Safai Enterprises, Inc. was founded as Java Brewing Company in 1998 by Mike and Medora Safai in Louisville, Kentucky. With much excitement (and nervousness), the first store opened its "window" ... a 72 square foot drive-thru kiosk bought from a shoe repair business owner. Customer education about gourmet coffee and quality service took top priority and as customer loyalty grew, so did Mike & Medora's ideas of expansion.
After a holiday stint in a local mall, the desire for a "real coffee house" encouraged them to open a location in Crescent Hill neighborhood. The 2910 Frankfort Ave building started as a neighborhood grocery store, turned record store, turned drum shop. What started as four white walls, black acoustical ceiling tile, and industrial carpeting was transformed into the "cozy, homey" dream coffee house. Installation of the stone fireplace, marbleized walls, floor to ceiling bookshelves and wood floors with matching stained built-in counters took 5 months to complete. The shop was opened in May of 1999, and as a result of Mike's passion for coffee, became the home of his first roaster in July of 1999. Mike's handcrafted microroast coffee became an instant success. Customer requests initiated wholesale outlets throughout the Louisville area in the Spring of 2000.
The demand for the microroasted coffee grew to include local grocery stores, independent coffee shops and food establishments. In spring 2002, the wholesale side of the roasting business splintered off into the newly formed Safai Enterprises, Inc. Fall of 2003 operations were expanded by opening the roasting facility in La Grange, Kentucky.
Winter 2004 Mike and Medora sold their Java Brewing Company retail stores to focus on the wholesale business. Safai Enterprises, Inc. retained all Java Brewing Company trademarks and continues to roast all coffee for the Java Brewing Company brand coffeehouses, although they are now independently owned and operated.
Aside from the Java Brewing Company coffeehouses, Java Brewing Company branded coffees can also be found in 90,000 hotel rooms daily, national and regional grocery outlets, independent coffeehouses and office coffee programs.