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Great things happen when we plug into community and open ourselves up to the learning process. This is especially true when you begin your own business and apply those things you have learned from your experiences. It opens up entirely new levels. Today on this 36th episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we are talking with Alex Jacob of Vital Coffee Roasters. Alex Jacob is the founder of Vital Coffee Roasters, Head Roaster for Ascension Coffee Roasters, and a 2025 Fellow with The Chain Collaborative. He holds two master's degrees in Public Health and Public Administration and is a licensed Q Grader. His passion for coffee began as a hobby and developed into positions as a barista and roasting assistant during graduate school. It was a desire to combine his passions of community impact and coffee that eventually led him to change careers, leaving the world of healthcare. Alex's aspirations had him seeking ways to better understand the coffee supply chain and how to use coffee as a method of impact. This path of continuous learning and community-focused development is what fuels his work today. We learn: Alex' start as a hobbyist during graduate school How his background in biochemistry influenced his approach to coffee roasting Why building confidence in roasting comes from positive reinforcement and experience Why community interaction is crucial for business success in the coffee industry. Behind Vital Coffee Roasters: a mission to impact the community positively Importance of being open to learning and new ideas. How he adapted his roasting style to meet consumer preferences Why networking and face-to-face interactions are key to building relationships in business The importance of continuous growth and learning are essential for success in entrepreneurship. Links: https://vitalcoffeeroasters.coffee/ https://www.instagram.com/vitalcoffeeroasters/ Related episodes: Founder Friday! w/ Rachel Lehman of Crema Coffee Roasters in Nashville, TN 452: Championing the Customer Experience in Coffee w/ 3x SA Barista Champion, Winston Douglas Thomas of Cedar Coffee RoR #25 : Training Up the Next Generation of Roasters w/ Steve Lee of Pocket Knife Consulting + Linea Caffe ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise! www.millcityroasters.com
There are an incredible number of tasks associated with running a coffee roastery. The busy work of keeping things going often gets in the way of working on the main areas that will actually move the needle and build a successful operation. Today's guest comes to us with a lot of experience working in roasteries and consulting operators in the areas that he has identified as "The Core 7" essential areas of roastery operations. I fact, he has written a whol book about it! Today on this 34th episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we are talking with Luke Waite of Pomelo Coffee Consulting! Luke Waite is the founder and principal consultant of Pomelo Coffee Consulting and the creator of the Core 7, a framework designed to help coffee roasters achieve lasting success. His background includes transforming struggling cafés, cold brew companies, and coffee roasters into efficient, profitable, and sustainable businesses. In 2024, he launched Junto, a peer-driven coaching group for roastery owners that fosters growth through camaraderie, feedback, and accountability. Luke is a seasoned public speaker, regularly presenting at the Specialty Coffee Expo, regional coffee festivals, and to groups of international coffee professionals. He also serves on the management committee for the Coffee Writers Guild, advocating for writers' ethics and journalistic integrity in coffee writing. His book on the Core 7, offers a practical guide to help roastery owners effectively manage their businesses. Endorsed by industry veterans, the book is set for a summer 2025 release and is available for pre-order! Links: https://www.pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/ Related episodes: 416 : People-First Principles for Growing Your Shop w/ Mike McFall of Biggby Coffee 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters 328 : Relationships and Resiliency w/ Xavier Alexander of Metric Coffee Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise! www.millcityroasters.com
Roasting coffee sets the stage for how much potential enjoyment a customer has in drinking it. In order to truly bring out the best in a particular coffee, you need to consider details about the coffee that impact its behavior and development. One of the big ones of course is the cultivar you are roasting and being able to start determine a profile from a place of understanding based on what that cultivar generally likes. Today on this 33rd episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we are sitting down with Rob Hoos to discuss his NEW book, "Cultivar: A Practical Guide for Coffee Roasters". For Decades now Rob Hoos has been an industry leading roaster, consultant, and author whose work is is born from patient and thorough exploration and experimentation. We had him on the show a while back to talk about his first book, "Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee", and now we explore Rob's NEW book and talk about the insights and findings from his research around roasting the various cultivars of coffee a roaster in today's marketplace is likely to come across. This is a great episode for anyone interested in roasting their coffee as well as that coffee can be roasted. Respecting the cultivar will open up a lot more both in the coffee and in your customers enjoyment of it! Links: www.hoos.coffee Related episodes: RoR #26 : How to Approach Roasting Fine Robusta w/ Cleia Junqueira | Consultant + Q-Robusta Grader RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind” 063 : What Your Roaster Wants you to Know w/ Rob Hoos, Author, Modulating the Flavor Profile of Coffee RoR #18 : Expert Tips on Avoiding Tipping w/ Rob Hoos Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise! www.millcityroasters.com
