Fresh Cup Magazine | September/October 2020 by Fresh Cup Magazine

FEATURES

TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 29 NUMBER 6

46 Innovations in Roasting Learn how roasting is evolving and what seasoned roasters are excited for in the future By Carrie Pallardy

50 Going All-Out For Baristas During COVID-19 Cafés going the extra mile for staff in an unprecedented time By Mark Van Streefkerk

ON THE COVER:

A. Tellin Company and T Project’s “Community” blend. Photo by Cheryl Juetten

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

News & Events The Filter By Fresh Cup Staff

DEPARTMENTS

How to Find the Best Legal Help for Your Business

Introducing: The World’s First Coffee Marketing System

In House

Coffee Marketing

By Janae Easlon

By Emily McIntyre

40 Providence, Rhode Island Café Crawl By Dee Walls

Cultivating Collaboration in a Socially Distanced World

Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp

How to Be Eco-friendly in a Changing World

Do You Know?

Sustainable Matters

The Whole Leaf

By Caitlin Carter

8 | EDITOR’S LETTER

9 | CONTRIBUTORS

56 | COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

66 | ADVERTISER INDEX F R E S H CUP M AGAZI NE [ 7

EDITOR’S LETTER

“We have to think about the communities that we’re a part of. We have to think outside of ourselves.” —Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp

hat does your community look like today? With so many of us missing our third place, we are revisiting not only what community means to us, but how we can actively cultivate it in these ever-changing times. The stories in this issue reflect what I’ve come to think of community: empathy and advocacy. While we’re unable to physically gather as before, that doesn’t mean you can’t show up in other ways for your employees, your customers, and your peers with kindness and compassion. For some, that looks like collaborating with other local businesses to create a product embodying philanthropy (p. 32), or providing resources for their staff to feel safe and protected both on and off the clock (p. 50). For others, it’s bringing people together in a virtual space to empower the industry through education and activism (p. 34), or assembling the right team to ensure their mission and values are upheld (p. 26). As we begin to adjust to the changing world, we must continue to come together, even when the days seem darkest. And when they do, remember that it’s okay to ask for help—after all, you can’t pour from an empty cup. It’s time to return to the collective, to be there for others as well as allow yourself to rely on others to support you. So, in these last few months of 2020—perhaps the hardest year most of us have ever faced—how will you show up for your community? Will you partner with a local charity to give back to those in need? Will you put systems into place that support the health and safety of your employees? Will you join an anti-racism reading club? Will you vote? Community has always been the foundation of our industry. Though cracks may have appeared over the last few years, it’s never too late to share your toolbox with others and get to work.

Fr esh Cup M agaz ine FR ESH CUP PUBLISHING Publisher and President J A N W EI GEL jan@freshcup.com EDITOR IAL Editor CA I TL I N CA R TER editor@freshcup.com Associate Editor J A NA E EA SLON janae@freshcup.com ART Art Director CY NTHI A M EA DOR S cynthia@freshcup.com ADVERTISING Sales J A N W EI GEL jan@freshcup.com Ad Coordinator DI A NE HOW A R D adtraffic@freshcup.com ACCOUNTING A ccount i ng M anager DI A NE HOW A R D diane@freshcup.com FR ESH CUP FOUNDER W A R D BA R BEE 1938-2006

E D I TO R I A L A D V I S O R Y B O A R D ALFONSO CARMONA Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers

JEN HURD Genuine Origin

CHUCK JONES Jones Coffee Roasters

BRUCE MILLETTO Bellissimo Coffee Advisors

BRAD PRICE Phillips Syrups & Sauces

MICHAEL RYAN Threadbare Coffee Co.

MANISH SHAH Maya Tea Co.

LARRY WINKLER

S U BS CR I P T I O N I N F O R M AT I O N Fresh Cup Magazine is distributed worldwide bi-monthly by post. Available by subscription: price—one year US $48, two years US $68, one year Canada $55, all other countries $85 per year. Single issues—$5-$10 each, plus shipping. (Checks must be drawn on a US-affiliated bank.) PLEASE ALLOW 6–8 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF FIRST ISSUE.

