Where It All Began

 

 

Kefi didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a need for peace.

My name is Yi-chih Angela Wang. I’m originally from Taiwan and have been based in Brooklyn since 2012. It was here, in the States, that I began therapy and realized how much anxiety had shaped my life.

I didn’t expect coffee to be part of the path. But stepping behind the bar, something clicked. The pace was intense, fast, repetitive, and demanding. But that structure gave me focus. Each shift was a chance to get better. There was comfort in the repetition, and pride in the process.

Over time, I wanted to understand more. Not just how to make coffee, but where it comes from and what shapes its flavor. I traveled to origin, studied green beans, learned to roast, and tested every variable, from flavor profiles to grind size to water. It wasn’t about perfection. It was about paying attention.

My name in Mandarian means happiness and contentment. When I found the Greek word kefi, the spark of joy, passion, and purpose, it felt like naming something I had been trying to build all along. 

That feeling is what I want to share.
Calm through motion.
Mindful sips, joyful moments.

— Angela Wang 怡之, Founder