Abouna (Fr.) Tony is a brand name kneaded with love over five decades. He brings out the good in you. A master listener. Generous with his time and resources. A youth dynamo, team player, and team builder. Obedient to his church, a servant leader, and an inspiration by example.

Taking my temperature with a contactless device, Rony cleared me to enter. They made sure my table was freshly sanitized. No one claimed any of the other two seats during. If you’re there for pick up, you’d order outside the store, someone would run in, make your drink, and hand it to you.

I had seen him with a dog a few times. He’d grab a coffee, take a table on the outside terrace overlooking Beirut, and read. What brings this European-looking biker to Lebanon? These days, and to this Starbucks in particular? What’s his story? I was intrigued.

Osta became Costa after half his family moved to the US. His dad’s cousins are the Costantine’s (sometimes spelled Constantine). The Osta’s are originally from Maghdousheh (مغدوشة) near Sidon, Lebanon.