Barista was founded in Montréal in 2004 as a micro roaster and has been amongst the vanguard of coffee’s fourth wave since inception; creating slow-roasted coffee blends, facilitating coffee education for both amateur and professional alike, Barista is actively involved in the coffee community from top to bottom.
As childhood friends and fanatical coffee enthusiasts Alex Sereno and Enrico Serena founded Barista in 2004. Enrico the inspired artisan, and Alex the communicator extraordinaire, combined forces to spearhead the movement of bringing superior-quality slow-roasted coffee, inspired by the Italian tradition, to the true espresso lovers of Montréal.
In the years since then, Barista has expanded its mandate and given life to: a web marketing and communications department, the National Barista Institute, a full range of event-related coffee services, a French-language foodie platform (On s’en food), and even a book! The forever Montréal-based company, which now has over 20 full-time employees, now works with hundreds of clients across Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia.
We are proud to have developed a unique business model that is molded perfectly to catch the coming fourth wave of coffee, as we have always put the consumer at the heart of the coffee experience. Our mission is to offer a full range of products, knowledge, and services that enhance the way all people experience and enjoy coffee.
We are equally committed to being fully engaged with our community, as we believe that this has and will always be a crucial component of our company’s successful DNA. This means that we are always looking to collaborate at various levels with local non-profit organizations, are always looking for ways to help create a better world by improving our environmental practices, and are constantly creating events and tools that bring together and promote Quebec’s coffee community.
Finally, sports are also integral to our formula for success. Co-founder Alex Sereno is a triathlon coach, and promoting and supporting this sport is one of his cherished passions. Barista has its own triathlon team (with Alex as coach), which leads fundraising campaigns for amateur and professional athletes alike, and collaborates with Cycling Canada to support athletes’ development across the country.
