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We grew up hanging out at Coffee Critic. We’d meet our friends, we’d drink fancy coffee, and we’d feel like we were a part of life here in Ukiah. Since then, our town has grown, but the heart of the community remains — this is a place that values connection, curiosity, hard work, and good things. In 2012, we took over the Coffee Critic and reopened as Black Oak Coffee Roasters. For nearly six years now, we’ve been working hard to bring our community a meeting spot where neighbors can catch up and enjoy delicious coffees.

It’s with that historical context that we’re proud to announce that Black Oak has been named Ukiah Business of the Year by The Ukiah Main Street Program. When we started this thing, our goal was to share our passion for joyous, high-quality coffees with our customers — neighbors, friends, fellow Ukiahans. Since we opened our doors, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support of our community. We don’t always serve what’s expected, but that’s part of the plan. Watching folks dig into new coffee experiences, take in that surprise, and then ask for more is a pretty awesome reward for us.

We travel the globe and partner with top importers to source the most exquisite coffees, and Ukiah has proven that good coffee, served by friendly people, in an inviting cafe can make folks happy in big cities and small towns.

As Black Oak has grown and evolved, our customers have had a huge hand in shaping the path we’re on, but we’ve never left our commitment to quality behind. From our popular Black Bart blend to seasonal single origins, fresh-daily baked goods to hearty sandwiches, we’re proud of what we serve each day at the edge of downtown on State St. We’re proud of our wholesale partners in cafes and restaurants around the Bay Area. We’re excited about our growing national presence. Our coffees are regularly amongst the highest rated by coffee review outlets and perform well in competitions across the country. We like to think that we’re bringing Ukiah with us when we travel, and every gold medal or top score is a win for our hometown too. With all that, we’ve got plenty to feel good about in our neck of the woods. But, we’re most proud of the other ways we’ve been able to serve this community. Following the fires last fall, the Black Oak team agreed to donate a portion of sales to aid relief efforts. We raised over $5,000 dollars in two weeks. By December, we created a new blend, Seedling, and donated all of the profits to organizations working to make our community whole again.

All this is to say, thank you. Thanks to our customers, fellow business owners, neighbors, friends, and family for making Black Oak a part of your lives.