Efrem Fesaha, center, was honored this week (Image: City of Seattle)

The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Efrem Fesaha, owner of 12th Ave’s Boon Boona Coffee, as its Washington Small Business Person of the Year.

Fesaha was honored Thursday in a visit including federal and city officials at the 12th Ave cafe.

After starting the business in Renton, Fesaha expanded in 2021 with his second Boon Boona cafe across from Seattle U, bringing the company’s African roasts to the neighborhood. “We’re fortunate enough that the continent of Africa has so much available to it that all we have to do is roast it up, and the work is done,” Fesaha says.

The new honor comes as Fesaha has grown his company with financial support from SBA and program mentorship that helped Boon Boona stay open through the pandemic.

Efrem Fesaha started @BoonBoonaCoffee to tell the story of coffee's origins. He launched the business with help from @SBASeattle, @SCOREMentors, and an SBA-backed loan. Last week, he was named Washington Small Business Person of the Year! #TuesdayMotivation 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Df2Kv9yuNI

— #SmallBusinessWeek is May 1 – 7 (@SBAgov) April 12, 2022

Federal loan programs have been a mixed-bag for Capitol Hill area small businesses with many choosing to seek support from programs like the Paycheck Protection Program that developed during the depths of pandemic restrictions. Some small business owners in industries still stretched thin by COVID-19 including Capitol Hill restaurants, bars, and cafes have called for continued federal support. Federal funds, meanwhile, continue to power efforts around the Seattle Rescue Plan spending package including $7.5 million in “direct investment” in neighborhood business groups.

As part of their visit to the 12th Ave Boon Boona and National Small Business Week, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and City Councilmember and Fremont Brewing co-owner Sara Nelson issued a joint proclamation honoring Fesaha and “the more than 100,000 small businesses that contribute to the local economy.”

PLEASE HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE!
Subscribe to CHS to help us pay writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for as little as $5 a month.