Feedback. It is all too common to use this word. But do many of us actively pursue it as if it is foundational to the success of our businesses? Chances are not really. And in so doing we lose out on connection, relevancy , and have a harder time delivering value that creates momentum with our coffee. All because when we talk about relationship coffee, we tend to leave out the consumer. Today on this 32nd episode of Rate of Rise, brought to you by our friends at Mill City Roasters, we are sitting down with cofounder of Mirror Coffee Roasters in Bellingham Washington, Mark Kutrovski! Mark and his brother Seirgi both had a solid career in coffee before founding Mirror Coffee Roasters 5 years ago. Their brand has, from the beginning been focused on quality and guided by a consitent puruit of connecting with and getting feedback from their customers. Both consumers and wholesale customers. In today's episode we explore the need for all roasters to pursue feedback in how they source, roast, and communicate value to their customers and why it is of particualr importance nright now! Links: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/ Instagram: @mirrorcoffeeroasters Related episodes: RoR #25 : Training Up the Next Generation of Roasters w/ Steve Lee of Pocket Knife Consulting + Linea Caffe ROR #23 : How to Close the Industry-Consumer Flavor Gap w/ Phil Beattie, Dillanos Coffee Roasters RoR #1: A Conversation w/ Anne Cooper of Equilibrium Master Roasters 433: Winning Staff and Customer Loyalty 340 : Encore Episode of “10 Reasons to Love the Customer”! Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise! www.millcityroasters.com
Whether it started purely as a quest for efficiency, or as a way to achieve consistency in a blend, pre-blending green coffee is a pretty staple practice for coffee roasters. The alternative, and perhaps original way of blending is the classic post-roast blend whose adherents tout its ability to give them ulitmate control of each coffee and thus better quality. Whether you do one or both of these methods of blending in your roastery, it always helps to explore the why behind them, and talk about the possible benefits and drawbacks of each. To help us understand this more I am thrilled to bring on to the show roasting educator extraordinaire and founder of Relative Coffee Co., Bryant Banker-Scannell! Bryant has helped launch the coffee careers of hundreds of new roasters through his work as lead roasting instructor and the heart of the in-house roastery at Mill City Roasters®. He also owns and operates Relative Coffee Co. which combines his passion of roasting, design, and photography to create a fun and tasty coffee brand. Based in Minneapolis, Bryant has worked in cafe and roasting positions since 2011. With over a decade of roasting experience, he believes coffee should be approachable, fun, and unique to your experience in the industry. We discuss: Bryant's Beginning in Coffee Education Based in Reality The Art and Science of Coffee Roasting The State of Blending Coffee Omni-Roasting vs. Individual Characteristics Pre-Blending vs. Post-Roast Blending The importance of Quality Balanced with Efficiency The Importance of Heat Management in Roasting Post-Roast Blending: Advantages and Considerations Links: www.relativecoffeeco.com Instagram: @relativecoffeeco Related episodes: ROR #24 : Perspectives on Roasting for Espresso w/ Jaroslav Tuček of Doubleshot, Czech Republic RoR #5: Time and Color in Roasting w/ Morten Munchow of Coffee Mind” ROR #8 How Post-Harvest Processing Impacts Flavor w/ Siva Subramanian and Byron Holcomb of Olam Food Ingredients RoR #4: Practical Thermal Dynamics w/ Candice Madison of Royal Coffee / The Crown Oak Our Sponsor for Rate of Rise! www.millcityroasters.com
It is assumed that we should constantly be growing our businesses and looking to expand, scale, and add-to what we have now. Trouble is that, in today's abundantly resourced and optimized environment, we may actually be able to do so at rates that out pace our ability to become the kind of people we need to be to properly handle that growth. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why your own development as a person is key to successful growth as a business and why hardship and constraints are often not just signs of a problem, but rather an opportunity to shape you and prepare you for success. Recommended episodes: Self-Awareness and Honesty 181 : Organizational Self-Knowledge 453 : The Craft of Operations The Myth of Hands Off / Automated Leadership Over Optimization 442 : We Need Confidence, Celebration, and Joy! If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Listen to related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions Don't Hire on a Trial Basis Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop You Can't Automate Quality Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters joins us again-- this time to discussing roasting education, training approaches, roasting resources and more!