Copyright ©2020 by Fresh Cup Publishing Company Inc. Contents may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. ISSN: 1094-8228 S U BS CR I P T I O N Q U E ST I O N S ? EMAIL: freshcup@pfsmag.com CALL: 888-881-5861 PO Box 92735, Long Beach, CA 90809-9639 F R E S H CU P M A I L I N G A D D R E SS PO BOX 14827, Portland, OR 97293 PHONE: 503/236-2587 | FAX: 503/236-3165 F R E S H CU P P R O U D LY S P O N S O R S N O N P R O F I TS

CAITLIN CARTER, EDITOR

editor@freshcup.com

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F R E S H C U P. CO M

CONTRIBUTORS

JANAE EASLON is the associate editor

EMILY MCINTYRE is CEO of coffee

Ardent tea drinker and bookworm

at Fresh Cup Magazine. Her writing

importer Catalyst Trade and creator of

CARRIE PALLARDY is a freelance

focuses on community, sustainability,

the world’s first coffee marketing sys-

writer and editor based in Chicago, Illi-

and business. In this issue, she high-

tem, which can be found at catalyst-

nois. She writes about a wide range of

lights best practices when selecting

coffeeconsulting.com. Read the debut

topics, from real estate and entertain-

a lawyer for your business, on p. 26.

of her Fresh Cup column, “Coffee

ment to education and global travel.

She lives in Portland, Oregon, with

Marketing,” on p. 30. Get in touch at

In this issue, she tackles Innovations in

her dog Herb.

emily@catalystcoffeeconsulting.com.

Roasting, p. 46.

MARK VAN STREEFKERK is a Seattle-

DEE WALLS is a food scholar and

based freelance writer and journalist

coffee nerd. Before studying coffee

who covers specialty coffee, local

in graduate school, they spent three

news, LGBTQ+ issues, and more. On

years in the specialty coffee industry

p. 50, he covers how cafés around the

doing food safety and quality work.

country are working to support the

Their current research and writing

health and safety of their employees.

uses interdisciplinary approaches to

Find him at markvanstreefkerk.com.

investigate how food intersects with race, gender, and social class. Read their café crawl through Providence, Rhode Island, on p. 40.

EVENTS CALENDAR

ith the ever-changing updates, postponements, and cancellations of industry events in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fresh Cup is no longer printing an Events Calendar. Please head to f reshcup.com/ev ents-calendar/ for the most up-to-date information.

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Fresh Cup Magazine’s COVID-19 Survey Results

n May, we released a survey asking readers to share their experiences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 150 respondents from all over the world answered six questions: 1. How has COVID-19 affected your business?

toll the pandemic has taken on profits. Staffing has also become a major challenge. Many companies have had to lay off employees, in turn adding to the workload of those who were kept on. Those who were lucky to avoid layoffs find it challenging to ensure the health and safety of their employees, even with sanitary protocols and social distancing measures in place. Other respondents mentioned that employees who were laid off or furloughed are earning more on unemployment, making it less desirable for them to return to work.

OTHER COMMON CHALLENGES R ESPONDENTS SUBMITTED AR E: •

Lack of guidance, assistance, and clarity from the government

•

Uncertainty of the future making it hard to plan anything

•

Customers refusing to comply with safety protocols

•

Decrease in foot traffic due to business location (in/near universities, hospitals, etc.)

•

Communicating with customers about whether/when business is open, how to order, safety requirements, etc.

2. What have been the biggest challenges you’ ve faced?

3. In what areas have you seen the most growth? 4. How have you provided support to your employees?

19%

5. How else have you adapted to the changing economy? 6. How can Fresh Cup best address your business needs?

How has COVID-19 affected your business? CHALLENGES Overwhelmingly, the biggest challenge has been the loss of business. While many pivoted to boosting online sales, using third-party delivery services, and implementing takeaway-only models, these adaptations cannot make up for the drastic

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PERMANENTLY CLOSED

OTHER

20%

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

23%

STAYED OPEN

35%

CHANGED TO TAKEAWAY-/ ONLINE-ONLY SYSTEM

The Filter

58%

63%

OTHER

PROVIDE PPE

29%

MENTAL HEALTH CHECK-INS

12% HAZARD PAY

12%

AUTOMATIC TIPS ON ORDERS

How have you provided support to your employees? Turn to p. 50 to read more about Employee Health & Safety.

