Dominic Palastro, Co Founder & CEO

Dominic Palastro is a quintessential Italian American and Brooklyn Native. Dominic apprenticed with “Mister Joe” Iervasi, a Master Roaster and Blender, for two years, carrying on his legacy after the local legend closed his shoppe to the public. After achieving a level of competency in the art of coffee himself,  Dominic opened the Waterfront Garage in the South Brooklyn neighborhood formerly know as Red Hook. The neighborhood holds special meaning to Dominic as his Great Grandfather, John Vitale, originally settled his family and business on Columbia Street after immigrating to the United States from Napoli. 

The Master “Mister Joe”

An apprenticeship under a Master Italian Roaster in Bensonhurst, whom everyone affectionately calls Mister Joe, built the foundation for Kings Coffee | Roasters. After 50 years in the business, Mister Joe decided to take Dominic and John Palastro as his students. Teaching the brothers about coffee and his traditions, Mister Joe trusted the Brothers Palastro to continue his legacy. Mister Joe has an incredible pallet and during his career he perfected several blends of coffee. Two of Mister Joe's blends of coffee, Mister Joe's Espresso and Mister Joe's Americano can be purchased exclusively through Kings Coffee | Roasters.

About The Coffee

The current trend in coffee is towards transparency in origin and sourcing, which, by and large, is not a bad thing. Farmers deserve a fair price for their product and customers should be confident of the quality they are receiving in their cup. This does, however, pose an issue, as it contradicts the traditions and culture that surround Italian Coffee.

Mister Joe is more than just a Master Roaster. He is also a Master Blender; an important distinction. Complimenting the Blender, the person who is able to create harmony out of a group of incredibly complex flavors from a variety of individually vibrant coffees, is perhaps the highest regard one can give a coffee professional. For us, keeping Mister Joe's blends proprietary is one way of preserving his life's work.

With that being said, there are some details we can reveal about the coffee, especially in regard to the process. The coffees used to create Mister Joe's blends are 100% Arabica (not that there's anything wrong with Robusta, paesano!). Each coffee is roasted individually in Brooklyn to ensure optimal quality and taste. The coffees are then hand sorted and blended, a final measure of quality control. We hope you find the “Super Aromatico European” taste speaks for itself.