted on a popcorn popper, and learned through hours of youtube videos. I started working at different coffee shops with the goal of opening my own. Andrew Lee and I started discussing the concept of Postern Coffee, and in 2021 we took the jump to launch. We started with a coffee cart and selling roasted coffee online. As we grew, Yi Cheng joined our team and we were approached by Minhwa Spirits to serve coffee in their new space. Since September 2024, we have been operating here in Doraville, serving coffee daily.
A postern is a side or a back entrance. This name is a way for us to represent ourselves; to be an alternative entrance in specialty coffee. We showcase our Asian-American experiences in our flavors, drinks, designs, and interactions. Our hope with Postern Coffee is to be at that intersection of culture and coffee, and join in on the incredible expansion thats already happening in this industry here in Atlanta.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I find that any entrepreneur will face a challenge with balancing time, money, and energy. Learning how to balance these things has always been a challenge. I want to give what I can to the business, but also need to take care of my household. I want to have a social life, but something work related can always be done. It’s definitely an ongoing struggle, but always one that I feel grateful for. I know there’s no other job I’d rather have.
As we were getting ready to launch in the Minhwa space, we faced a lot of delays. And with delays in opening, we faced delays in revenue. We found alternatives that sustained us, such as the Suwannee Farmers Market and different catering opportunities. We were spread a little thin as we were getting things set up, but were able to work it out and stay afloat.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Co-Owner of Postern Coffee, which is a specialty coffee shop and roaster.
I am in charge of standards and training in the cafe. I have a hand in all of our recipes, seasonals, and specials. I hold our products to a high standard. We produce creative flavors and use high quality ingredients. We get our milk locally, have high quality teas and matcha, and serve at a high customer service standard.
How do you think about happiness?
I look back at life five years ago, and am proud of where I am today. I’m thankful for the journey and being able to learn how to prioritize things in my life. What makes me happy today is my wife, my family, and my friends. Being surrounded and supported by a close circle is what drives and motivates me, and this community is what keeps me going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://posterncoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/posterncoffee/
Image Credits
Colette Collins
Martin Kim