Seeing results form your efforts is what motivates most all of us. In the coffee shop you are engaged with a dynamic intersesion of moving and living communities that take your efforts and reward you with sometimes obvious and sometimes not-so-obvious feedback. It's when we don't see the results happening the way we imagined that we can be tempted to simply abandon the effort and sometimes the business altogether. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why you should not give up and how to be patient in the process of pursuing worthy goals in the face of frustrating but perhaps emerging results. Recommended episodes: On a Resilient Coffee Community 414: Secret Ingredients for a Successful Coffee Shop 100! Why YOU are the Key SHIFT BREAK: Owners, It's OK to Make Mistakes If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Listen to related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions Don't Hire on a Trial Basis Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop You Can't Automate Quality Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
Managing in a cafe is one of the ultimate forms of leadership. Part of leading as a manager is planning for, responding to, or avoiding altogether, problems with people, operations, and quality. But instead of spending our best energies in prevention of problems, we tend to manage reactively when problems turn into a crisis. It's a vicious cycle. On today's Shift Break we will be talking about why we need to flip our focus and pull ourselves away from the dependency the business has on us being crisis managers, and instead become people whose best energies are spent in preemptive leadership and at the very least in creating solutions to issues when they happen to prevent them from repeating. Recommended episodes: SHIFT BREAK: Embracing Problems as Blessings Stop Glorifying Chaos When Small Problems Grow Up Don't Waste Problems If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Listen to related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions Don't Hire on a Trial Basis Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop You Can't Automate Quality Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
Hiring is probably the most important decision you make in your coffee shop. As important as it is to choose the right people, we often are at the mercy of bad habits or are missing key practices we need to make that decisions and end up making too many mistakes that drain you, the business, and the your team of energy. On today's Shift Break we will be discussing three BIG hiring mistakes that I see countless cafes making and how you can take steps to avoid them. This is not just about the well being of your team and business, but also the ones you hire who were not a good fit. When you hire them, it cuts off other possibilities for them in places where they might have been more suited and that can really mess up their career. So when you listen, hear this as an episode intended to care for ALL the people involved. If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Listen to related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions Don't Hire on a Trial Basis Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop You Can't Automate Quality Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
Making decisions about who to hire or even who might need to be let go are some of the hardest but most important decisions to make in a coffee shop. So hard in fact that we can often fall into avoiding the decision by deferring to our existing staff for their opinion on who is or is not a good fit. While involving key staff in these decisions is generally good, putting too much emphasis or all the weight on them can end up in wrong choices for hiring or needlessly extending a staff member's employment solely based on the fact that people like them. On today's Shift Break we will be discussing why we need to making these types of decisions based not so much on the expressed preferences of the current staff (or your own bias for that matter!) but on values alignment and professionally established standards for the business and that role. If you are a cafe owner and want to work one on one with me to bring your shop to its next level and help bring you joy and freedom in the process then email chris@keystothshop.com of book a free call now: https://calendly.com/chrisdeferio/30min Listen to related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 244 : Top 10 Ways to Lose Employees 278 : Making great Hiring Decisions Don't Hire on a Trial Basis Setting and meeting Standards in the Coffee Shop You Can't Automate Quality Emotions, Self-Sabotage, and Telling Ourselves the Truth Thank you to out sponsors! Everything you need for back of the house operations https://rattleware.qualitybystainless.com/ The best and most revered espresso machines on the planet: www.lamarzoccousa.com
Welcome to another episode in the live from Coffee Fest interview series! This is a series of 4 conversations with presenters on the show floor at Coffee Fest NYC. The topics range from how to connect with community, running a successful mobile coffee operation, getting your coffee into grocery stores, and how to approach roastery workflow and architecture. First up is Sarina Prabasi, co-founder of Buunni Coffee in NYC. We talk about how to truly connect with your community through your coffee shop. Next we talk with Eric and Destiny Rowell, founders of Grit and Grind Coffee. We discuss the keys to success in coffee trailers and mobile coffee Our next conversation will be with Asia Bites Consulting founder Sara Vettori about what we need to know in order to get our coffee in grocery stores. Finally we wrap up talking with Vice President of Mill City Roasters, Angie Davis all about roastery workflow and architecture Links: www.buunnicoffee.com www.millcityroasters.com www.gritandgrind.coffee Asia Bites Consulting" Sara Vettori Related episodes: 367 : Designing Your Coffee Shop for Community w/ Dr. Lisa Waxman 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop 422: Coffee Truck Success w/ Vincent LaVolpa of Green Joe Coffee School 384 : How to Run a Successful Coffee Cart w/ Sarah Naylor of Daybreak Coffee Cart 196 : Understanding Customer Preferences w/ Peter Giuliano Transcript 361: Managing Roastery Relationships and Logistics w/ Corey Turner of Andytown Coffee Roasters 285 : Better Systems, Better Connections w/ Jon Ewald of RoasterTools 152 : Essential Advice for Starting a Roastery w/ Jen Apodaca Sponsor: www.coffeefest.com
Bryant Banker-Scanell is the Founder and Head Roaster of Relative Coffee Co. and part of the coffee education team at Mill City Roasters. He joins host Ryan Woldt to share his coffee journey including his path to education after a career in hospitality. Find online: linktr.ee/relativecoffeeco • millcityroasters.com Coffee People is presented by Roastar, the premier digital printing company focused on coffee packaging. Roastar can help your small coffee business tell a big story. Learn more at www.roastar.com and follow @roastar on Instagram. Support this show by SUBSCRIBING to the newsletter at https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe or buy us a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/roastwestcoast. Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, coffee education, guest list and coffee news. Follow us on Instagram: @RoastWestCoast or Facebook: @RoastWestCoast Coffee People is one of the premier coffee and entrepreneurship podcasts. featuring interviews with professionals in the coffee industry and coffee education. Host Ryan Woldt interviews roastery founders, head roasters, coffee shop owners, scientists, artists, baristas, farmers, green coffee brokers, and more about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee, and how coffee and their work makes an impact on their community. If you love coffee, the stories of how things are made and how businesses are built, shopping local, and being inspired, you will love Roast! West Coast, This show is supported by R!WC Industry Partners including: Roastar, San Franciscan Roaster Co., Ascend Roasters, Ignite Coffee Company, Steady State Roasting, Zumbar Coffee & Tea, Marea Coffee, Mostra Coffee, First Light Whiskey, Camp Coffee, Cape Horn Coffee, Crossings Coffee, Acento Coffee Roasters, Sivitz Roasting Machines, and Hacea Coffee Source. Register to become an organ donor at: https://registerme.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roastwestcoast/support
