Frank La, United States

Be Bright Coffee

Tell us about yourself:

My name is Frank La and I'm the Owner of Be Bright Coffee. I've been competing for 4 years, starting from 2013-14 and then took a 9 year hiatus and started competing again in 2023 and 2024. I wanted to compete because I wanted to test my skills against the best in the country. This process has increased my skills year over year and I'm so thankful that I put myself through this challenge. A fun fact about me is that I met my wife because she came into a coffee shop I was working at and ordered a macchiato and she tweeted about how bad it was. So I had to find her and make it up to her because I was so embarrassed and the rest is history! I got into the coffee industry because I needed a job out of college and it was a really hard time to find a job. So I decided to work at a local coffee shop for maybe a year and start applying for "real jobs" and now here I am, 14 years later still making coffee for a living and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What are you excited to do while you visit Busan?

I'm excited to explore Korea and visit the robust coffee scene here in Busan and throughout. I'm also very excited to see family again because it's been 7 years since I've been back to Korea. I'm also really looking forward to eating all the delicious food!!

What are your interests outside of coffee?

I love cooking, trail running, obstacle course racing, rooting for my hometown teams in the Lakers and the Dodgers!

Is there anyone you would like to thank or recognize or who helped you to prepare for the WBC?

I would like to thank my wife, Michelle La, for her endless support in helping me prepare for my competition through script supervising and presentation skills. She's been with me for every late night practice. I'd like to thank my coach, Jaymie Lao, for agreeing to work with me for this year's competition season. She has brought so much structure and organization to our efforts and I couldn't have accomplished this without her support. She has used her vast coffee community to bring in support and it's been such an amazing experience. I'd like to also thank my best friend, Sam Hong, for his support with table set up and dish washing. His attention to detail is second to none and he's been with me every time I've ever competed. I'd like to also thank my parents for believing in me and encouraging me to pursue this dream of mine. They have sacrificed so much to allow me to get to this point by watching our daughter and believing that I could accomplish this dream. And lastly, I'd like to thank God for this opportunity to compete with the best in the world. I have been so blessed and He has given me this platform and I want to do my best. It's an honor to bring excellence in my craft and to bring Him glory.