Boon Boona Coffee Celebrates Latest Grand Opening At the Waterfront Park

Support Black BusinessFriends of Waterfront

Feb 10

The new Boon Boona Coffee location at the Waterfront Park Overlook celebrated its Grand Opening last week with an enthusiastic crowd of community members and leaders. The successful launch marked a significant expansion for the local coffee staple, with locations in Renton, Capitol Hill, University District, Redmond, and now Downtown Seattle’s new Waterfront Park.

During the opening ceremony, CEO Efrem Fesaha offered meaningful remarks to the packed venue. He expressed deep gratitude for his family, thanking his partner for supporting his “crazy idea,” and his mother for being his "first marketing team.” He also thanked former Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, whom he praised for his purposeful community work, including helping formerly incarcerated people find entrepreneurship opportunities, and Baldwin’s significant investment in Boon Boona.

Besa Gordon (left) stands with Efrem Fesaha (right) at the grand opening of Boon Boona Coffee’s new Waterfront Park location. (Photo: Erik Kalligraphy)

The ceremony also featured a prominent list of speakers, including Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth, Council Member Robert Kettle, CEO of Ivar’s Bob Donegan, Art Programs Director at Delridge Neighborhood Development Association Yeggy Michael, Managing Senior Director at Grow America Chuck Depew, Acting Director of Seattle Department of Transportation Angela Brady, and Friends of Waterfront Park President and CEO Joy Shigaki.

For the past three years, Converge Media's history with Boon Boona Coffee is one of community, culture, and amplifying Black-owned business success. At the Waterfront, “Back2Besa” host Besa Gordon was the first in line to be customer number one, just like she was at Boon Boona's University of Washington Bookstore grand opening in 2023.

Since then, Converge has highlighted Fesaha’s deep knowledge and love for coffee and his culture, notably celebrating National Coffee Day in 2023 at Boon Boona’s Renton location where Fesaha taught Gordon the workings of a traditional Eritrean and Ethiopian coffee ceremony and the art behind grinding the beans.

Additionally, Gordon joined the festivities in 2024 when Boon Boona celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Renton location. There, Fesaha similarly thanked the community that supported him in his ventures, including local breweries like Holy Mountain, Four Generals, Metier, Fast Fashion, and Hellbent, which used Boon Boona’s coffee in their beers.

Through genuine connection and dedicated storytelling, Converge Media continues to celebrate how Boon Boona Coffee has become a cornerstone of the community, connecting people to the rich heritage and culture of East African coffee. Congratulations to Efrem and the entire team for their latest monumental accomplishment.