Kristin Kulik - Owner of The Left Hook Coffee

In this interview, Kristin Kulik of The Left Hook Coffee shares her journey from coaching lacrosse to working in restaurants, bars, and cafés across the country—an experience that eventually led her to open a roastery right here in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kristin shared how she accidentally fell in love with coffee while managing and opening restaurants and bars, when life took a “left hook” that eventually inspired her to start Left Hook.

She’s passionate about creating a space where communication flows both ways—across the bar and throughout the business. Her background in coaching lacrosse has deeply influenced how she hires, trains, and leads. As a result, she looks for people who are coachable, have strong communication skills, and are team-oriented.

“The left hooks are few and far between,” she says. “It’s losing a friend, having a baby, moving internationally for a job.” We measure our lives by these left hooks—sometimes painful, other times joyful—whether we realize it or not.

Kristin also shared her belief that coffee is made three times: first at origin, second during roasting, and finally during brewing. If we drop the ball at any of those stages, we’ve failed everyone else up and down the supply chain. This philosophy is deeply tied to how she approaches training and team development, with an emphasis on improving personally for the sake of the team.