Community Highlights: Meet Katherine Sulmien Kim of Civitas Coffee

Hi Katherine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
My name is Katherine Sulmien Kim, and I was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 3.

Having witnessed the struggles my parents faced as immigrants and working hard to provide for their two daughters, I grew up determined to be successful in the hopes of bringing ease into my family’s life.

During my 20s, I strived towards everything that most people were taught to work towards: a higher degree of some sort, professional experiences, getting married, buying a house, having a child, opening a business, etc. I was fortunate enough to be able to check off all of these things by the time I was in my early 30s.

I thought I had the perfect life and was on cruise control, but I always felt like something was missing. I grew up in a strong Korean-Christian community and never did I believe I wasn’t living for God…until 2019/2020.

When I opened Civitas Coffee in February of 2019, I was married and pregnant. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was dealing with divorce, a baby, and business. I still feel knots in my stomach thinking about this time as I re-live the feelings of anxiety, guilt, and uncertainty.

It’s been 4 years since the beginning of my new life, and it has been a whirlwind, but God has been faithful as He has been breaking down walls within me and healing the unknown parts of myself that have actually been holding me back from fully living for Him.

Originally, I thought I was meant to open Civitas Coffee to access financial freedom for me and my family while doing what I enjoy. However, I am now starting to understand, I’m meant to do more and co-create with God to expand His kingdom through serving and connecting with the community I’m in.

I am so thankful to the many people who have supported me and Civitas Coffee through this ongoing journey, and I will continue to persevere while serving as many people as possible with love and gratitude.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not! Navigating business through Covid-19 alone has been a challenge and to add all the personal life changes I had to learn to adjust to while being a new mother? Whew, I know I couldn’t have gone through all that and be where I am today if it wasn’t for God. It was challenging to endure, and I didn’t think I’d be able to see it through many times, but we’ve made it to our 5-year mark!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
I guess the definition of Civitas would be a good place to start; it means “citizenship, especially as imparting shared responsibility, a common purpose, and sense of community.”

We opened in February 2019, and my focus was to create a strong sense of community through each cup of coffee and tea we served. When I thought community, I thought I’d be more involved in charitable work but it’s been more about cultivating strong relationships within the business.

As I’ve grown in my faith, I now realize it is a believer’s job to impart civitas through loving relationships in the community they are in.

I am proud to say Civitas Coffee is a Christian-owned business, and my hope is that anyone who walks into the shop will be able to take away quality coffee, tea, and baked goods along with hope, joy, and peace for their day.

What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I think the most important lesson I’ve learned is to do your best and then let go of expectations of how things should happen. By doing so, you’re able to trust things will unfold as they should, thus allowing you to slow down and smell the roses…and coffee.