Interview with Kevin Vo, Founder & Head Roaster of Noct. Coffee
Long before launching Noct. Coffee, Kevin Vo was deeply immersed in precision craft. He started out designing coveted, handmade artisan keyboard keycaps for collectors, and today he channels that exact same precision into roasting Nordic-style coffees. His dedication struck an immediate chord with coffee lovers this year, with Noct. Coffee landing in the top five overall coffee roasters and placing second for Best New Roaster in The Roasters Pack People’s Choice Awards just months into their journey in Vancouver. What began as late-night home experiments quickly grew into a brick-and-mortar cafe grounded in genuine hospitality and deep respect for producers.
It’s been about six months since opening your brick-and-mortar space. What has that experience been like?
It’s been an incredible whirlwind! We originally planned to open in Burnaby, but after navigating rigid municipal requirements, we pivoted and found our dream home in Vancouver. The biggest surprise has been just how busy we’ve become so quickly, alongside the intricate logistics of inventory management.
When did you realize you wanted to make coffee your full-time career?
I’ve loved specialty coffee since 2016, filling my home with gear like an EG-1 grinder and an espresso machine from Decent. In my previous career, I ran Keyzen Caps, designing and hand-crafting artisan resin keyboard keycaps for collectors. When that hobby began winding down, I realized how much I craved hands-on craft. In 2024, I took a local roasting class and fell in love with green sourcing, profiling, and cupping. I spent the next two years obsessively training, taking white-label contracts, hand-sealing retail bags on my kitchen counter, and roasting around the clock until Noct. Coffee was born.
What is the core philosophy that guides Noct. Coffee?
Our guiding compass is simple: be a positive influence and do no harm. That extends from the producers we buy from, to the team behind our bar. We purchase local and Canadian whenever possible, work with transparent importers who maintain direct ties to farms, and operate as a living-wage, tip-free cafe. We want being a barista to be a viable, respected career. We reinvest heavily in our staff, allowing them to use the shop after hours for sensory training, latte art practice, and brewing experiments.
Can you tell us about the branding behind Noct. Coffee and the "Night Owls Club"?
Noct. is truly a reflection of my personal lifestyle. I’ve always been a chronic night owl, using great coffee to fuel late-night creative sessions. When people see our name and ask why we close in the afternoon, we tell them: we, the consumers, are the night owls. It represents the community of people who pick up their beans during the day, brew at home, and stay up late sharing ideas, making art, or hanging out with friends.
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