As a very young man Derek Townsend travelled to Australia and then onto Europe (mainly Italy and France). There he was blown away by the European Café culture; the cafe as the community meeting place and how everyone of all levels in the local community met at the café over a cup of strong, small black espresso. When he arrived back in New Zealand, he was determined to start a café, not as a business to make a living, but as a way of life.
In 1997 Karajoz Coffee Company was born, and is now one of the few remaining large independent roasters in New Zealand.