“As a roaster, you need to have a passion for coffee, a passion for people, and immense pride in your work.” - Adri Roux, Owner of Rouxbean Coffee RoasteryIn this episode, Genny spoke with Matthew Sieben, owner of Railway Roasters. A chartered professional accountant and partnerships manager with Gustin Quon, he discovered his passion for coffee on a road trip driving a school friend to Victoria. Along the way, they stopped in Calgary and stayed at an Airbnb. The next morning, the owner took them to her favourite coffee shop, which was Phil & Sebastian, located in downtown Calgary. It was the first time Matthew had coffee that was “made with intention” and that was “pretty special”, which inspired him to want to know more about “this black bean water soup that we call coffee.”After passing his CPA exam, he wanted to learn more about the roasting process so he took a course at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis. And that started him on his “passion project” to create Railway Roasters, which is an homage to his family's involvement with the CNN railway. Matthew is participating as a vendor at the MB Food Fest on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at the St Norbert Art Centre.https://www.railwayroasters.comhttps://www.instagram.com/railwayroasters/ https://www.mbfoodfest.ca/https://www.instagram.com/mbfoodfestevent/ Follow Genny on Instagram at @coffeewithgennybIf you like this episode, buy Genny a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/coffeewithgennySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Coffee People hit the road to visit Coffee Fest Anaheim 2023 where we interviewed visitors to the Hacea Coffee Source vendor booth on the expo floor. Listen a bunch of quick meet and greets with coffee people from around the industry, including Mill City Roasters, BLK City Coffee, Black Rabbit Service, and more. Find online: https://haceacoffee.com/ • @haceacoffeesource on Instagram • Coffee People is presented by Roastar, the premier digital printing company focused on coffee packaging. Roastar can help your small coffee business tell a big story. Learn more at www.roastar.com and follow @roastar on Instagram. Support this show by SUBSCRIBING to the newsletter at https://roastwestcoast.substack.com/subscribe or buy us a cup of coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/roastwestcoast. Head to www.roastwestcoast.com for show recaps, coffee education, guest list and coffee news. Follow us on Instagram: @RoastWestCoast or Facebook: @RoastWestCoast Coffee People is one of the premier coffee and entrepreneurship podcasts. featuring interviews with professionals in the coffee industry and coffee education. Host Ryan Woldt interviews roastery founders, head roasters, coffee shop owners, scientists, artists, baristas, farmers, green coffee brokers, and more about their coffee origin stories, how they've dealt with the impacts of Covid-19, why they love coffee, and how coffee and their work makes an impact on their community. If you love coffee, the stories of how things are made and how businesses are built, shopping local, and being inspired, you will love Roast! West Coast, This show is supported by R!WC Industry Partners including: Roastar, San Franciscan Roaster Co., Ascend Roasters, Ignite Coffee Company, Steady State Roasting, Zumbar Coffee & Tea, Marea Coffee, Mostra Coffee, First Light Whiskey, Camp Coffee, Cape Horn Coffee, Crossings Coffee, Acento Coffee Roasters, Sivitz Roasting Machines, and Hacea Coffee Source. Register to become an organ donor at: https://registerme.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/roastwestcoast/support
Part 2 of 2023 Coffee Fest Live Louisville, KY interviews! In these interviews I sit down with stellar presenters and lecturers to dig deep into a range of relevant and important topics that will help make you and your coffee business better. For this part 2 we get to talk with Lauren Lathrop and Rob Arnold! First up is Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters! For well over a decade Lauren has been a leading educator and impactful member of the coffee industry. From barista, to shop manager, to trainer some of the best brands and companies in the world, Lauren's approach to education creates progress and understand for all she teaches. That educational prowess is has, in recent years, been applied to roasting through Mill City Roasters where she helps roasters achieve quality and repeatability and gives them the keys to unlock their potential. At Coffee Fest I sat down with Lauren to discuss the most important aspects of training roasters and how we can not only learn well under instruction and give effective instruction, but how we can guide our own roasting education. Next we chat with Rob Arnold of Pre-Game Coffee Rob is the founder, owner, roaster, and creative at Pre-Game Coffee here in Louisville, KY. For 4 years now Pre-Game has been the premier sports, coffee, and cocktail venue in Louisville and focuses on providing what is likely one of the most unique hospitality experiences in the city. Cocktails and signature drinks have been a focus since day one and Rob was able to talk with the attendees at Coffee Fest about the secrets to success with these beverages. I sat down to chat with Rob about that very thing so you too can benefit from his field tested approach to cafe cocktails and sig drinks! Links: Lauren: www.millcityroasters.com Rob: www.pregamecoffee.com Related episodes: 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 1 w/ Luke Waite, Kris Christian, and Perfect Cube SPECIAL: Coffee Fest Live! Chicago 2022 Part 2 w/ Marissa Childers, Jess Gulino, and Tony Dreyfuss 157 : Four from the Floor : Interviews from Coffee Fest Indianapolis 2019 142 : Entrepreneur Interviews from Coffee Fest NYC! www.coffeefest.com
We discussed dairy on our previous episode and this time around we learn more about dairy alternatives. Lauren Lathrop has given her expertise to develop better versions of dairy alternatives that go wonderfully with coffee. Lauren Lathrop (she/her) works as the Director of Education at Mill City Roasters. She also serves as the Competitions Coordinator for the US Coffee Championship and has worked with Pacific Barista Series since 2012 as a Brand Ambassador and R&D Barista. During her career in the coffee community, she has found that nothing sets people up for success more than high-quality training, consistent practices, and calibration with industry peers. She applies all of those principles in everything she does, helping to build strong education curriculum and evaluation techniques to improve outcomes. Outside of coffee, her hobbies include bouldering, cycling, bread baking, being outside, and spending time with her wife and their 3-month-old daughter.
