La Ilusión - Colombia

Javier Garcia worked over a decade as a waiter before discovering specialty coffee through barista competition. He went on to become a five time Spanish Barista Champion and placed fourth at the 2011 World Barista Championship in Bogota. His breakthrough moment came at the 2009 Worlds in Atlanta, when tasting a Pacamara from El Salvador revealed that coffee could taste like fruit. He founded Sakona in 2015 in Irun, in the Basque Country, roasting on a Probat UG15 visible from the street through the roastery windows. That visibility has become part of the identity: curious passersby stop, ask questions, and discover specialty coffee through the glass. Sakona operates with two core commitments: exceptional customer service and exceptional coffee. Javier's goal is to have a positive impact in all directions, toward origin and toward the consumer who discovers and chooses his coffee.