ADAPTING Whether you’re tired of hearing it or not, it’s undeniable that we are all working to adapt to “the new normal.” But what exactly have our fellow peers been doing to sustain business, supplement income, and implement steps for the future? Responses ranged from small-scale actions, like offering take-and-bake versions of goods they usually sell in-house, to a complete overhaul of their online sales systems, reflecting the forward-thinking and adaptability of our industry. Other common answers involved setting up mobile ordering and curbside delivery/pickup; revamping digital marketing strategies; reducing menu items; and selling other products like toilet paper and cleaning essentials. Respondents also noted they were participating in more webinars and virtual events—and, of course, “lots of Zoom meetings.” Head to freshcup.com to read the full results.

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Re:co Symposium 2020

n July 16 and 17, the coffee community united behind their screens to participate in the first-ever virtual Re:co Symposium. Over the two days, attendees watched pre-recorded talks followed by a Q&A with the speaker and connected with each other via chat rooms. According to SCA’s Peter Giuliano, this was the “most diverse audience” in Re:co’s 12-year history, large in part due to Getchusomegear and Glitter Cat organizing funds for 100 registrants. Re:co kicked off with “The State and Future of the Coffee Industry,” a series of talks by experts across academia, business, and the beverage world to shed light on some of the biggest challenges we’re facing today and what the future may hold. “What is the world we will inherit after the pandemic?” posed Harvard professor of business administration Laura Alfaro, setting the tone for much of the symposium. SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos highlighted changing consumer habits in light of the coronavirus and the shift to at-home consumption, which will continue to grow the retail market. However, he added, once there is a vaccine and people feel safe again to socialize, customers will be back. “Specialty coffee, at the end of the day, isn’t the coffee in the cup,” he said. “It’s the whole experience around the coffee in the cup.” The next session, “Pathways Between Farm and Consumer: Mapping Specialty Coffee,”

featured MIT senior policy manager Kyle Murphy, London School of Economics professor Rocco Macchiavello, PROMECAFE’s René Leon-Gomez, and living wage expert Michelle Bhattacharyya. The experts raised questions of how to further build connections and resiliency throughout the supply chain, with poverty, cost of production, and blockchain recurring talking points. In a season marked by protests against police brutality and racial injustice, perhaps no session was more resonant than Friday morning’s “Race, Specialty Coffee, and the Urgent Need for Progress.” Vava Coffee founder Vava Angwenyi opened by laying out the historical context and complexities surrounding race, power, and privilege within coffee, while proceeding speaker Mbula Musau, founder of Kenya’s Utake Coffee, called for more power to the producers. Getchusomegear’s Chris McAuley and Caravela Coffee’s Cydni Patterson followed with a conversation about the importance of inclusion and access, focusing on empowering baristas through better training and creating healthier work environments by investing in your staff and your community. The rest of the day focused on the topic of the changing consumer experience, tying it back to what was introduced at the start of the symposium: we must find a way to address the needs of consumers in a post-COVID world.

MICHELLE BHATTACHARY YA

Visit freshcup.com for a full recap of the 2020 Re:co Symposium.

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Updates to World Tea Conference & Expo 2020

orld Tea Conference & Expo, originally scheduled to run October 15–18 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, has been canceled. Questex, World Tea Expo’s parent company, announced in July it was forced to cancel, as the convention center had declared no large-scale events can take place in the building for the rest of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the tea community is invited to participate in the World Tea Virtual Summit, October 12–14, where experts including Peter Goggi (Tea Association USA) and Tony Tellin (A. Tellin Company), among many others, address the key challenges and opportunities in today’s global tea industry. TONY TELLIN

World Tea Conference & Expo has been the hub for tea industry professionals to come together with their passion of tea to learn, grow their businesses, and network with their peers, while building lasting partnerships and friendships. The 2021 edition is scheduled to take place July 14–16, 2021, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Stay up-to-date, and learn how to register for the virtual event, at worldteaexpo.com.

PHOTO BY CHERYL JUETTEN

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Cydni Patterson’s Cascara Joins the Sprudge Podcast Network

orth Carolina-based coffee professional Cydni Patterson adds her coffee travel podcast, Cascara, to the Sprudge Podcast Network, which features shows dedicated to the intersection of coffee and culture. For Cascara, Patterson will bring her audience into a different community in each episode, and interview locals about “what’s really brewing in coffee scenes around the world,” she tells Sprudge. In the inaugural episode, available now on the Sprudge website, Patterson explores the Raleigh-Durham region, featuring Areli Barrera de Grodski of Little Waves Coffee Roasters and Cocoa Cinnamon, and Lem Butler and Kyle Ramage of Black & White Coffee Roasters. Cascara joins the Sprudge Podcast Network’s growing roster of shows by industry professionals around the world, including Ezra Baker and Tymika Lawrence’s No Free Refills and Umeko Motoyoshi’s A Better Table. Visit sprudge.com for more information.

