Our Story

The Original 502 was born out of a desire to brew quality coffee, while helping families in rural Guatemala.

Paden Lipe began his coffee journey as a barista in Greenville, South Carolina. After falling in love with latte art, he decided to dive more into the world of coffee, researching how to brew the perfect cup. He had a strong desire to create something that would not only taste amazing, but also help people in need.

Paden's passions collided upon moving to Guatemala in 2021, and partnering with the non-profit organization STC Guatemala. They bought a roaster, and began the process of perfecting their house blend. From hours upon hours of roasting, researching, crafting, and experimenting, The Original 502 was created. After over 100 roasts, hundreds of bags of coffee sold, and many people telling them it was "the best cup of coffee they've ever had", it was time to launch into an online platform. In partnership with Temecula Coffee Roasters, The Original 502's Vecino Blend is single-origin Guatemala - ready to give you a delicious sip of Guatemala goodness, wherever you're at. 

Named after Guatemala's country code, The Original 502 gives back a portion of the coffee proceeds to give families in Guatemala access to purified water.