After being laid off their jobs in the midst of the late-2000's economic downturn, Julia Mayer and Todd Stewart took the plunge and opened a cafe named 'The French Press' on State St, Santa Barbara. They felt that their community deserved a special place to enjoy delicious coffee, and their optimism and hard work paid off. After a few short years, they were opening more locations and were operating at a scale where they could source and roast their own coffee! By 2016, they reinvented themselves as Dune Coffee Roasters, and remain at the forefront of delicious coffee... even taking out second place at the United States Barista Championship in 2018 and 2020!
