Daria Toptygina | January 2, 2026
Images courtesy of Kōhi Time.
After two years as a mobile coffee bar in Eugene, Oregon’s Whiteaker neighborhood, Kōhi Time recently rolled into its first brick-and-mortar space inside the Union on Broadway student apartment complex.
The modest 270-square-foot, playfully designed cafe gives founder and owner Genelle Izumi plenty of interaction with a steady stream of University of Oregon students and downtown foot traffic.
Behind the counter, Izumi typically works solo — in front of a marching line of Godzilla figurines — while keeping the gear setup compact. Espresso passes through a 1-group Rocket Boxer Timer machine with a [Fiorenzato F64…
Daria Toptygina | January 2, 2026
Images courtesy of Kōhi Time.
After two years as a mobile coffee bar in Eugene, Oregon’s Whiteaker neighborhood, Kōhi Time recently rolled into its first brick-and-mortar space inside the Union on Broadway student apartment complex.
The modest 270-square-foot, playfully designed cafe gives founder and owner Genelle Izumi plenty of interaction with a steady stream of University of Oregon students and downtown foot traffic.
Behind the counter, Izumi typically works solo — in front of a marching line of Godzilla figurines — while keeping the gear setup compact. Espresso passes through a 1-group Rocket Boxer Timer machine with a Fiorenzato F64 EVO Pro GBW grinder. A Ceado E6P handles single-origin grinds, while cold brew is made with the Toddy Home system.
For flavor, the shop offers house-made syrups with organic ingredients, including some less common syrup flavors like lemongrass.
“I try to serve drinks you can’t get anywhere else,” Izumi recently told Daily Coffee News. “I get a lot of inspiration from my childhood food memories.”
An appreciation for food and flavors runs in Izumi’s family. Her father was an award-winning baker who owned a chain of Los Angeles bakeries, while her mother’s love of instant powdered coffee sparked early curiosity.
Flavor inspirations at the shop have included black sesame, anko (sweet red bean paste) and shiso.
One signature drink, the Sam’s Sundae Latte, nods to an ice cream sundae at a San Francisco creamery that was a favorite of Izumi’s. It combines espresso, chocolate and steamed milk that’s been infused with bergamot olive oil — topped with a sprinkle of sea salt. Another signature drink blends cold brew, milk and a syrup made with cardamom, brown sugar and mint.
Coffees for all drinks come from the Portland, Oregon, production facility of California-based roaster Groundwork Coffee.
“While I tried most local roasters, I decided to go with a company you can’t find at your neighborhood cafe,” Izumi said. “Plus, I went to college with the owner back in Southern California, so I had a bit of an ‘in.’”
Izumi came to coffee professionally following several years roasting at home then focusing on the iced coffee scene as a food writer in San Francisco. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Izumi moved to Eugene to be closer to family.
“I wanted desperately to avoid a desk job, so I concentrated on the one thing I love — making caffeinated concoctions,” Izumi said. “I bought a used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, had it fabricated to run off-grid using solar panels and batteries, and it used hydrotreated vegetable oil as fuel.”
She operated at a Whiteaker food pod for more than two years, with her last service on Dec. 31, 2024, before plans for a quick relocation fell through. After pivoting to the Union Broadway location, the shop opened in mid-September of this year, selling out of coffee, dairy and teas.
“The time off gave me more time to plan what I wanted to do with the space, which was beneficial,” Izumi said. “I’m happy with the final design.”
Despite being surrounded by student housing, Kōhi Time is leaning into a “slow coffee” ethos.
“To me, it’s about quality, not speed or volume,” she said. “I have no batch brewer — other than cold brew — and every ingredient is thoughtfully put into making the drink.”
Reflecting its owner, the business is unlikely to follow the typical retail-growth trajectory sought by other coffee purveyors.
“Having a brick-and-mortar location was the ultimate goal when I started the mobile business,” said Izumi. “I don’t consider myself a barista in the traditional sense, although I will accept slinger, caffeine dealer or coffee bartender. I have no tattoos, only my ears are pierced and I am of retirement age, so we will have to wait and see how long me and this body will last.”
*Kōhi Time is located the Union on Broadway apartment complex at *480 E Broadway in Eugene, Oregon.
*Comments? Questions? News to share? Contact DCN’s editors here. For all the latest coffee industry news, subscribe to the DCN newsletter. *
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Daria Toptygina Daria Toptygina is a freelance writer, avid coffee lover and social media manager of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine.
Tags: Eugene, Fiorenzato, Genelle Izumi, Groundwork Coffee, Kōhi Time, mobile, Oregon, University of Oregon, Whiteaker