About David
David Kim's coffee clicked at a Cup of Excellence table, the moment he tasted how juicy and sweet it could be. He has since competed across nearly every discipline the championships offer, treating each routine like an annual report on his own thinking and, lately, letting more of his personality onto the stage. The way he sees it, every barista works the fine line between science and art: a scientific mind in the cup, artistic expression in the serve.
Competition History
| Year | Competition | Round | Place | Shop | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Barista | Preliminary Round | 8 | — | 563 |
| 2026 | Cup Tasters | Preliminary | 56 | — | — |
| 2025 | Barista | Finals | 🥉 | Paradigm Spark | — |
| 2024 | Barista | Round One | 7 | Paradigm Spark | 598 |
| 2022 | Brewers Cup | Finals | 6 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2019 | Brewers Cup | Finals | 🥇 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2019 | Latte Art | Finals | 🥈 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2019 | Cup Tasters | Finals | 🥉 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2019 | Barista | Finals | 7 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2018 | Latte Art | Finals | 🥇 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2018 | Coffee in Good Spirits | Finals | 🥈 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2018 | Barista | Finals | 4 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2017 | Barista | Finals | 🥈 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2017 | Cup Tasters | Finals | 🥈 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | — |
| 2015 | Barista | Finals | 5 | Phil & Sebastian Coffee | 419.5 |
World Championships
| Year | Championship | Round | Place | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | World Brewers Cup | Round One | 17 | 143.9 |
Results are compiled from publicly available sources and may be incomplete. Spot an error? Reach out via Instagram or email.