On this week's episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast, Build-Outs of Coffee boosters and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman sip Yes Plz Coffee while discussing new cafes in London, England; North Canaan, Connecticut; Kalamazoo, MI; and Quito, Ecuador. Build-Outs of Coffee season may be over but you can always register cafes for free at Sprudge Maps! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Oatly, Straus Family Creamery, and DONA. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by La Marzocco, Dripos, Dona, and Mill City Roasters. Build-Outs of Coffee 2022 is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems.
There's no doubt about it—Build-Outs season is positively in full swing here at Sprudge. Our yearly summertime series celebrates new and remodeled cafes and we couldn't be more delighted by the sheer amount of exciting builds, fit-outs, and remodels. Build-Outs of Coffee boosters and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman sip chilled white tea from White2Tea while discussing new cafes in Rome, New York; Orange, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Bogota, Colombia. This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Straus Family Creamery, and DONA. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by La Marzocco, Dripos, Dona, and Mill City Roasters. Build-Outs of Coffee 2022 is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems. Hit the links below to dive deeper into the topics discussed in this episode. Show notes and links: White2Tea Subscription Services Tropicalia Coffee in Bogota, Colombia superofficial in Rome, New York Chapman Crafted Coffee in Orange, California Persimmon Coffee in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I had a blast speaking with Matt Rosenbloom and Misha Monsoor. It is not too often you hop on a call with two people you have never met and immediately feel like a friend. Their energy is contagious and I ended the podcast feeling hopeful and motivated to continue on my own path. This coffee journey is different for everyone and all of us will face some of the same struggles. The best we can do is share the journey and hope to move everyone a tad bit closer to their goals. Thanks again for coming on guys and dropping some knowledge on us. If you would like to visit Golden Lantern Coffee Roasters their info is below. Check them out!Website: https://www.goldenlanterncoffee.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenlanterncoffeeroasters/Favorites Coffee Books: Coffee Roasting Best Practices: https://amzn.to/38uRJih (Deep in the weeds)The World Atlas of Coffee: https://amzn.to/3s4tiQg (Overall view of the coffee stages)My Mic I use: Shure MV7 Mic: https://amzn.to/3fakq72Support the show
The celebrations continue for our tenth Build-Outs season (submissions open) on this very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Hosts and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman eat a nut butter collaboration that combines Big Spoon Roasters almonds, Equator Coffees Tiger Walk Espresso, and a hint of spices and coconut nectar for a spread so good we ate it with spoons. Well fed, the hosts discuss brand new cafes in France, Colombia, Vietnam, and the western most fleshy part of Michigan. Submissions for the 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee season are now open! Register here! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Straus Family Creamery, and DONA. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by La Marzocco, Dona, and Mill City Roasters. Build-Outs of Coffee 2022 is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems. Hit the links below to dive deeper into the topics discussed in this episode. Show notes and links: Big Spoon Espresso Almond Butter Oatly Upcycled Ads Merch Build-Outs Of Coffee: Deep Coffee In Marseille, France Build-Outs Of Coffee: 43 Factory Coffee Roaster In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Color Reader EZ Build-Outs Of Coffee: Last Mile Cafe In Grand Rapids, MI Build-Outs Of Coffee: Cafe San Alberto In Cartagena, Colombia Submit a Build-Out today!
The thrill of the build is back! We're celebrating our tenth Build-Outs season (submissions open now!) on this very special episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast. Hosts and Sprudge co-founders Zachary Carlsen and Jordan Michelman drink the new 2022 Artist Series Colombia Cerro Azul from Camber Coffee in Bellingham, Washington; sip Malibu Mylks; and discuss the benefits of coffee tools like the MeloDrip. Submissions for the 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee season are now open! Register here! This episode of the Coffee Sprudgecast is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Straus Family Creamery, and DONA. The 2022 Build-Outs of Coffee is presented by La Marzocco, Dona, and Mill City Roasters. Build-Outs of Coffee 2022 is sponsored by Pacific Barista Series, Acaia, and Marco Beverage Systems. Hit the links below to dive deeper into the topics discussed in this episode. Show notes and links: Camber Artist Series Malibu Mylk MeloDrip Submit a Build-Out today!
