A Passion Ignited

Starting at the age of six, O&A Owner and Founder Justin Banister began his mornings with his grandfather over a cup of coffee. Justin took his cream and sugar with a little bit of coffee while grandpa preferred his black and boiling. Justin believes that these cherished moments with grandpa is where his love for coffee took root.

A few years later, at the age of 13, Justin began traveling abroad through Central and South America where he learned about the origins of coffee through agriculture and farming. Witnessing the farmers’ passion for their work and the rich culture and family connections within the industry was inspiring. Justin admired their genuine care for community growth, and it was then that he began drinking his coffee black, keeping it as pure and original to the authentic taste and subtleties that naturally arise. From there, his daily routine was only complete with black coffee.

 

Humble Beginnings

After working for other coffee companies and consulting, Justin noticed that parts of the industry culture were far from what he had experienced on the farms in Central and South America. The origins of the beverage were humble, yet that had somehow gotten muddied in many shops throughout the states. With a mission to stay true to the humble roots of coffee farmers, Justin set out to reach his community by serving coffee from a mobile cart on a street corner in downtown Sarasota, FL. It was then, in 2015, that O&A was born.

 

Growth

During four years of a fully mobile coffee cart service, the community support grew. In 2019, O&A opened their first brick-and-mortar location. What was once the well-known street-corner coffee cart was becoming a household name. While better meeting community needs as a local coffee shop, O&A has cultivated a safe space for employees to immerse in true coffee culture and explore the realities of pursuing a thriving career in the coffee business. 

Today, O&A Coffee and Supply is known as Sarasota’s premier coffee company. With two brick-and-mortar locations and the mobile coffee bar O&A continues to have a presence in the community, reaching both “regulars” and new customers alike always staying true to their roots.

As O&A continues to grow, our transparency with farmers, quality behind the cup and commitment to the community will always come first.