about

From Kagoshima to Auckland - the story behind Ark Coffee

My name is Ulala, and Ark Coffee is my life's work - built from passion, shaped by loss, and driven by an unwavering love of exceptional coffee.

I was born in Kagoshima, Japan, and moved to New Zealand at the age of seven. Growing up between two cultures gave me a deep appreciation for craft, quality and the quiet rituals that make everyday life beautiful. Coffee would eventually become mine.

Before coffee, there was dance. I trained as a professional dancer in the UK, chasing a dream that had started long before I left New Zealand. But an injury ended that path - and with it, the future I had planned for myself. I found myself lost, searching for something to hold onto.

Then, on an ordinary day back in Kagoshima, everything changed.

I visited a small specialty coffee roastery in my hometown - the city where I was born - and tasted my first espresso crafted by a Japanese Barista Champion. Something clicked. I was captivated not just by the flavour but by the entire process - the sourcing, the roasting, the precision, the care. Specialty coffee wasn't just a drink. It was a craft. And I knew immediately that this was what I had been searching for.

I threw myself into learning everything I could. That dedication took me all the way to Japan's National Barista Championships - one of the most competitive coffee competitions in the world - where I competed at the highest level before making the decision to come back to New Zealand and build something of my own.

Ark Coffee was born from that journey.

What Ark Coffee stands for

Ark is a boutique specialty coffee roastery based in Auckland, New Zealand. Everything we do is small batch, sourced with care from the world's finest farms, and roasted to bring out the unique natural flavours of each origin.

We don't chase trends or cut corners. We roast every bag fresh to order because we believe great coffee deserves to be experienced at its absolute best - in your home, at your desk, or shared with someone you love.

Running Ark entirely on my own means every bag carries my full attention. It's personal. It always will be.

Thank you for being part of the Ark story.

Ulala
Founder, Ark Coffee Company
arkcoffee.co.nz