Interviews

The Hype Queen of OZ: Michelle Johnson of Barista Hustle

January 17, 2018 By Michael Leave a Comment

Whether it’s reinventing something as ubiquitous as a milk pitcher or shipping some of the most expensive coffees anywhere in the world, there’s few companies more hyped than Barista Hustle. And at the center of the hustle is the hype queen herself, Michelle Johnson. We’ve been following Johnson’s career since meeting her at the 2015 US Barista Championship, and we’ve been impressed by the diversity and depth of her accomplishments. We recently caught up with her to learn what exactly happens behind the scenes at Barista Hustle and if the coffee really is better down under.

You’ve worn a lot of hats in the coffee industry. Barista. Competitor. Writer. Speaker. Marketer. I’m sure I’m missing something. What’s that journey been like?

Jesus, when you lay it all out, it really is a lot! It surprises me how much I’ve done in such a short amount of time. I’ve been in coffee for just over six years, but the bulk of my professional growth into these other avenues has happened in the last two or three. Oftentimes, I stop and question how I even got here! That imposter syndrome is real and there are periods of time where those feelings are magnified, for sure. Reflecting on how far I’ve come and everything I’ve learned by having such a diverse skillset as a result of my journey is proof to myself I can do even more.

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Meet the Youngest Coffee Farmer in Boquete, Panama

August 15, 2017 By Michael 1 Comment

Earlier this year we traveled to Boquete, Panama for the Best of Panama competition. While we were there we met a remarkable young coffee farmer named Keith Pech, who manages his family’s farm Damarli Estate. He was kind enough to host us on his farm, serve us some delicious coffee blossom tea, and teach us about the unique microclimate that makes coffees from Boquete some of the most sort-after coffee in the world. Whether it’s his background as a professional ping pong player or his experience working for a négociant in Bordeaux, France, Pech is an exceptional person that we knew we had to interview.

You grew up near Cleveland, but now you run a coffee farm. How did that happen?

Yes I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and lived there until I was 22 years old. My father is …

Interview: Marlee Benefield of Gather Coffee

May 23, 2017 By Michael Leave a Comment

Marlee Benefield

Most of the interviews we’ve done here at The Coffee Compass focus on the baristas and roasters who make your coffee. But there’s a whole group of farmers, importers, educators, and consultants that are behind the scenes, improving the quality of your morning cup. Today we interview Marlee Benefield, cofounder of Gather Coffee, a coffee consulting company that offers Q Grader courses, roasting classes, and a variety of other services.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started in specialty coffee?

After traveling to, and living in, some coffee-centric countries (Indonesia, Turkey, Uganda), I started to see coffee in a whole new way. Not just as a beverage, but as a plant, as a livelihood, as a catalyst for relationships, and as a profession. When I returned home from living in Turkey, I began working for Equator Coffee. It was mostly just a clerical position, but they were open to any employee joining the cupping table and learning more about coffee. It was my first experience with true specialty coffee and I was hooked. Several months later I was hired by Willem Boot to work at Boot Coffee. Working there was an invaluable opportunity and I learned more about roasting, cupping, importing coffee, sales, teaching and consulting than I ever imagined I would.…

Tartine Manufactory: An Interview with Maja Vojnovic and Chris Jordan

October 19, 2016 By Darren Leave a Comment

Tartine Manufactory, located at 595 Alabama St in the former Heath Ceramic warehouse in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA made its debut in August as Tartine’s long awaited second brick and mortar. While marking it as the latest bread mecca, the company has also established a coffee brand – Coffee Manufactory. We spoke with Maja Vojnovic and Chris Jordan, the team behind the venture. …

The Apprentice: an interview with Bethany Hargrove

September 23, 2016 By Michael Leave a Comment

Bethany Hargrove

Two years ago I tried to overcome my disappointment with not qualifying for the semifinals at the United States Barista Championship by going to a local latte art throwdown. I was no more fortunate in the throwdown, but I did make a friend in a fellow competitor. Bethany Hargrove, like myself, was a first-time USBC competitor representing a small coffee company. In the short time since, Hargrove has gone on to become an accomplished latte artist, USBC judge, and, most recently, apprentice roaster at San Francisco’s Wrecking Ball Coffee. I caught up with Bethany to try to find out what it’s like to transition from retail to production and Portland to San Francisco.

First of congratulations on your new job! Tell us about what you’re up to at Wrecking Ball.

Thank you! I came to Wrecking Ball to apprentice with Trish Rothgeb. I had few expectations when I started this job, but it’s been amazing. I’ve learned a lot about the back side of coffee business that I knew had to exist but hadn’t really considered before. Plus learning how to roast coffee from someone who is not only very skilled as a roaster and a teacher, but is generally one of the best people you’ll meet– it’s a dream.

