Business Week Magazine

Deepa and Joe Alban on their 20-acre Kona coffee plantation in Hawaii. Joe devised a patented method of growing coffeetrees using trellises. This lets the coffee cherry, containing the seeds commonly known as beans, ripen more evenly, giving the coffee richer flavor and improved texture.

• Who: Joe Alban, 45, and Deepa Alban, 40

• Revenues: $525,000

• Employees: 11

• Old Job: Joe is an orthopedic surgeon and still practices part-time. Deepa is an artist

• How it Started: As family and friends requested coffee from the Albans' personal stash, they kept planting more

• Preparation: Got help from the Agriculture Dept. and joined trade groups such as the Specialty Coffee Assn.

• Initial Investment: $50,000

• Began In: 1997

• Broke Even: 2000

• Favorite Thing About Kona Joe: "Creating something that makes people say, 'Wow, that really tastes good.'"

• Biggest Challenge: Competing with companies that don't believe in truth in labeling