Scott Thomas with Freedom Hill Coffee Roasters has been a major motivation for me over the past few months. I remember sitting in the truck at my work's parking lot about 2 years ago listening to Scott tell me about his dream of starting a coffee roastery. I provided what little info I knew at the time and then off he went. Fast forward 2 years and he has a 10kg roaster in a 10,000 sqft facility and employees. His story is inspiring to me because it just goes to show that if you have the mindset and willpower to make a dream come true then all it takes is a belief in yourself and consistent daily action to make it a reality. Thanks so much for coming on the show Scott. If you want to follow Scott or check out his site, the links are below. Website: https://freedomhillcoffee.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/freedomhillcoffee/FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Freedomhillcoffee/Favorites Coffee Books: Coffee Roasting Best Practices: https://amzn.to/38uRJih (Deep in the weeds)The World Atlas of Coffee: https://amzn.to/3s4tiQg (Overall view of the coffee stages)My Mic I use: Shure MV7 Mic: https://amzn.to/3fakq72Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/robpirie?fan_landing=true)
This episode made me reflect on why some people are building a legacy while others are chasing a hobby. Speaking with Alex was such a pleasure. I feel like we had so much in common (besides how fast he is executing and moving forward). Alex is a hustler and it comes through in this podcast. I hope you enjoy and show Alex some love. Check out his website and follow him with the links below. Aulie's Website: https://www.auliescoffee.comAulie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/aulies_coffee/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/robpirie?fan_landing=true)
Humility, serving wholesale clients, accessibility, and creating an inclusive community. These are some of the many topics discussed in this fantastic conversation with today's guest, Anthony Ragler! Native of Brooklyn, NY, Anthony Ragler is a coffee professional who combines his craft with his culture and upbringing to cultivate unique and individual experiences for those he encounters. From working as a wholesale manager, to roaster, and technician, Anthony’s experiences allows for him to adapt and connect to many different perspectives and people within and outside the supply chain. Anthony is a 2019 Glittercat Barista Bootcamp Cohort member, a 2020 United States Barista Championship finalist, a 2020 Re:Co Symposium Fellow and currently works as the Regional Developer for Black & White Coffee Roasters in Wake Forest, NC. In this conversation we get to explore Anthony's evolution as a coffee professional and hear the lessons and insights he has gained over the years of serving others and working to create community and support diversity. This is definitely ranks up there as being one of my favorite conversations to date. After you listen you will know why. Enjoy! We discuss: Growing and learning through trials Serving your customer vs serving yourself Cultivating community for POC Learning roasting, wholesale, and support roles Benefits of competition Tips for wholesale support and service Tailoring your approach to the customer How to know if you did a good job The demand chain vs the supply chain Playing favorites Links: Anthony's Instagram Black and White Coffee Roasters Related episodes: 230 : Making room for Community in your Shop 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson Your Customer's Relational Baggage 159 : Addressing Unconscious Bias w/ Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters 133 : 5 Keys to Successful Wholesale w/ Sarah Richmond The BEST in commercial coffee equipment! www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service
Ah roasting coffee, many shop owners are planning what they want their business to look like in the future and how they can make it more resilient and roasters/retailers seem to have some more flexibility in what they can do in this crisis. the idea to roast coffee for yourself can seem fairly simple but there are more issues to consider than one may think. What is the case for and against roasting your own coffee and how can you make the right choice for your business? What are the key considerations to work through that determine if you will be a good roaster or a bad one? Today we get to really explore this subject and generally the art of being a great roaster with the ever insightful, Joe Marrocco! Joe is heading up the U.S. division of German based green coffee importer List and Beisler and has been an accomplished coffee professional since 2005. Joe has been a barista, a café manager, a roaster, an educator, a leader in the Barista Guild of America, and a barista competitor. Prior to List and Beisler he was the long time Sr. Sales Associate and Director of Education at Café Imports, and Educator in collaboration with Mill City Roasters and is widely considered the go-to guy in the industry for deeply useful and practical knowledge in all things roasting. I am thrilled to have Joe back on the show to explore the subject of becoming a roaster and whether it is the right move for you to make or the worst move you could make. In typical Marrocco fashion, Joe lays out several well reasoned approaches to both sides of the issue and we leave having gained clarity and direction. In this episode you will learn: Why you should or should not start roasting The logistical concerns behind the scenes Do you save actually money? The metric of joy and health Questions and Factors in profitability Benefits of retail before wholesale Manual vs automation in roasting equipment Tips for being a good roaster and avoid being a bad one Trends vs authenticity Links: www.list-beisler.coffee Joe on Instagram Joe on Twitter List and Beisler on Instagram Related episodes: 026 : What Your Roaster Wants You to Know w/ U.S. Roasting Champion Mark Michaelson 063 : What Your Roaster Wants You to Know w/ Rob Hoos Joe gives Career Advice 20 : Transparency and Origin Knowledge in the Cafe w/ Joe Marrocco The BEST in commercial coffee equipment www.prima-coffee.com/keys Want the best plant based beverage for your coffee drinks? www.pacificfoods.com/food-service
In this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro coffee podcast by MAP IT FORWARD we continue covering "The Coronavirus and the Coffee Industry". Today, Lee takes a look at the unintended consequences the coffee industry is facing on the micro and macro level in the face of COVID-19. #thedailycoffeeproRegister for our upcoming FREE online 3-day event 'A New Coffee Industry' here. This event has been made available for free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Costa Oro, Mill City Roasters, Baratza, and Elixir Specialty Coffee.For the foreseeable future, The Daily Coffee Pro by MIF will be focused on bringing you news, stories, and real-life accounts on what's happening in our industry in relation to the Coronavirus. In an effort to document the history of how our industry experienced this pandemic, we're currently looking to feature your stories on the Daily Coffee Pro and would love to hear from you if you'd like to share your story, no matter where you are in the world. Connect with us at support@mapitforward.org or on our socials @imapitforward and leave a 30-second voice recording telling us who you are and what you do, as well as something that blindsided you about the pandemic situation. We're looking to document stories from around the world in the coffee industry from all sectors of the value chain. If you're keen to talk about your experience, we're excited to hear about it so go ahead and reach out to us today.This podcast is available on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play and other reputable podcast platforms on Apple and Android.For more details go to mapitforward.org/podcasts and follow us on social media @imapitforward.
