Our Story

Kwentista Coffee is a new coffee roastery focusing on single origin, organic and fair-trade coffees with the goal of introducing the true origin flavors to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Our goal is to change the culture of coffee. The company name translates to “storyteller” in Tagalog (in honor of our Filipina co-owner, and the large Filipino population in the area). We want our coffee to share a story of its origin with every customer, as sipping on a Mexican Chiapas vs. an Ethiopian Sidamo will give you a completely different flavor (or story) of that coffee’s origin. All single origin coffees are personally selected, and hand roasted by co-owner/roaster Cody. 

                                The Kwentista herself, Alex's Grandmother                                     

How our Story Began

Co-owners Cody and Alexandria Justus have always loved coffee, but the idea of starting a roastery began on a surf trip to Costa Rica in 2016. After sipping on local Costa Rican Terrazu coffee (now Cody’s favorite), they were both amazed at how fresh and vibrant the flavors were compared to any coffee they had ever had. This prompted Cody to buy a home coffee roaster and start experimenting with fresh green coffee while learning different roast profiles to appeal to his idea of the best roast possible for each different origin of coffee, deciding that he loved it and wanted to turn it into a profitable business.

Our Team

   Owners Cody and Alex at the Minaret Vista in the Sierra Nevada Mountains      

Cody Justus - Owner/Roaster

        Cody is a prior U.S. Navy Intelligence Analyst with 6 deployments to Afghanistan and Qatar as a Data Analyst. Working on many different shifts, Cody’s love for coffee began with a caffeine dependence! He has been roasting since 2016 and saved deployment money to purchase all equipment needed to start his own roastery with his wife, Alexandria. Cody purchased a commercial coffee roaster in 2020 and Kwentista began business shortly after, selling to family and friends, and now special events and farmers markets around the Hampton Roads area. Cody also has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.

Alexandria Justus - Co-Owner/Marketing/Graphic Design

        As a lifelong artist, Alex began designing the Kwentista Coffee image and branding as Cody began roasting. Alex also brings 3 years of experience as a barista and is the barista manager/trainer for the roastery. She owns her own rare and exotic plants business (Plantasia) and our goal is to eventually open a full service Roastery Cafe with a plant wall providing beautiful plants available for purchase. Alexandria also has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Political Science.