He Managed 1,200 People in Tech, Got Downsized, and Bought a Coffee Shop in Escondido

Overview

The Kettle On runs three cafés in North County, and its founder tells his own story on the website. It's worth reading in full, but here's the shape of it.

He started bussing tables. Then he shaped surfboards. Then he learned specialty coffee in Australia. Then he helped open a restaurant in Kensington. Then he went into tech and ended up running a team of 1,200 people across two countries. Then he got downsized. Then he bought a coffee shop in Escondido.

In his words:

"I started bussing tables in high school and quickly fell in love with the hospitality industry."

"I launched my first business while in school, Compass Shapes, shaping custom surfboards and selling apparel."

"After a short stint in Australia, learning about specialty coffee, I moved to San Diego."

"With Covid shaking up hospitality, I pivoted and landed in the tech industry," where "I headed and built out a team of managers across two countries, totaling 1,200 team members."

"After a few years in tech, downsizing forced my hand, and I decided to try to open my own place." "I found Kettle Coffee and Tea in Escondido and never turned back."

He didn't build it from nothing — he bought a going concern and reworked it. "We quickly pivoted and began to improve on the existing foundation, growing 71% in the first 9 months." The rename to Kettle On Grand marked the shift. A second shop followed in Fallbrook, and a third in Oceanside.

Here's the one thing to get right before you drive anywhere.

All three locations close by 2:30 at the latest. Two of them close at 2.

This is a morning business, full stop. There is no such thing as an afternoon visit to The Kettle On, and the hours differ enough between the three that it's worth checking which one you're going to.

The Three Cafés

Kettle On Grand — Escondido

• 119 E Grand Ave · (760) 738-8662
• Monday–Friday 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. · Saturday–Sunday 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
• The original, and the one the whole company grew out of
• Their description: "Your Favorite All-Day Cafe" and "a neighborhood coffee shop with a great community atmosphere" offering "a modern specialty coffee experience in a familiar environment"
• This is also where the events happen — see below

Kettle On Main — Fallbrook

• 139 S Main Ave · (760) 645-3891
• Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–2 p.m. · Sunday 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Opens earliest and closes earliest. The only one published day by day
• Their line: "Nestled in the heart of downtown Fallbrook, Kettle On Main is a haven for those who appreciate quality, community, and consistency."

Kettle On Coast — Oceanside

• 223 N. Coast Hwy · (760) 231-5936
• Monday–Friday 7 a.m.–2 p.m. · Saturday–Sunday 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
• This is the food one. A scratch kitchen using local ingredients where it can, with a menu they describe as African Diasporic, Mediterranean and California fusion
• An in-house bakery making pastries daily, and a specialty coffee programme they describe as SCA-certified
• If you're going for a meal rather than a cup, go here

Weekend hours are later at Grand and Fallbrook, earlier at Oceanside. There's no single rule — check the one you want.

The Events

This is what makes The Kettle On unusual, and most people won't know about it.

Three named programmes, all run out of the Escondido shop:

• Bottomless Beats — "our monthly DJ series." Their merch includes a "Bottomless Beats V.12," which suggests twelve editions in
• Just Add Oil — "our dive into motorcycle adventure documentaries." The Escondido page calls one of these the premiere of "our first movie"
• The Grand-AM — "an amateur skate competition judged by Team USA pros," held in Escondido

A coffee shop that screens its own motorcycle films, runs a monthly DJ night and puts on a skate contest with Team USA judges is not really a coffee shop. Their own framing is: "Where top-tier coffee, community, and culture collide," and "We're more than just a coffee shop—we're a hub for those who crave quality, consistency, and a space to connect."

They publish no dates or ticket prices for any of it — follow them or ask in the shop. It's the best reason to pay attention to this company.

What They Say They're Doing

The core values are stated flatly, three words, and repeated across the site: "Quality, Community, Consistency."

Their tagline is "curating unique cafe experiences that serve our community," and on the coffee itself: "Every cup we serve is crafted with precision, every event we host fuels the culture we love."

