Few things are quite as wholesome as a local business success story. Karin Rabuka has accomplished exactly that with her Kemptville coffee company which has been selling locally roasted coffee for over a decade. Coffee from her company – No Go Coffee Co. – can be found in local stores and restaurants, and can be purchased freshly brewed from her very own coffee truck in town.
Like most business success stories, No Go took a lot of work and dedication to develop. Karin began as a coffee roaster, inspired by her dream of opening a café. Years of hard work paid off when Karin was able to open up her own coffee truck in 2021, now with two years of successful operations to boast of. “It’s such a neat thing, because I was able to show off my coffee,” said Karin. “My whole goal was that I wanted to have a café, and I finally have that café with my coffee truck.” The truck does not operate in the winter, but No Go continues to keep Karin busy in other ways throughout the year, just as it always has done over its years in operation.
No Go has what Karin describes as a “beautiful, big” roasting building that she has always used to roast her coffee. For years, the building was never open to the public, but now Karin feels it is time for that to change. She has decided to open the roasting building for visits from the public one day per week. An open house last month was used to test the idea, and it went very well. “It was an amazing day,” Karin added. “We had a lot of people come and stop by.”
For Karin, a passion for coffee comes from a passion for connecting with others. What better place for good conversation than a café? Having three children, Karin has always felt the need to have conversations and a sense of connection with others in the community.
Late last year, Karin was given an honour that acknowledged all of the hard work and dedication she has poured into her business. She was one of two local business owners named as Entrepreneur of the Year. “It was such an amazing honour,” Karin said. “I was so surprised. I guess I worked slowly at my business, and I feel so excited to get the award after finishing all that and completing the truck.”
For those interested in visiting the roastery, this month it will begin opening to the public on Wednesday mornings. For more information on No Go Coffee Co., or to get in touch with Karin, visit https://nogocoffee.com/.
