Twenty-Seven Dollars and a Bag of Thai Coffee

The bag arrived when Pack Katisomsakul had exactly $27 to his name. A friend from northern Thailand had sent it, and when he brewed it, something shifted. Red cherry juice. Hibiscus tea. A cup that drank almost like tea itself. "It felt like a light," he told Sprudge in a recent interview. That single moment redirected his entire trajectory, from financial desperation to founding Newbery Street Coffee Roasters in Greater Boston.

The Shift That Changed Everything

When Pack started in coffee, working as a barista at Starbucks, the industry defined itself by roast level, brewing method, and cafe experience. Farmers were suppliers in the background, invisible to the people drinking their work. That has changed. "Today, more people care deeply about where coffee comes from, who produced it, and how it was processed," he observes. "Farmers are no longer just 'suppliers' in the background; they are becoming visible voices in the story of coffee."

This matters for cities like Sofia, where specialty coffee is still finding its voice. The Bulgarian capital now hosts over 60 specialty cafes, and roasteries are beginning to think beyond roast profiles toward origin relationships. Aroma Coffee, where owner Georgi Gagov roasts from green beans with an SCA Roastery Diploma, reflects the same philosophy Pack champions: understanding where coffee comes from is inseparable from the roasting itself.

The Mentor Network

Pack names four people who shaped his path. Auan Lalida Sithipruthanon taught him how to taste coffee and refine his palate. Dawn Chan introduced him to competitions. Gabriel Carol coached him into a stronger competitor. Billy Yaesowku, his earliest mentor, taught farm fundamentals: picking cherries, processing, basic roasting.

This isn't a list of credentials. Coffee mastery requires community, not individual heroism. Each layer of knowledge came from someone willing to share it, and that shapes how Pack works today. He doesn't just think about roasting anymore. He thinks about how to translate the work of producers into something people can understand and feel in the cup.

The Undervalued Coffee Problem

Pack's most passionate argument cuts against the industry's current obsessions. "I understand the excitement around rare, experimental, and expensive coffees," he says, "but I also hope we do not overlook everyday coffees that producers and farmers work extremely hard to create."

Not every farmer has access to high elevation land or rare varietals. Many dedicate their lives to producing quality coffee with care and skill, without the marketing advantage of scarcity. Pack wants the industry to shift from valuing rarity to valuing effort. "I hope people can better understand why some coffees are more expensive than others, and more importantly, understand the value behind each cup."

The celebration of €50 gesha lots is fine, but it cannot come at the cost of ignoring the €12 washed coffee that a farmer worked equally hard to produce.

What Coffee Happiness Actually Means

"Coffee happiness is when customers, roasters, and farmers can sit together, drink coffee, and share their stories." He compares it to dining at a Michelin three-star restaurant, where every detail is explained and you learn through the experience.

At home, he brews pour over almost every day using Orea Brewers, Kalita Wave, a Fellow kettle, and Fellow Tally scale, always with Thai beans. His favorite "music" to brew to is no music at all: just the wind, the movement of leaves, the sound of birds. A moment to slow down and stay present.

His advice to anyone starting in coffee: "Just enjoy the journey. Coffee can take you to places you never imagined. Stay open-minded, keep learning, and trust the process."

Pack Katisomsakul is a competition champion and roastery founder, but his real work is quieter. It's in the farmer projects in Thailand, the relationships built over shared cups, the insistence that everyday coffees deserve the same respect as rare ones.