The word Kaioen is derived from the combination of two Greek words to mean, ‘to burn within’; which is exactly what the creators of Kaoien Coffee are hoping to do in the local community.
Kaioen Coffee was created with the help of River of Life Church with the intent of creating a friendly atmosphere for customers to meet at to enjoy handcrafted caffeinated beverages.
“What’s unique about Kaioen is that when they [the customers] come here, they’re supporting the community, so they’re supporting a great cause,” said Kevin Quinones, Senior Pastor at River of Life Church and one of the founders of Kaioen Coffee.
What makes Kaioen Coffee different than most local coffee shops is that Kaioen is a non-profit café created with the purpose of giving back to the Oviedo community.
All proceeds from the café goes straight to community non-profit programs which includes ‘The Forgotten Ones Inc.’; a program for children who have aged out of the foster system as well as feeding the homeless. Kaioen is also planning on becoming involved with community beatification projects during the New Year.
“We have a unique style and way of doing things,” said Juan Franco, a manager at Kaioen Coffee. “We want our own identity.”
Although Kaioen Coffee has been open for less than two months, Quinones and Franco said that business has been doing pretty well and they are pleased with how it is developing.
“This is just the first location,” Quinones said “but at some point in time we would like to expand and target a broader area in Orlando.”
The quaint two story café located on North Davidson Street is equipped with spaces to study, a conference room and a spiral staircase, all which was designed and built by Quinones, Franco, and supporters at River for Life Church.
Kaioen Coffee is also proud to brew Panther coffee, which according to Quinones, is one of the best coffee known to mankind.
“We all love great coffee,” Quinones said. “We use Panther Coffee that is roasted right in Miami because we want to offer our customers a great coffee experience.”
Mia Richard, a new customer at Kaioen Coffee, initially heard about the café from an online advertisement and says she’s definitely planning on coming back.
“It’s a really nice place to go and focus on school while having coffee,” Richard said. “Especially with finals coming up, everyone is looking for study space and tons of caffeine.”
Kaioen Coffee is about a ten minute drive from the University of Central Florida and offers multiple caffeinated drinks and teas including lattes and cappuccinos that are sure to give students an extra boost of energy, all while benefiting the local community.
