Dune Coffee Roasters’ Kay Cheon Wins 2025 US Barista Championship
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Kay Cheon, lead barista and trainer at Dune Coffee Roasters in Santa Barbara, took home the title of 2025 United States Barista Champion after a standout performance at this year’s national competition in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Fresh off the win, Cheon joined the Morning News to reflect on his path to victory and what lies ahead. “This is my sixth year competing,” he said. “It’s not just this year of training—it’s every moment leading up to it. A lot of late nights, early mornings, and hours spent in our training lab just tasting coffee.”
Cheon’s winning routine showcased a masterful combination of technical skill and sensory storytelling, with three required courses: a milk beverage, an espresso, and a signature drink. For the signature round, Cheon wowed the judges with a creation that featured jasmine from Santa Barbara and other complementary ingredients. "The idea is to create something greater than the sum of its parts," he explained.
In the espresso course, Cheon strategically saved his most memorable drink for last, using a rare geisha variety from Jamison Savage’s renowned Panamanian farm, Finca Deborah. “You want the coffee to wow the judges,” he said. “I wanted that to be the last thing on their minds.”
When asked about the moment his name was called as champion, Cheon described it as surreal. “When they announced second place and I didn’t hear my name, I exhaled and thought, ‘Is this real?’ It slowly started to sink in.”
With the national title under his belt, Cheon now sets his sights on the World Barista Championship in Milan, Italy this October, where he’ll compete against the best from around the globe. “The specialty coffee industry is such a tight-knit community,” he said. “We know people who’ve competed before, even world champions. But palates vary by region—coffee is so subjective—so it’s going to be a whole new challenge.”
Cheon’s passion for coffee is also a community affair adding that he plans to involve the local crowd in his journey to Milan. “We’re going to bring people in to taste the coffees, experience the process, and be a part of the story.”
