Younan Nanno didn’t know much about the world of coffee. He just knew that he loved to drink it and he wanted to work for himself. That was his motivation to purchase his own coffee shop, Kaffeine Sarnia. “I had absolutely no experience in the coffee world,” Younan says. “My only work experience was that of customer service.”

Younan has spent his entire career in customer service, which he has always loved. Prior to purchasing the Kaffeine Sarnia franchise, he worked for Jiffy Lube. “I was a sales representative,” Younan proclaims. “I didn’t do any oil changes. Before that, I worked at variety stores and gas stations. So my jobs have always involved customer service.” Growing up, Younan’s father owned a variety store, which is where his career in customer service began. “Dealing with people is where I shine my best. I am not a guy who can sit at a computer all day sending emails. That wouldn’t be me. Without people, I won’t survive.”Younan moved to Canada from Iraq in 1995 when he was 29-years-old. “The biggest difference between Iraq and Canada is the community and freedom that we have here. We are here and this is our country now. We came from a country that was at war for years and we came to a country that is peaceful. It was a great experience; not scary at all. I believe that Canada is the best country!”

Younan says he always had it in his mind that he wanted to work for himself. “I thought about buying a variety store, but variety stores sell lottery tickets and dirty magazines and cigarettes which we don’t believe in selling to customers.” At the time, Younan was beginning to look for a path where he wouldn’t be required to stand on his feet all day either. “When Kaffeine Sarnia came up and we took a shot at it. I knew nothing about coffee besides drinking it. My wife Cami loves drinking coffee and we believe everybody loves coffee so we jumped in.”

One of the biggest challenges upon taking over Kaffeine Sarnia was getting to know the product as well as those who buy it. “When we took over, the customers knew the previous owners, but didn’t know us,” Younan says. “Everybody thought we weren’t from Sarnia when actually we have lived here since 1998.” It was a challenge for Younan and Cami to bring customers back to the store as the business developed. “Some didn’t come back, but most of them did when they realized how good our customer service is. They found out how we deal with people and they loved it.”

Today Kaffeine Sarnia sells everything you could need for the perfect cup of coffee. They also specialize in Crazy Cups, a premium coffee that comes in different flavours. “There is one called Death By Chocolate that is really good." They also have specialty pods that have no plastic in them. “They are eco-friendly and after you have your cup of coffee you can toss it in the backyard,” Younan says. “It is made from vegetables.”

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