Coffee done right: Viva Java still roasting beans in Richmond, B.C. after 27 years

Since 1992, Arturo Hagop's mission has been to show his customers what coffee is supposed to taste like. Hagop, 71, is the owner and operator ofViva Java in Richmond, B.C.

"I am the one who does the roasting, I do everything in here," said Hagop. "I have the platform of honesty and modesty. I treat customers like friends and family."

Hagropfirst learned to roast coffee beans from his mother in Lebanon. For him, the joy of serving coffee to roughly 50 people a day is "like a drug."

He said he enjoys joking and laughing with his regularsand sees every new customer as a potential friend. Some of his regulars are wives who bring him homemade meals when they visit.

"I always joke with them, 'as long as I don't get shot by a jealous husband,' and we all laugh," said Hagop, chuckling.

Coffee is Hagrop's passion. He's fastidious in his approach to grounding and brewing and says the secret to his shop's longevity is quality product as much as quality interactions.

"I love coffee all my life. As a kid, my mother used to bring the green beans and roast them in a wok."

Because they didn't have electricity in the small mountain village where he grew up, it would beHagrop's job to hand grind the beans his mother roasted. One of her most enduring lessons, in his mind, is that each cup of coffee, when properly made, should have many layers of different flavours.

"Coming in and seeing Arty is a treat in of itself," said one long-time customer who has been frequentingViva Java for more than10 years.

"My coffee ... It tastes great.There's nothing like it. It's not bitter, but it has a strong coffee flavour.As it goes through my mouth ... I can feel the aroma and I can taste the blend on my tongue."

With files The Early Edition and Winston Szeto