In this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro coffee podcast by MAP IT FORWARD we continue covering "The Coronavirus and the Coffee Industry". Today, with unemployment checks significantly higher than the pay rate most baristas receive, Lee unpacks the long term ramifications this new realization is bringing to the hospitality workforce. #thedailycoffeeproRegister for our upcoming FREE online 3-day event 'A New Coffee Industry' here. This event has been made available for free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Costa Oro, Mill City Roasters, Baratza, and Elixir Specialty Coffee.For the foreseeable future, The Daily Coffee Pro by MIF will be focused on bringing you news, stories, and real-life accounts on what's happening in our industry in relation to the Coronavirus. In an effort to document the history of how our industry experienced this pandemic, we're currently looking to feature your stories on the Daily Coffee Pro and would love to hear from you if you'd like to share your story, no matter where you are in the world. Connect with us at support@mapitforward.org or on our socials @imapitforward and leave a 30-second voice recording telling us who you are and what you do, as well as something that blindsided you about the pandemic situation. We're looking to document stories from around the world in the coffee industry from all sectors of the value chain. If you're keen to talk about your experience, we're excited to hear about it so go ahead and reach out to us today.This podcast is available on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play and other reputable podcast platforms on Apple and Android.For more details go to mapitforward.org/podcasts and follow us on social media @imapitforward.
MAP IT FORWARD now offers affordable online group coaching. For details on how to join roasting, leadership, and business mentoring groups go to www.mapitforward.org/groupcoaching.Register for our FREE online 3-part event 'A New Coffee Industry' here. This event has been made available for free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Costa Oro, Mill City Roasters, Baratza, and Elixir Specialty Coffee.This podcast is available on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, and most other reputable podcast platforms on Apple and Android.For more details go to mapitforward.org/podcasts and follow us on social media @imapitforward.
In this episode of The Daily Coffee Pro coffee podcast by MAP IT FORWARD we continue covering "The Coronavirus and the Coffee Industry". Today, Lee tells the story "Sold Out, Gone Fishing". In a time when reassessment of purpose is important, this story may serve as an important guide to challenge and inspire your thinking. #thedailycoffeepro Register for our upcoming FREE online 3-day event 'A New Coffee Industry' here. This event has been made available for free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors Costa Oro, Mill City Roasters, Baratza, and Elixir Specialty Coffee.For the foreseeable future, The Daily Coffee Pro by MIF will be focused on bringing you news, stories and real-life accounts on what's happening in our industry in relation to the Coronavirus. In an effort to document the history of how our industry experienced this pandemic, we're currently looking to feature your stories on the Daily Coffee Pro and would love to hear from you if you'd like to share your story, no matter where you are in the world. Connect with us at support@mapitforward.org or on our socials @imapitforward and leave a 30-second voice recording telling us who you are and what you do, as well as something that blindsided you about the pandemic situation. We're looking to document stories from around the world in the coffee industry from all sectors of the value chain. If you're keen to talk about your experience, we're excited to hear about it so go ahead and reach out to us today.This podcast is available on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play and other reputable podcast platforms on Apple and Android.For more details go to mapitforward.org/podcasts and follow us on social media @imapitforward.
Today's guests on The MAP IT FORWARD coffee podcast are Steve Green (Owner) and Angie Davis from Mill City Roasters. "Handcrafted commercial coffee roasters for the modern artisan"- https://millcityroasters.com/ Join us at @CoffeeFestshow in NY March 8-10 (use code MAPITFORWARD for 50% of your show tickets) and grab more info and tickets to our full-day leadership workshop on the 9th at www.coffeefest.com/leadership. Can't wait to see you there! Due to the devastating fires that have been raging throughout Australia this past couple of months, and continue to ravage towns in their wake, we're dedicating our ad sponsorship section for the podcast for the first quarter of 2020 to invite you to support the efforts of the Australian rural fires services and animal wildlife associations. Please see links below: https://www.wires.org.au/donate/online (Help the Animals) https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ (NSW) https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/donate1 (Victoria) https://cfsfoundation.org.au/donate (South Australia) https://www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au/About/Pages/Donations.aspx (QLD) https://www.redcross.org.au This podcast is available on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play and most other reputable podcast platforms on Apple and Android.For more details go to www.mapitforward.org/podcasts and follow us on social media @imapitforward.
