Hawaii to the Heartland: Coffee roastery makes its home in Oshkosh | Building Nebraska

A journey that started on the big island of Hawaii’s Kona Coast now finds itself on main street of Oshkosh, Nebraska. The dream of Mark Ferrari Specialty Coffees began with Mark Ferrari’s childhood, where he grew up working on his family’s coffee farm.  

Ferrari became a student of coffee roasting, learning from valued mentors and accepting the process of trial and error. His experiences in Hawaii truly gave Ferrari an appreciation for the art of making good coffee, from seed to cup.  

After teaming up with business partner Mark Piva, Ferrari began exploring opportunities to open a coffee roastery on the mainland of the United States. Piva’s desire to give back to his hometown of Oshkosh lead him to pitch the rural community as the place to plant their roots.  

Beyond being centrally located for coffee distribution, Piva knew the benefits of small town living firsthand. However, he knew Ferrari would take some convincing.  

“If I was him, I’d be like this makes no sense,” said Piva. “But we found this building and we’ve been here for 18 years.” 

Today, Mark Ferrari Specialty Coffees is a roastery with national acclaim, but to the residents of Oshkosh, it serves as a community hub.  

“We wanted to create a little Hawaii shop oasis, and hopefully tastefully done,” said Ferrari. “It has really exceeded my expectations.” 

Learn about the unique story of Mark Ferrari Specialty Coffees in the latest episode of Building Nebraska, powered by the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.