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GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CASCARA

JACQUELINE GREEN

Caravela Coffee Announces New Leadership

aravela Coffee, the B Corp-certified Latin American specialty green coffee exporter and importer, has announced Jacqueline Green as its new independent non-executive director with immediate effect. Green, who is based in England, has been involved in the fresh food industry since 1995. “I am delighted to be joining the Board of a company that has been a pioneer in the fast-growing specialty coffee industry and has done an extraordinary work of empowering coffee producers in Latin America in its first 20 years in business,” says Green. “I am very much looking forward to being part of the next 20 years, contributing my experience and knowledge to benefit Caravela, its team, customers and the hundreds of coffee-growing communities where it is present.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARAVELA COFFEE

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Portland Roasters Launch Coffee Subscription

nspired by the adage “community over competition,” Portland, Oregon-area roasters have joined forces to launch Swirl, a new rotating coffee subscription club. For $17, subscribers will enjoy coffee from Elevator Cafe & Commons, Bastion Roasting Co., Junior’s Roasted Coffee, Intent Coffee, In J Coffee, or Carnelian Coffee, plus a digital issue of Coffee People Zine (to receive a physical issue of the magazine, plus more goodies, subscribers can choose the $20 “Coffee & Zine” box). Get your first box for only $10 now at swirlcoff eeclub.com.

Happy 25th Anniversary to SerendipiTea!

ew York-based tea company SerendipiTea is celebrating its 25th year in business. Founded in Manhattan in 1995 by Tomislav Podreka and Linda Villano, the company focuses on “the import, handcrafting and promotion of premium quality teas and botanicals and is deeply committed to environmentally and socially responsible practices, certified organic product, recycled, sustainable and biodegradable packaging, as well as to educating the trade and public in an effort to raise respect and awareness of tea to levels enjoyed around the world.” Learn more about their off erings at serendipitea.com. LINDA VILLANO

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SWIRL COFFEE CLUB PHOTOS: SWIRLCOFFEECLUB.COM, PHOTO OF LINDA VILLANO COURTESY OF LINDA VILLANO

Ally Coffee Launches New Online Platform

lobal green coffee company Ally Coffee, based in Greenville, South Carolina, has launched Ally Open, a new online platform to connect small and emerging roasters with the green coffee, learning programs, and resources they need to get new operations up and running and to excel in the early stages of running a coffee business. Ally Open offers a curated selection of Ally coffees in 25lb. and 50lb. boxes shipped from its Greenville location directly to roasters in the 48 continental United States. Green coffee is available in three categories: Reserve Lots, Microlots, and Core Coffees. Its learning courses cover roasting, food safety, and sensory evaluation.

“We want to introduce this platform to coffee professionals throughout the industry, but especially to roasters starting out in their careers or are building up their own business, seeking to find resources, tools, and green coffee,” says Ally Coffee COO, Ricardo Pereira. “Staying true to our purpose, we want to continue opening up opportunities that move coffee forward and sharing the partnerships we’ve built with producers to a new set of roasters.” Learn more at allyopen.com.

PHOTO: ALLYOPEN.COM

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Augie’s Coffee Announces Closing & Layoffs, Union Files Charge

arlier this summer, coffee workers for Augie’s Coffee, in southern California, asked for recognition of their union. Now, after layoffs and protests, the group is alleging past wage theft by the company. On July 6, an unfair labor practice charge was filed with the National Labor Relations Board, according to union representative Mark Meinster with United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America. And on July 23, 18 Augie’s Coffee workers filed wage theft claims with the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement worth $140,000, averaging $7,000 per worker, according to a press release. “During the years that I worked in the warehouse I would often work

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eight hours straight without having the chance to take a lunch break— which it turns out is illegal,” says sixyear employee Kelley Bader. “I trusted [Augie’s owners] the Amentos and it’s startling to realize that laying us all off wasn’t the first time they were breaking the law.” After announcing the closure of all its locations in early July, Augie’s Coffee indefinitely laid off all its workers. Before this announcement, a group of Augie’s baristas notified the company that they intended to unionize and asked for recognition by Augie’s. About 40 workers signed a union letter addressed to management. A staff meeting was held afterward with many employees supporting the union, according to reporting by Sprudge.

