Photos: Branding by Erica Neisen
Buna means “coffee” in Amharic, but for Megan Lee, it represents much more. “We have gained many friends, who are Ethiopian or Eritrean immigrants,” says Lee, who started her mobile coffee cart in July 2022. “They do a coffee ceremony in their house for friends and family, so I learned a lot about coffee from them.”
The White Bear Lake resident was considering starting a coffee business after 15 years as a barista. (She now serves as part-time manager at Mon Petit Chéri in Stillwater.) “I just love making and learning about coffee,” Lee says. She became interested in accessibility and offering coffee in convenient ways, much like a summer lemonade stand. “I thought, I need to do a coffee stand,” she says.
Lee serves her espresso-driven coffee—from St. Paul’s True Stone Coffee Roasters—with homemade syrups and teas, matcha, specialty drinks and more in downtown Stillwater and is licensed in both Washington and Ramsey counties for private events. She also brings her electric bike-powered cart to area events.
Buna recently earned a gold rating from Sustainable Stillwater’s Green Business Director & Awards. To book an event or to find out more, visit bunabike.com.
