Meet Harvey Uyeyama, 16, and the coffee business inspired by his father

Today, Uyeyama operates Harvey’s Coffee with his girlfriend, Abby Merchant, an 18-year-old student at UC San Diego. At 16, Harvey Uyeyama already has a business, a loyal customer base and a highly specialized craft that most adults never attempt to master. From his home in Davis, California, the soon-to-be high school senior hand-roasts coffee, customizes orders and runs a growing subscription service, all while preparing for college. But Harvey’s Coffee began with something much more personal, the time spent with his father. According to a report by The Sacramento Bee, Uyeyama learned to roast coffee from his father, John, who had previously owned a coffee shop in Lafayette and continued roasting at home. In June 2024, his father invited him to join him for a late-night roasting session. The two spent hours working together, beginning what would become the foundation of Harvey’s Coffee. Entrepreneurship was already familiar territory for Uyeyama. As a child, he tried everything from running a lemonade stand to tutoring math in an effort to make money. Coffee, however, was different. His father had given him a skill he could turn into something of his own. He began selling freshly ...