Meet James Musselman | Owner & Barista

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Musselman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The dark secret of the specialty coffee industry is that while most cafes will talk about their commitment to the environment, impacting climate change and improving sustainability they have built the foundation of their business model and profit margins off of a product that is a disaster for the planet— dairy milk.

Meat and dairy production accounts for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization. At the same time a study out of Switzerland’s Zurich University of Applied Sciences indicates that climate change will eliminate the most suitable coffee growing areas across the globe by more than 50% by 2050.

For these and other reasons RUBYVIOLET only uses plant-based milk, which we believe will become the industry standard in the near future.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
RUBYVIOLET is a dairy-free, plant based coffee business that I co-created with my wife after 15 years working in the coffee industry.

My wife Amy and I decided to start a coffee business when we were living in San Diego, California before we relocated to her home state of Hawaii on the island of Oahu. Much of our early discussion around building a business was rooted in the desire to create a platform that would value the contribution of employees and address some of the frustrations we felt working for other people. We truly felt there was a unique way to approach a coffee business that hadn’t necessarily been done before.

We tried to create a brand that was radically different from what most conventional coffee shop owners opt for when they develop a starting plan. We felt anything worth doing would be free from convention and truly unique. No dairy, no mass produced syrups or garbage ingredients— just delicious and healthy options including the exclusive use of sustainable coconut sugar to sweeten our drinks.

We focused on empathy with RV. It’s one of the core values of our business and perhaps the most important ability we collectively have as human beings. Our brand is different than most coffee companies and our desire to communicate who we are rests on our ability to understand the perspective of others. Specialty coffee has rightfully earned a reputation for being pretentious which has gated off a lot of folks that would probably love to convert from mass produced, low-grade corporate coffee to something more elevated. Our aim is to make good coffee accessible to all and easy to understand.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Our favorite fellow coffee shops on the island of Oahu are The Curb in Kaimuki, a great multi-roaster shop dedicated to community. Try Coffee in Ward Village who has really set themselves apart by bringing coffee from amazing roasters all over the world. Creature Coffee a great spot on the windward side and of course we would recommend everyone visit our favorite barista Daryl Fukunaga at Kona Coffee Purveyors in Waikiki and while you’re there get a handcrafted brew from Towa Ikawa the 2019 US Aeropress champion.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
John Reyno of Hawaii Modern, a local mid-century modern furniture restoration shop owner who assisted us with building our espresso cart. John is an incredible craftsman and amazing human being. @hawaii_modern

Website: https://www.rubyviolethawaii.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rubyvioletcoffee/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rubyviolethawaii/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rubyviolet-coffee-and-goods-kailua-5

Image Credits
Ube Latte photo by Masaki Jonathan Photography and James Pushing Cart photo by Bronson Willing