By Audrey Dilling

“So where did the safari theme come from?” I ask John Shanebrook and A.J. Brown, the founders of Blue Joe Coffee in Lake Oswego. I feel a little bit like I’ve just asked a question they hear every day, but the two are happy to share the story.

In the early stages of their roasting careers, the coffee connoisseurs turned entrepreneurs traveled to Jamaica in pursuit of the Jamaica Blue Mountain blend of coffee — one of the finest in the world and also among the most expensive. The two were struck by the history of discovery and adventure in the former British colony and wanted to recreate this feeling in their café.

The influences of that pilgrimage can be felt everywhere in the shop, from the exotic plants to the bamboo décor and world maps that adorn the blue walls. Each piece of furniture in the shop was meticulously sought out by the owners with attention to detail and style. A vintage shuffleboard table adds a fun, pub dynamic to the café environment.

While the Blue Joe café is new, the idea behind it — and the coffee itself — have been brewing for years. For the majority of that time, Blue Joe has existed as an online coffee retailer. Shanebrook and Brown began roasting coffee together in a garage in Colorado. They invested in some equipment from a well-known coffee dealer in Idaho and built their roasting enterprise from the “grounds” up. Now that they have launched the café, they have secured a Master Roaster with over 25 years of experience to take over that aspect of the business.

Indeed, it’s all about the bean at Blue Joe. The founders subscribe to the Third Wave movement of coffee, which emphasizes the inherent qualities of the coffee bean. Rather than achieve flavor and complexity through blending or over-roasting, “Third Wavers” (which include the legendary Stumptown Roasters) produce light-to-medium roast, single-origin coffee beans. The purpose of the Third Wave coffee shop is to showcase the bean by perfecting a menu of quality espresso drinks.

Blue Joe has played an amazing game of catch-up in this competitive industry of established roasters. Much like the monocle-wearing British explorer depicted in their logo, Blue Joe ventured out into a land uncharted by most Third Wave roasters: the affluent town of Lake Oswego. Seeing no reason to add another coffee shop to a saturated area like Southeast Portland, Blue Joe has found great success in an otherwise underserved (as far as high-end coffee is concerned) neighborhood. What’s more, they’re really nice about it.

While we in Portland have come to expect (and even appreciate) attitude from our baristas, the folks at Blue Joe serve great coffee with a smile. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. And if you have a question they can’t answer, just look for either Shanebrook or Brown, who are usually around making sure things are running smoothly or enjoying a cup of French press coffee.

In addition to coffee and espresso drinks, the café offers a selection of teas by Tea Forte (available hot or iced) and pastries from Nuvrei Bakery. Blue Joe's signature coffee beans are available for purchase online through their website.