Not sure if this is what the author is going for, but -ika appears to be a czech suffix indicating a study or branch of science. Which makes this kind of a cool name, in my opinion.
Yep, but it is the same in Italian as -ica or in English as -ics (matematica, fisica, balistica = mathematics, physics, ballistics, etc.).
Talking of coffee, using the Italian c instead of the k might have been more appropriate, while making the word seem less similar to swastika to the English/American user.
Also, sometimes even if you don't make the association, once someone points it out, it's hard not to think about it.