Prior to this your career has been focused on the barista side of things. What’s it like to work on the other side of the bar?

It’s different. It’s more different than I expected. I expected a bit of a learning curve, having been a barista for 6 years, but it was steeper than I anticipated. In a cafe, there are about a dozen things that require your vigilance at a time– and that’s just the inanimate objects. I’m a classic extrovert so going from a rotating cast of dozens of people throughout the day to just one or two team members has been challenging, and focusing on one big task at a time instead of chains of small tasks has been new. It’s all good for me. Mono-tasking is a weakness of mine, so packing and roasting is helping me hone that.

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From the Court Room to a Coffee Farm: an Interview with Thrive Farmers’ Ken Lander

May 31, 2016 By Michael 3 Comments

Meet the man who wants to change the way you buy coffee. Ken Lander is cofounder of Thrive Farmers, a coffee company championing a farmer-direct model in which the farmers retains ownership of their coffee until the final sale. Thrive’s unique model allows the producers to share in a larger percentage of the profits. We caught up with the former trial lawyer to ask him about what it takes to create a sustainable coffee supply chain.

What inspired you to start Thrive Farmers?

My inspiration for thinking about making a living as a coffee farmer was out of necessity. In 2008, I lost all of my real estate holdings in the U.S., which was my exit strategy to leave with the family and move to Costa Rica in 2005.
We lived on a coffee farm, grew coffee, and that was the only and most immediate source of income other than returning to the States and being a lawyer again. …

Josh Littlefield Embarks on the Great American Coffee Tour

May 23, 2016 By Michael 6 Comments

Many of us fantasize about quitting our job, throwing a bag in the back of a truck, and café-crawling our way around the country. Josh Littlefield is actually doing it. The former New York-based barista is spending the next year sipping his way around the 48 contiguous states, and he’s got a website to prove it. We got a chance to ask Littlefield a few questions about his journey before he debarked on the Great American Coffee Tour earlier this month.

What inspired you to quit your job and go on a nationwide road trip centered around coffee?

The specialty coffee community has been a welcoming home for me over the last 4 years. From NYC to New England, at competitions and all over the country, so many folks I’ve met have been just wonderful. This seemed like…

Matt Argo of Good Folks Coffee Talks Rebranding, Origin, and Expansion

April 25, 2016 By Michael 2 Comments

Matt Argo is quietly building a coffee empire. From humble beginnings in a basement to a brand new roasting facility in Louisville’s Shelby Park neighborhood, Argo’s Good Folks Coffee Company is going places and shows no signs of slowing down. We recently caught up with the Arkansas-bred entrepreneur to ask him what we can expect from Good Folks in the future.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you end up starting a coffee company?

I grew up in Arkansas and spent 8 years in the Army National Guard after high school. I did a good amount of international travel during that time in the military (one tour in Iraq) as well as with my wife in Africa a few times. We spent 5 months in Tanzania before we moved to Louisville. During my time in the military and throughout our travels, we developed a love for coffee. We loved the social aspect as well as the economic impact it has in producing countries. I knew I wanted to start a business after my military contract was complete, and I loved to travel and work with people from different cultures and backgrounds. Coffee seemed to be a perfect fit. …

Introducing the Dominican Republic’s First Specialty Coffee Roaster, Gente de la Isla

September 29, 2015 By Michael 2 Comments

Coffee producing countries are beginning to roast and serve craft coffee. We recently came across an exciting new roastery in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic that is introducing specialty coffee to the Caribbean nation. As we learned more we became intrigued by Coral and Edouard, the wife and husband team behind Gente de la Isla. Naturally, we felt an interview was in order.

Tell us a little bit about Gente de la Isla. Who are you? What do you do?

Gente de la Isla is a specialty coffee roastery. We also bake our all natural granola and are currently working on developing other breakfast products. Everything is hand made by a small team of 4. We distribute our products via our online store and through 15 small resellers in Santo Domingo. We organize tastings and coffee tasting workshops.

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Empire State of Grind: Erika Vonie Leads Expansion at Brooklyn’s Variety Coffee Roasters

August 24, 2015 By Michael 2 Comments

One of the most rewarding aspects of competing in barista competitions is not the moment in the limelight or even the free swag, it’s the friendships one makes with other committed coffee professionals. We were excited to learn one of our barista comp friends just took an exciting new position with Brooklyn’s Variety Coffee Roasters. We caught up with Erika Vonie to chat about working with a new roaster, competing in barista competitions, and the best place to drink coffee in NYC. All photos by Ashley Revell.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you get started in the coffee industry?

My involvement in specialty coffee began when I moved to Philadelphia in 2009 and started …

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