Owner Austin Amento “closed the meeting by stating that he needed to research unions and that he’d get back to us,” says Augie’s Union member Sean McLeod in an Instagram post. Afterward, Augie’s in turn announced its closure and its employee layoff, citing COVID-19. Soon after, more than 100 people gathered outside the Augie’s Coffee location on State Street in Redlands in protest, with Augie’s Union expressing they felt that the employers laid off employees “in order to discourage union activities and/or membership,” according to Redlands Daily Facts. Learn more about the workers’ efforts by following Augie’s Union on Instagram.

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM @AUGIESUNION

illy Launches #OneMakesTheDifference Project

nternational coffee brand illy is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2033, as a part of its new plan, the #OneMakesTheDifference Project. The company, founded in Italy in 1933, will spend the next 13 years developing new products and acts toward this goal in celebration of its 100th anniversary.

improving, which has distinguished us for over 80 years, knowing that day by day and deed by deed, each of us can make a difference.” Read more about its sustainability plan at illy.com.

Its first step will be to begin eliminating 175 tons of plastic every year through implementing eco-friendly materials, including recyclable to-go cups beginning in Italy and later in the United States. “We want to build a better future together with our consumers,” says Massimiliano Pogliani, CEO of illycaffè. “Using the approach of continuously

PHOTOS: ILLY.COM

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Introducing the ComeTogether Cafe Fund

t the start of the pandemic, Fellow created the website cometogether.coffee as a way to highlight cafés in need and to help coffee consumers find cafés and roasters who were still open to purchase from. As the effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt around the country, it’s clear small businesses— particularly those owned by minorities and marginalized individuals—need support more than ever. Therefore, Fellow, in collaboration with GoFundBean, Glitter Cat, and Mage, have reestablished cometogether.coffee as a place to purchase goods from cafés in need, donate money to

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ART BY JULIA WU

support small businesses, and for businesses to apply for grants to help with lost profits from COVID. The ComeTogether Cafe Fund will focus on supporting small specialty coffee cafĂŠs and businesses with 100% of the fund reserved for those who selfidentify as being a member of an underrepresented or marginalized group in the coffee industry, including but not limited to: BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, womxn, and racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, 50% of the fund is reserved for Black-owned/ co-owned businesses. There are two different options to donate: directly to the ComeTogether Cafe Fund, which focuses on supporting small specialty coffee cafes, or to GoFundBean, a nonprofit that supports, uplifts, and defends the hourly coffee professional. FC Learn more about the ComeTogether Cafe Fund at cometogether.coff ee.

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SPONSORED BY

id you k now that about half of Gen Z and Millennials want to tr y a beverage made w ith HERSHEY’S or REESE’S branded ingredients? Specialty beverages—especially sy rup and sauce-based beverages—bring people in the door. When today ’s consumers decide where to dine, it’s often the drink s that make the difference. 1 Hershey offers a variety of syrups in classic flavors including chocolate, SPECIAL DARK, caramel, and strawberry—available in convenient pouches for use in canisters with an easy-to-use pump—perfect for adding flavors to coffees, mochas, hot chocolates, and a variety of specialty beverages. And everyone knows and loves the HERSHEY’S brand. In fact, HERSHEY’S is the #1 syrup brand in the U.S.2 Plus, data shows that average consumer purchase intent for a hot chocolate branded with HERSHEY’S is 98%, vs just 70% without the HERSHEY’S brand3. For over 125 years, the Hershey Company has been working to make more moments of goodness through its iconic brands, remarkable people, and community impact. Hershey has approximately 16,500 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 80 brands around the world, including iconic brand names such as HERSHEY’S, REESE’S, KIT KAT®, JOLLY RANCHER, and more. Since the very beginning, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically, and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909, and since then the company has focused on helping children succeed. Today, the Milton Hershey School continues to change lives, serving thousands of low-income children with a top-notch education at no cost to their families. As Milton said, and we believe still to this day, “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy.” V isit her shey f oodser v ice. com to learn more. Or call 866-821-6312 Sources: 1Technomic Beverage Consumer Trend Report, 2018, 2IRI, Total US, Latest 52 weeks ending 5/31/20, 3Datassential SCORES 2019

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IN HOUSE

How to Find the Best Legal Help for Your Business By Janae Easlon

nboarding the right lawyer to join your company’s team, or researching one as you start out in your business, can seem intimidating if you’re not familiar with the process. But learning about the legal landscape and selecting the right representation can not only help get your business up and running, it can also help prevent legal troubles in the future. Here are some tips to help get you started.

