Saki Uechi | she/her
2022 US Brewers Cup Judge
Rikka Fika
My name is Saki Uechi and my husband Taka and I have 2 energetic children (my son Hiroki who is 10 years old and my daughter Liv who is 8 years old).
My coffee journey began in 2015 with Blue Bottle Coffee in Los Angeles, CA and I wanted to work in coffee so I can learn all the steps necessary to open my dream cafe. From day one, Blue Bottle supported me through this journey and I had the opportunity to work as a barista, I developed into a training role as a Lead Barista and eventually became the Cafe Leader for Blue Bottle, Playa Vista until 2021.
The idea of coffee competition excites me because I love what competition brings out of people. Through the process of preparing, we all find courage to allow ourselves to grow. As a former collegiate and professional golfer, I've learned to become goal oriented, fearless and have a positive mindset. My previous life in golf has given me that courage to take leaps with coffee and I'm still excited to learn more in this industry.
Currently, I am a Cafe Consultant for a new shop called Rikka Fika (opening in La Jolla, San Diego late summer 2022) and I'm super excited to introduce and serve more specialty coffee in the San Diego community.