Coffee BOATS: A New Social Enterprise Brings Faith, Connection, and Compassion to Hong Kong’s Coffee Culture

A unique faith-inspired social enterprise centered on coffee, called Coffee BOATS, was officially launched on October 12, 2025, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong. The initiative was blessed and inaugurated by Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan, S.J., Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong.

According to Kung Kao Po, the official Catholic newspaper of the Diocese of Hong Kong, Coffee BOATS is a collaborative project between the social enterprise and Caritas Hong Kong, aimed at empowering marginalized groups, particularly youth and women, by providing them with opportunities for training and meaningful employment.

At the launch event, several Caritas service users served as coffee roasters and baristas, offering free cups of freshly brewed coffee to visitors attending the Cathedral’s Sunday Mass.

“Every Cup Tells a Story”

During the Mass and blessing ceremony, Cardinal Chow explained that “BOATS” stands for “Based On A True Story”, symbolizing how each cup of coffee represents real people and real lives, from the farmers who grow the beans to those who roast and serve them.

Coffee BOATS sources its beans through direct trade with Jesuit missions and Catholic dioceses around the world, ensuring fair compensation for smallholder farmers and promoting ethical, faith-based business practices. Cardinal Chow emphasized that those who drink Coffee BOATS coffee are directly supporting Catholic farmers and their communities.

In a powerful gesture of solidarity, he announced that the first 20% of Coffee BOATS’ revenue will go to Caritas Hong Kong’s charitable programs.

Cardinal Chow reflected on how coffee culture helps people slow down, share stories, and build relationships, something deeply needed in today’s fast-paced, often disconnected world. He prayed for God’s blessings upon the coffee farmers, the project’s success, and all who would be part of this mission of love and service.

Empowering Through Partnership

Dominic Wong, Senior Supervisor at Caritas Hong Kong and project leader, shared that the partnership with Coffee BOATS has opened new horizons for young people and women under Caritas’ care. Participants are trained in coffee roasting, hospitality, and teamwork, allowing them to gain confidence, develop skills, and rediscover their dignity.

“This collaboration reflects the mission of Caritas: to transform lives, spread hope, and help people build new futures,” Wong said.

Connecting Faith, People, and the World

Ringo, founder of Coffee BOATS and an alumnus of Wah Yan College, Kowloon, said he hopes that the simple act of sharing coffee can help people feel connected to one another, to the world, and to the deeper meaning of life.

He expressed gratitude to Cardinal Chow, who supported the project from the start, offering both encouragement and practical help, including connections with Jesuit coffee farmers in Colombia. The Cardinal personally sampled different coffees before giving his recommendations.

A young barista who participated in the launch said the program not only taught him the art of coffee-making but also gave him a sense of community and purpose. “I learned not just about coffee, but about people,” he said.

Over the next six months, Coffee BOATS will hold traveling exhibits and pop-up events in parishes across Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories, to introduce its mission and products. Plans are also underway for Coffee BOATS coffee to be served in Caritas restaurants, extending its reach and impact.

As reported by Kung Kao Po, the project hopes to inspire others in Asia to see how faith, enterprise, and compassion can blend beautifully, much like coffee itself, to create connections that transform lives.