Sāe Coffee Studio: A blend of friendship and the finest coffee beans

SAN FRANCISCO -- Coffee is typically enjoyed for a quick energy boost; however, coffee aficionados Christina Minju and Luis "Luchi" Pincay encourage sippers to slow down and savor each cup.

They brewed up Sae Coffee Studio through which the best friend duo curates premium roasts from the rarest beans.

"Right now, it's seen as this productivity tool, your daily caffeine...focusing on the time that you have for yourself is a luxury," said Minju. "For us, we want to position coffee in that space, so that people experience high-quality craftsmanship."

Minju and Pincay became best friends thanks to their shared love of food and coffee.

"Coffee was always something that was close to my heart, it's a practice and ritual that my grandpa and I shared," recalled Minju. "Luchi called me and told me that he was quitting his job to start something in the coffee industry, and it really tugged on me."

"I used to be a professional chef," explained Pincay. "How I came to the understanding that this is the path that I wanted to follow was being back home in Ecuador and seeing the whole process of how coffee goes from a cherry to the cup."

They ultimately merged their passions to pursue new life paths.

"We became certified Q-Graders. A certified Q-Grader is basically a sommelier of coffees," explained Pincay.

Coffee is evaluated on a scale ranging from 0 to 100. Any coffee that reaches a total score above 80 points is classified as specialty coffee. Sae Coffee Studio focuses on roasting limited releases of 88+ point whole beans.

With every cup, Christina and Luchi celebrate the artistry of coffee farm workers and producers.

"For us, it's about having the connection, not just to the coffee that you're drinking, but also to the people that put the effort into your cup," expressed Pincay.

Minju added, "In some ways, part of my legacy is just bringing the next level to improve the quality conditions for everybody that works in coffee."

For more information, visit here and follow @saecoffeestudio on Instagram.