From the time he was a boy, Don Dominguez was ‘steeped’ in coffee. 


“As a kid, I could smell coffee on my Dad’s clothes when he came home at night.” 
 
From the age of 12, when Don tasted his first cup of coffee, he was hooked!


“I loaded it with cream and sugar, and I loved it!” 
 
Though for Don, one thing was certain…


“In wanting to be like my dad, I knew I’d have to drink it black.”

At a little shop in Ports O’ Call Village in San Pedro, California—Don Dominguez had an epiphany. 
 
A young college graduate who earned his living in freight shipping, Don never forgot his passion for coffee.  Upon entering the shop, he could smell the enticing aromas of vanilla and hazelnut.  The scents led to packages of gourmet roast coffee.  The coffee was from Portland, Oregon—Don’s hometown.  Something started brewing in Don.  A mix of envy, hope and resolve. 

“I just made up my mind!”     
 
Don encouraged his father, Bud, to start a coffee company with him and in March of 1983, K&F Select Fine Coffees became one of the first micro-roasters in Portland, Oregon.

Certified Professional Coffee Q Grader
 
Don is one of the first 100 in the United States to earn this prestigious certification. (See our about page for more info.)

• Served as a judge in the esteemed competition “Cup of Excellence” in Honduras where Dominguez “cupped” nearly 100 coffees over the four day competition.  His top two selections won first and second place, validating his “cupping” prowess.

• Knowledge, high standards and his awe inspiring pallet have earned Don Dominguez multiple invitations to judge national barista competitions.

• Active member of the Pacific Coast Coffee Association, where he was appointed to the board in September 2009.

• Other memberships include the Specialty Coffee Association of America, the Oregon Restaurant Association, and the Oregon Lodging Association.

• Served five years as a board member of Moonstruck Chocolatier.

McCormick and Schmicks sponsored The Portland Cup, a city-wide competition to determine Portland’s best all-around coffee.  K&F Coffee won awards every year in which the competition ran, and took the title in the inaugural year, 1993.
 
K&F Coffee Takes Top Awards All Four Years!
 
1993
WINNER OF THE PORTLAND CUP
1^st Place Winner: Best All-Day Decaf
Runner Up: Best A.M. Wake-Up & Best After-Dinner Partner
 
1994
1^st Place Winner: Best Irish Coffee
 
1995
Runner Up: The Portland Cup
1^st Place Winner: Best After-Dinner Partner
Runner UP: Best Summer Sippn’ Iced Coffee
 
1996
1^st Place Winner: Best Morning Wake-Up

In 2008, Don Dominguez and K&F Select Fine Coffees were profiled on MSNBC’s national program, Your Business. 
 
More recently, Don was selected to be one of only 16 participants out of about 200 nominees in the Emerging 200 (e200) program in Portland (March-Nov 2009). 
 
The program was developed by the U.S. Small Business Association to target inner city companies with high growth potential.  The business course provides dedicated entrepreneurs with training, resources, networking and motivation to expand operations and create jobs.
 
Dominguez says E200 has allowed him to discuss problems and solutions with other small business owners, which he believes will help strengthen Portland's business community as a whole
 
Read more about Don Dominguez and E200 in these April 2009 featured articles:
 
CNNMoney Magazine

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/smallbusiness/0905/gallery.emerging_ 200.smb/2.html
 
Oregon Live
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/04/sba_gives_16_small_local_firms.html