They source what they call "award-winning coffees" and say they work with local roasters at each location — so the beans differ by shop. Worth asking at the counter which roaster you're drinking.

Private Events and Bakery Orders

• They'll host work events, fundraisers and birthdays — their words: "Book our space, or let us come to you!" across all three locations. No prices, minimums or capacities are published; you submit a form and they follow up
• Bakery orders need at least seven days' notice. No items or prices published

Merch

The only prices published anywhere on their site, which tells you something about where the website's attention has gone:

• The Kettle Trucker $30 · hats and beanies $35 · name-tag tees $35
• Faccia-T, BBT, EMC-T and the Tierney Mug $35 · "No Subpar Brews" $35
• Hoodies $55 — including a Bottomless Beats V.12 and a Bella crop
• Shipped to you. Their line: "What better way to rep your favorite coffee shop than with some Shop Merch shipped right to your door"

How to Visit

• Escondido: 119 E Grand Ave · 7:30–2:30 weekdays, 8–2:30 weekends · (760) 738-8662
• Fallbrook: 139 S Main Ave · 7–2 Monday to Saturday, 8–2 Sunday · (760) 645-3891
• Oceanside: 223 N. Coast Hwy · 7–2 weekdays, 7:30–2:30 weekends · (760) 231-5936
• Email: hello@thekettleon.com — for jobs, bakery orders and bookings alike
• Order ahead through each shop's own online ordering link
• Merch ships from their online shop

Good to Know

• Everything shuts by 2:30. Fallbrook and weekday Oceanside shut at 2. There is no afternoon here.
• Oceanside is the one with the kitchen. Scratch cooking and a daily bakery.
• Escondido is the one with the culture. DJs, films and the skate contest all run out of Grand Ave.
• Fallbrook opens at 7 every day but Sunday — the earliest door in the company.
• Ask which roaster. They work with different local roasters at each shop.
• Seven days for a bakery order. Not a next-morning thing.
• Their site publishes no menu, so order online or look at the board when you get there.

The Takeaway

Drive to Oceanside for breakfast, Escondido for the night something's on, and Fallbrook if you're up early.

What makes The Kettle On worth knowing isn't that North County has three more good coffee shops — it's that one person went from shaping surfboards to managing twelve hundred people in tech to buying a tea shop in Escondido, and then decided the natural next move was a skate competition and a motorcycle film. The coffee is the least interesting thing about it, and the coffee is good.

For more spots worth knowing, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are The Kettle On locations? Three: Kettle On Grand at 119 E Grand Ave in Escondido, Kettle On Main at 139 S Main Ave in Fallbrook, and Kettle On Coast at 223 N. Coast Hwy in Oceanside.

What are the hours? Escondido is 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. weekends. Fallbrook is 7 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Sunday. Oceanside is 7 a.m.–2 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. weekends. All three close by 2:30.

Which location has food? Oceanside. It's described as a scratch kitchen with an African Diasporic, Mediterranean and California fusion menu, plus an in-house bakery making pastries daily.

Who founded it? A founder the site identifies only as Givino, who bussed tables in high school, shaped surfboards, learned specialty coffee in Australia, helped launch a restaurant in Kensington, ran a 1,200-person team in tech, and bought Kettle Coffee and Tea in Escondido after being downsized.

Was it always called The Kettle On? No. The Escondido shop was an existing business called Kettle Coffee and Tea, which was acquired and renamed Kettle On Grand.

What events do they run? Three named programmes out of Escondido: Bottomless Beats, a monthly DJ series; Just Add Oil, motorcycle adventure documentaries; and The Grand-AM, an amateur skate competition judged by Team USA pros. No dates or prices are published.

Can I book the space? Yes, for work events, fundraisers and birthday parties at any of the three locations. No prices or capacities are published — you submit a form and they follow up.

How far ahead do bakery orders need to be? At least seven days.