1951 Coffee Company is helping refugees brew a brighter future

Just a couple blocks from the University of California, Berkeley campus, the 1951 Coffee Company is helping newly resettled refugees build new skills, find meaningful employment and rebuild their lives in the Bay Area.  

1951 Coffee Company, founded in 2015, is a non-profit specialty coffee organization that promotes the well-being of resettled refugees in the United States by providing job training and employment while building awareness in the local community about refugee issues.

The name is inspired by the UN Refugee Agency’s 1951 Refugee Convention, which first defined and set international refugee protection guidelines. For Doug Hewitt, co-founder of 1951 Coffee Company, starting a cafe came from years of experience working with refugees.

“I had volunteered with a refugee resettlement agency and spent a few years working in refugee employment and refugee resettlement,” shares Doug. “Seeing the strength and determination that it takes for someone to make it here to the United States, and knowing there are so many barriers set up in front of them to start a new life, especially in employment,” he continues. 

“We started in 1951 Coffee Company to help people overcome and bypass some of those barriers and to land a quality job quicker and hopefully [find] a place where they can start anew here in the U.S. and build a new community.”

1951 Coffee Company’s barista training program is the primary vehicle for helping newly resettled refugees build economic independence. The program is free, and all participants learn the fundamentals of brewing coffee, using an espresso machine, learning the history of coffee, providing customer service and navigating the U.S. workplace.

Since its first cohort in 2016, 1951 Coffee Company has trained more than 375 barista graduates from 46 countries. 

Mili, a resettled refugee from Eritrea, is a graduate of the barista program and a current employee at 1951 Coffee Company. Mili started as a barista and has since been promoted to senior barista, making her in charge of cafe logistics. 

“Mili comes from a place that has a very strong coffee culture, and so brought a lot of knowledge about coffee to our program,” Doug says. “She's now in charge of logistics in the cafe, so that means taking inventory, doing weekly orders, and working alongside our cafe manager to make sure that we maintain all of those things.”

In addition to the barista training program, 1951 Coffee Company is now expanding its support to resettled refugees and supporting graduates of the program as they become entrepreneurs and open small businesses. “We've now had the opportunity to work with people long enough that some are starting their own businesses, and so a new initiative for us at 1951 Coffee Company is helping people start their own businesses,” shares Doug.

While working at 1951 Coffee Company, Mili still has her sights set on the future. “For me, I want to open my own coffee shop,” she shares with a smile. “Somewhere in Berkeley, but my hope is to open a coffee shop.”

According to Doug, the future of the 1951 Coffee Company could include expanding its model across the country. “There are still refugees being resettled across the country and there are a lot of people that drink coffee,” says Doug. “There is a continued opportunity for us to expand the work that we do in the coffee industry into other cities, being able to invite refugees in those areas to learn about coffee, to land jobs in the coffee industry, so they can start to build a life here in the United States."

How you can help… 

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, supports the full journey of refugees who have been forced to flee violence, war and persecution. Our donors help refugees in their greatest time of need with shelter, food, water and medical care, and their support builds awareness for resettled refugees living in the U.S. With your help, more refugees will have the opportunity to build peaceful lives and give their families a bright future.