Seattle, Renton Business Owner Is WA Small Business Person of the Year

SEATTLE, WA —Efrem Fesaha, owner of Boon Boona Coffee, which has locations in Renton and Seattle, was honored Thursday as the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Washington Small Business Person of the Year.

A ceremony was held at Boon Boona Coffee's Seattle store, 1223 East Cherry Street St., where Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell presented the award alongside SBA Regional Administrator Mike Fong and Seattle Councilmember Sara Nelson.

The event also served as a celebration of National Small Business Week.

Fesaha also was named 2022 Pacific Northwest Small Business Person of the Year, selected among state winners from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

"Winning this award is recognition to all the people that have contributed to our success," Fesaha said after learning he was selected as the winner late last month. "This has been a long journey, and I am so grateful to everyone that has worked to get us where we are today."

Fesaha began Boon Boona Coffee in 2012 as a distributor of fresh "green" coffee to Seattle-area retail stores. According to Seattle Eater, he opened up his first brick-and-mortar location in Renton, 724 S 3rd St., in 2018. The Seattle location opened in April 2021.

These days, Boon Boona Coffee is roasting more than 100,000 pounds of coffee per year while employing a staff of 20 across its two locations. Fesaha sources fresh coffee beans from African producers and exporters thanks to relationships he has built with partners in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya.

But the road has not been without challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic that hit following a successful first year in business.

In a release announcing the award, Fesaha credited SBA's COVID-19 recovery programs for giving him the financial support he needed to stay afloat during the pandemic.

The SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided funding to bring the Boon Boona staff back to work, and the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program provided the cash flow that helped Fesaha maintain the health and safety of his customers and staff while adapting his business model to ongoing challenges.

"If it wasn't for the relief we received through these programs, our business may not be here today," Fesaha said.

Harrell paid tribute to Fesaha and all the city's small business owners for their resilience, innovation and commitment to creating a city defined by inclusion and service to each other.

"This National Small Business Week, we're excited to celebrate Efrem Fesaha and Boon Boona Coffee as we reaffirm our city's commitment to uplifting and working alongside small businesses," Harrell said. "Supporting small businesses is critical for a robust and equitable recovery and necessary to drive economic empowerment and create a vibrant, diverse city. I encourage everyone to support Seattle's small businesses this week and every week!"