Why Building A Decaf-Only Brand Is The Boldest Bet In Specialty Coffee and How Dekáf Is Proving It Works

June 18, 2025
2 mins read
Photo Courtesy of: Dekáf Coffee Roasters

The idea was met with polite confusion. Launching a specialty coffee company that refuses to roast full-caffeine beans felt improbable to some, laughable to others. Yet that very refusal is what gave Dekáf Coffee Roasters its edge. Founded in Salem, Massachusetts, and run solely by Anil Mezini and Khanh Nguyen, Dekáf is not a novelty or a protest. It is a challenge to assumptions long accepted as truth in coffee culture. The gamble is real, and the results are hard to ignore.

Treating Decaf Like a Starting Point, Not a Substitute

In the specialty coffee circuit, decaf has long been viewed as filler—something tolerated, rarely celebrated. It was what cafés offered grudgingly, a gesture to the caffeine-sensitive rather than a product of purpose. Dekáf has upended that script. From their first roast, Anil and Khanh decided to focus entirely on caffeine-conscious coffee. Every decision since has been rooted in that conviction.

They source from multiple origins. They roast every bean in-house. They do not outsource, white-label, or borrow credibility from larger operations. They separate roasting equipment by caffeine level. The Ghibli R15 is reserved for decaf, the Loring Kestrel for low-caffeine profiles, and the Ikawa Pro100 for testing. That separation is more than technical; it signals intention. Each roast is dialed in, cupped, adjusted, and explained publicly.

Anil frames it this way. “We wanted to prove that decaf could stand on its own, not be an apology for something missing.” That proof lies in the diversity of their catalog, the clarity of their roast profiles, and the customer feedback that keeps growing louder: people have been waiting for someone to take decaf seriously.

Changing How Coffee Drinkers See Themselves

Caffeine has long defined coffee’s identity. You drink it to wake up, to focus, to keep going. To suggest otherwise seemed countercultural, almost disloyal. Dekáf is shifting that center of gravity. They are not promoting abstinence. They are making space. Their message does not chase a wellness audience, but it acknowledges a broader truth: more people are questioning how caffeine affects their lives.

That audience is not niche. It includes those with anxiety, sleep struggles, health concerns, and personal preferences. It includes coffee lovers who still crave flavor, process, and variety. Khanh describes them simply. “They are people who want coffee on their terms. That means no judgment, and no drop in quality.”

Dekáf has built a culture around that idea. Their social channels talk openly about the roasting process, and their labels include caffeine classifications and roast levels. Their transparency is detailed without being elitist. They do not shame caffeine, but they celebrate its alternatives. That tone has resonated with a generation that values agency more than tradition.

Betting on Craft Over Category

Launching a company with such a focused scope could have felt narrow. Instead, Dekáf used that constraint as a creative boundary. They pursued excellence by removing the fallback of full-caff blends. Every offering had to compete with what coffee drinkers already knew—and surpass it. That meant more testing, experimentation, and accountability.

Their current lineup features over 15 roasts, including single origins, espresso roasts, low-caffeine blends, and Mizudashi cold brew concentrates. Every bag is packed by hand, and every roast is done on-site. They do not position decaf as a health hack or an afterthought. They position it as a full spectrum of choices within a specialty framework. It has been done before, but never with this level of visibility or scale.

Their roadmap for 2025 reflects this momentum. New retail partners, expanded cold brew formats, and an educational push across digital channels all serve one purpose: to solidify decaf as a legitimate, craft-first lifestyle. The message is clear. Caffeine does not determine quality. Intent, labor, and transparency do.

Khanh puts it bluntly. “There are easier ways to make coffee. But we chose the harder one because that is where the story lives.”

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