SK Coffee

SK Coffee is not your typical coffee shop. SK’s co-founder and roaster Sam Kjellberg, a Twin Cities native with a passionate entrepreneurial spirit, makes that very intentional: “I am adamant about pushing consumers to not think of coffee shops as interchangeable.” SK Coffee is unwavering in their process and it’s the heart and soul of the business and product. They are farmer-focused, and Sam combines a historical, sociological, and philosophical perspective when approaching his work. “Our whole mission is single-origin microlots. We don’t blend, we don’t have frivolous flavors.”

After initially roasting coffee himself and selling it to his friends, Kjellberg created a business plan with his co-founding partner Nate. After they were able to lease a small space at Vandalia Tower for roasting, Sam and Nate decided to pursue the lobby space of the building for a coffee shop. They were able to negotiate a lease and in April 2021, SK Coffee opened in Vandalia Tower.

The Vandalia Tower location is bright, even on a cloudy day. Plants line the coffee bar and surrounding seating areas in Vandalia Tower’s spacious, clean, and welcoming main lobby. Sam is typically serving customers or operating the roastery in the back, while many scattered patrons work on laptops or chat with a friend. There’s a sense of community not only in this eccentric space, but in each cup of coffee poured here. The result of SK Coffee’s success and Sam and Nate's efforts is a second location, which recently opened at 24th and Lyndale in the Whittier neighborhood. 

In addition to their Vandalia Tower and Whittier locations, SK Coffee is sold at Kowalski’s, Linden Hills Co-Op, The Wedge Co-Op, and Tare Markets. SK Coffee also offers fresh baked goods from local favorites Vikings and Goddesses Pie Company, Laune Bread, Mojo Monkey Donuts, and Bogart's Doughnut Co. 

Follow SK Coffee @skcoffee and online at www.skcoffeeplease.com.