After we got the chance to experience what Dave Buehrer is doing in Houston, we were anxious to get down to the newest Greenway Coffee store front, Blacksmith. John Letoto, one of Louisville’s most seasoned coffee veterans and a personal friend to Michael and I, moved down to join the Blacksmith team Jan 16, 2013 – five days before the shop’s soft opening. While we were happy John moved onto Greener pastures (pun intended), we had to get a Q&A with the man that left such a powerful wake in his Louisville coffee path. With all the hype that Blacksmith has been getting, we also wanted to get the low-down on an amazing new shop from the unique perspective John provides. Without further ado:
You relocated 958 miles to work for Blacksmith. Why?
958 miles, eh? Hello, Google Mapper. Hard as it may be to believe, that’s only a quarter of the distance — give or take a large body of water and several States — I covered when I moved to Louisville back in 2003. I spent ten years and two days as a Kentuckiana resident, and, in retrospect, I think it’s pretty easy for me to see some of the bigger reasons for leaving. First, I wanted to really explore what I could do in the coffee community. I’m extremely grateful for the time I spent as a barista and roaster at Quills Coffee, and I’m proud of what we accomplished during my two years there, but in the end I felt an almost overwhelming itch to get out and explore the coffee world beyond the borders of the Midwest. Second, I wanted to …
