How Little Waves Coffee Is Brewing Global Connections

The goal? To surprise and delight customers with new flavors while celebrating the unique journeys behind each drink. It's about curiosity, connection, and seeing the world through someone else’s cup.

How the Idea Took Shape

This idea came to life during a time of global tension. The team behind Little Waves was reflecting on how polarized the world was feeling. Owners Leon and Areli Barrera de Grodski saw a need to shift away from fear and division and toward understanding and creativity. They started wondering how they could use coffee to build bridges. After talking with coffee experts and partners from around the world, they developed Curious: a menu that celebrates the power of collaboration and the joy of exploring something new.

What Makes This Project Different

The drinks in Curious aren't just tasty, they're personal. Each one is inspired by cultural roots, personal stories, or global challenges. The project took on everything from ingredient translation to storytelling, bringing out flavors that say as much about people as they do about coffee. What Sets the Curious Menu Apart:

• Cross-border collaborations with 12 creatives
• Unique local ingredients with meaningful backstories
• Flavor profiles inspired by personal or cultural identity
• Reflection on world events like climate change and migration

A Few Highlights from the Curious Menu

• Until the End of the World: Crafted with Emmanuel Rusatira from Rwanda and Dr. Jane Dell from Antarctica, this drink blends single-origin Rwandan coffee with warm spices. It's about climate change, distance, and deep connection.
• ESPRESSO & strangers: A drink from Malta that plays with memory and identity by combining flavors like rosemary and dried orange, creating a bright and emotional experience.
• Aristotle Dream Pop: A rich, layered drink featuring hibiscus, vanilla, and black lime, celebrating the wild creative thinking of Aristotle himself.

Upcoming Little Waves Coffees for 2025

Beyond the Curious menu, Little Waves has an exciting slate of rare and standout coffees lined up. Here's a taste of what’s coming soon: Rwanda: Fugi Ikizere Women Washed & Humure Low Oxygen Natural These coffees are part of a long-standing partnership with Baho Coffee's Emmanuel Rusatira. They’re grown with care, traceability, and a mission to uplift farmers in Rwanda. Quiet Endless Searching ~ Natural Thailand This unique lot came through a search for coffee from Laos and landed instead on a rare Thai group producing fruity, spicy, and juicy coffees that are hard to find outside the country. Featured Coffees to Watch For: Mauricio Shattah ~ Typica Mejorado Competition Series A Nano Lot from Colombia, produced by a doctor-turned-coffee-expert. Ultra-limited and handled with precision from seed to cup. >> Link to Coffee Inmaculada Sudan Rumé: Sasa Sestic - The World Barista Champion 2015 A coffee with roots in Sudan and genetics tied to the origin of Arabica. Known for its stunning complexity and links to championship coffee history. >> Link to Coffee Inmaculada Eugenioides One of the parents of Arabica, Eugenioides is almost caffeine-free and extraordinarily sweet. This micro-lot is extremely rare and highly limited. Edwin Enrique Noreña ~ Black Honey Sidra A coffee processed with precision and creativity. Known for its tropical and honeyed notes, this is part of Noreña’s competition series, crafted to stun judges and coffee lovers alike.

A Menu That Goes Beyond Flavor

The Curious project shows that coffee can be more than a daily habit. It can spark global dialogue, honor identity, and create a deeper sense of connection. Whether it’s a drink inspired by climate change in Antarctica or one rooted in the memory of rosemary growing up in Malta, each cup is a chance to taste someone else’s story. As Little Waves continues to explore the world through coffee, they remind us that curiosity might be the best ingredient of all.