Establish Your Business’s Needs When determining legal representation, it’s important to first consider what you may or may not need a lawyer for.

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Here are some instances where you may need one: • Reviewing, drafting, and/or negotiating contracts, from employee agreements, suppliers, leases, etc. • Navigating liability issues • Understanding state and federal compliance requirements • Licensing intellectual property for your brand • Creating documents for managing employees to avoid discrimination, termination issues, etc. Knowing yourself and what your business values are will also guide what lawyer will be best for your success. Arielle Clark is the owner of Sis Got Tea in Louisville, Kentucky, an online

loose-leaf tea shop and future brickand-mortar LGBTQ+ friendly café, currently in the fundraising stage. Clark started the business to create a sober space for LGBTQ+ people, she says. Her first Pride event as a teenager was sponsored by an alcohol brand, and most LGBTQ+ friendly spaces near Louisville were bars. After turning 21 years old, she still found that these spaces were alcohol-centric, and dreamed of a place where she and her friends could connect regardless of their age, personal life, religion, or medical status. “A lot of bars are not ADA friendly,” says Clark. “I wanted a space where all of those folks could come together, and respect the intersectionality of Black and LGBTQ+ folks.”

PHOTO BY ADEOLU ELETU

AR IELLE CLAR K is the owner of Sis Got Tea in Louisville, Kentucky.

In college, Clark remembers thinking of the pun “LGBTea” with a group of her friends. That thought became a plan to open an intersectional tea shop, which she achieved in August 2019. Clark says she knew that Sis Got Tea would need a lawyer who is proLGBTQ+ and pro-Black. After seeing a friend post about Georgia Connally’s work for the LGBTQ+ community in Louisville, Clark brought her on board as the shop’s attorney. “[Georgia] was really excited to have that first initial conversation with me, and we were both really excited about the concept,” says Clark. “She really loves tea as well, so we bonded on that, and we signed the contract. The rest is history!” Understanding your business goals and your expectations are both key to finding the right attorney to bring on your team, she says. “To find some that you are comfortable with, you have to be very upfront,” says Clark. “It was really fortunate that I found somebody that aligned with all the pieces of my business.”

Do Your Research Before deciding on representation, it’s good to do some preliminary online

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARIELLE CLARK

research, ask friends for referrals, and even take time to speak to a couple lawyers, whether by phone, email, or video chat. Jim Hillas is a Portland, Oregonbased business lawyer who specializes in counseling business owners on starting, running, and selling their businesses.

UNIONS If your staff is considering unionizing, business owners can consult with a management-side labor attorney. For employees, you cannot be fired for trying to start a union. Contact a local union organizer for more information, or visit af l -cio. or g.

When researching what legal services are available in your area, start by looking up state bars, like the Oregon State Bar, suggests Hillas, because they often have online referral services. “Also consider doing in-depth research online [about a particular lawyer],” he says, “because that will give you an initial vibe and a feel for someone. Then, I would call them and ask if they would do a free consultation

with you. If they aren’t willing to do that, that is not a good sign for a costconscious small business owner that wants to start out with the right lawyer for them.” Hillas encourages interviewing several candidates before deciding to move forward with one. “Look for a problem solver,” he says. “Lawyers are like doctors—they can do a lot of things, but if they don’t know to ask questions and know what the real situation is, it is hard for them to know what to do. Don’t be afraid to tell your lawyer things that are embarrassing or what you think makes you look bad. If lawyers only know half the problem, they can’t give good recommendations. You have to be willing to disclose the good, the bad, and the ugly if you want practical advice. And also know that what you say to your lawyer is confidential and can’t be disclosed.” In some cases, a specialist may be needed to be contacted depending on the legal situation. Dan Cox, from Dan Cox & Associates, serves as a hot beverage spill litigation consultant, helping businesses protect their customers, brand, and bottom line by preventing hot beverage spills and defending them should a spill burn happen. Cox has worked on more than 50 hot spill/burn lawsuits and testified in numerous trials as an expert. When an accident happens, his advice is to “capture as many details as possible,” so your insurance and possible legal counsel will know how to help you. “Also, look into ