(Photo courtesy Julien Salerno)
The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue, we learn about Euphoria Coffee.
When the world paused in 2020, Julien Salerno found clarity in the quiet. Burnt out from years working as a mobile dog groomer and facing the uncertainty of the pandemic, they turned to something simple and grounding: making coffee at home. What started as a personal ritual soon evolved into Euphoria Coffee, a queer-owned micro roastery and online coffee shop that has since become a community-rooted business in Central Florida.
“I was living alone during lockdown, and everything was shut down,” Salerno recalls. “So I started ordering beans from small roasters online, setting up a little coffee station and experimenting with different brews. It became this kind of calming hobby.”
The name Euphoria came easily.
“It’s that first sip of coffee in the morning — everything slows down and you feel this inner peace,” they say. “And for trans and nonbinary folks, gender euphoria is that same kind of alignment, that sense of coming home to yourself. I loved the double meaning.”
Euphoria Coffee launched online during the pandemic as Salerno’s way to share that feeling with others. Though they once dreamed of a physical shop, they chose to focus instead on a model that felt more sustainable and aligned with their values. Operating as a one-person micro roastery, Salerno hand roasts each small batch to order in their kitchen, ensuring freshness and intentionality with every bag.
“My roaster is tiny. It does one pound at a time,” Salerno explains. “When you buy from me, you’re getting a roast made just for you. It’s very different from bigger operations that roast in bulk.”
Salerno approaches coffee with the heart of an artist and the curiosity of a scientist. Each bean goes through multiple roast levels during testing, allowing them to determine which flavors to bring forward. With a tasting wheel nearby, Salerno builds each roast with the same care one might use to prepare coffee for a friend.
“There are roasters who approach it very methodically,” they say. “For me, it’s gut feeling, intuition. Coffee is part science, part art. I lean toward the art.”
But Euphoria Coffee isn’t just about what’s in the cup. It’s about who gets to hold it.
As an openly queer business owner, Salerno wanted their company to reflect the values of visibility, accessibility and community care. From supporting local trans safety funds to donating to mutual aid food drives, they make it a point to stay connected to grassroots efforts in Central Florida.
“It’s not just about profit,” Salerno says. “If that was the goal, I would’ve stayed in my old job. I wanted this business to align with who I am and what I care about. I see Euphoria Coffee as part of a larger ecosystem of care.”
That ecosystem includes customers, too. Salerno finds joy in pop-ups and local markets, where they get to meet coffee lovers face to face.
“The markets are the best part,” they share. “People ask questions, get excited about the coffee and I get to talk about the process. It’s also where people see that I’m just one person roasting beans in my kitchen, and they love that.”
Though they occasionally get offers from companies interested in partnering, Salerno is careful about collaborations. “If it doesn’t align with my values, I’m not doing it. I don’t want to scale up in a way that loses the heart of what I do.”
They envision Euphoria Coffee staying intentionally small, rooted in queer community and powered by connection rather than capital.
“I’m kind of an anti-capitalist running a business,” Salerno laughs. “It sounds contradictory, but I think it’s possible to do business differently.”
That ethos has made Euphoria Coffee a beloved staple among those who know it. And while Julien still mourns the loss of their favorite brick-and-mortar coffee shop, Downtown Credo, they’re creating their own version of that third place, one bag of beans at a time.
“As a queer person just out in the world, it’s really necessary to see ourselves doing these things,” they say. “It’s not just about making money — it’s about being visible, helping where I can and staying connected to community.”
To learn more or order coffee, visit them on IG @euphoria.coffeeroasters.
Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Williams at Jeremy@WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida or Managing Editor Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com in Tampa Bay.