This week we chat with @roasterjoe or Joe Marrocco of Mill City Roasters. He has spent many years in the coffee industry both as a roaster, working with importers and most recently working with Mill City Roasters. He has been a part of the Roaster's Guild and the SCA, but most of all is passionate about great coffee. We discuss the importance of the marriage between technology and your business as well as the importance of finding your niche in an already crowded market. If you would like to hear more from Joe make sure to follow him on Instagram & Twitter as well as if you would like to learn more about Mill City Roasters, check out the link. Don't forget to follow Indie Coffee Roasters on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter for the most up to date happenings. If you have any specific questions for us make sure to email us at hello@indiecoffeeroasters.com.
What we think and how we act are inextricably linked. In the world of hospitality how our views and assumption about others influences everything form how we serve customers -to who we promote to leadership positions in the cafe. A large part of what contributes to our behavior is actually under the radar and as such goes unaddressed. Today we making a conscious effort to tackle and talk about unconscious bias w/ special guest , Lauren Lathrop of Mill City Roasters! Lauren works as part of the education team at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, where she recently moved after 10 years in Portland, OR. She is an Authorized SCA Trainer, a Head Judge for the United States Barista Championship, and a certified judge for both the World Barista and World Brewers Cup Competitions. She has worked in the coffee industry for over 12 years as a barista, assistant manager, and retail coffee educator. She has also competed in Barista Competitions, earning a spot in the finals at the 2012 Northwest Regional Barista Competition. She now serves as Vice Chair for the US Barista Competitions Committee and has developed a number of new training programs for competitions, including an Unconscious Bias Training for Judges. In todays episode you will learn about: The evolution of the Unconscious Bias Training and its impact on the competitions Our tendencies for bias in customer serve and in the shop Why unconscious bias is not intrinsically bad What can do to address it personally What we can do to address it systemically Helpful mindsets to adopt in the journey to explore unconsious bias LINKS: www.millcityroasters.com Lauren's email: Lauren@millcityroasters.com
In this episode, Elizabeth Chai interviews Dakota Graff of Onyx Coffee Lab and Joe Marocco of Mill City Coffee Roasters. Joe Marocco works for MIll City Roasters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Marocco is the Coffee Educator at Mill City, a roasting machine distributor and SCA Premiere Training Campus, and they brought a full roasting and coffee lab to Kansas City in the back of a semi-truck and was home to the roasters for the US Roasting Championship. Graff competed in the 2019 US Coffee In Good Spirits Championship. This marks the first year of this program in the United States. The cocktail and coffee competition has been a World Coffee Events program since 2011. SprudgeLive’s coverage of the 2019 US Coffee Champs is made possible by Joe Glo and Mahlkonig. All of SprudgeLive’s 2019 competition coverage is made possible by Acaia, Baratza, Faema, Cafe Imports, and Wilbur Curtis.
SHIFT BREAK #20 : Today we welcome the first ever guest to the Shift Break series, Joe Marocco! A little while ago Joe posted a brilliant piece on his FB page that he has now graciously given to Keys to the Shop in audio form. Joe is the Coffee Educator at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, MN and has been in specialty coffee since 2005. He has been a barista, manager, educator, and leader in the Barista Guild of America. He was also the Director of Education for Cafe Imports and is the Chair of the Membership and Communications Committee for the Roasters Guild Executive Council. This distillation of advice is gold to young and old coffee pros alike who are looking to set a trajectory that will guide them to a fulfilling coffee career. I hope you enjoy Joe's words and wisdom! Links: www.millcityroasters.com KTTS Ep. 20 : Transparency, Origin Knowledge, and Your Shop w/ Joe Marrocco Mill City Roaster School on You Tube
There is a lot of farm information available to us today in coffee. The question is how do we use that information & what is the line between overloading the customer and enhancing their experience? What purpose does all this knowledge serve? Today Joe Marrocco of Coffee Imports helps us not only answer these questions but also talks about the relationship between the cafe, the producer, and everything in between. Joe Marrocco has been working in Specialty Coffee since 2005, where he started at a small, but mighty, café in southeast Missouri. Joe has been a barista, a café manager, a roaster, an educator, a leader in the Barista Guild of America, a barista competitor, a BBQ judge, a server and expeditor, and many more things both in and out of coffee. Basically, he loves the service industry, coffee, food, and people. He is also a husband of nearly 15 years, and the father of two. He is the Sr. Sales Associate and Director of Education at Café Imports, Educator in collaboration with Mill City Roasters, Co-host of the Opposites Extract Podcast, and Chair of the Membership and Communications Committee on the Roasters Guild Executive Council. Show Notes www.cafeimports.com www.millcityroasters.com www.oppositesextract.com www.joemarrocco.com Insta and Twitter: @roasterjoe Email: joe@cafeimports.com