kingsley griffin - Turning Coffee Into Community: The Kingha Coffee Story

Kingsley Griffin didn’t set out to start an international coffee company, but that’s exactly what happened. One minute, he was in Uganda as a tourist, wandering around a tiny village, and the next, he was laying down in the dirt at a carpenter’s shop to be measured for a bed.

Yeah, it’s not your average ‘How I Started My Business’ story.

I sat down with Kingsley, the founder of Kingha Coffee Company, to hear how a chance encounter in Uganda snowballed into a thriving coffee business that’s changing lives both in East Africa and right here in White Rock.

From Dubai to Uganda and Back Again

In 2014, Kingsley and his wife were living in Dubai and decided to take a trip to Uganda. The plan was to see some lions, gorillas, and maybe catch a few sunsets. But then they stumbled upon St. Matthew’s School, a rundown but vibrant place filled with kids whose smiles outshone the half-walls and leaky roofs.

That day stuck with Kingsley. Back in Dubai, he received an email from the school asking for help. Rather than sending cash to a random email address, he decided to raise some money and go back in person. And that’s exactly what he did. Over the next couple of years, he kept going back to Uganda, teaching, building classrooms, and eventually noticing something else: coffee.

Starting a Coffee Farm… By Accident

Coffee plants were growing everywhere—mixed in with bananas, cassava, and mangoes. Kingsley had no idea what he was doing, but he figured he could make something of it. So, he bought a piece of land, hired the local village, and planted 20,000 coffee seedlings by hand.

From there, the idea grew. He began selling coffee, with the goal of putting the profits back into local schools. “I love going there, man,” Kingsley said. “I’d love to have you there sometime.”

Bringing Kingha Coffee to White Rock

Fast forward to 2020, and Kingsley and his family found themselves in BC due to COVID. With everything on pause, he decided to bring the coffee operation to Canada. Kingha Coffee Company now operates both in Uganda and White Rock, importing beans directly from Kingsley’s farm and roasting them locally.

The roastery is more than just a place to grab a cup of coffee—it’s a hub for education. Kingsley’s started offering coffee tastings, barista classes, and sensory workshops to teach people the story behind every cup.

Coffee With a Purpose

Every cup of Kingha Coffee supports projects back in Uganda. From building toilet blocks to paying school fees, Kingsley’s work is making a tangible difference in the lives of families and children he’s met along the way. “It’s not something you can put on a spreadsheet,” he said. “But when you go back to those villages and see kids in school, that’s when you know it’s working.”

Where to Find Kingha Coffee

You can check out Kingha Coffee at their roastery on King George Boulevard in White Rock or online at www.kinghacoffee.com. You can also grab a bag at Grounds and Greens on Johnson Street and Chan Supermarket at 16th and King George.

Want to learn more about how a simple trip to Uganda turned into a full-circle coffee company? Stop by the roastery and ask Kingsley about it yourself. He’s got a story to tell.

👉 Visit Kingha Coffee at www.kinghacoffee.com

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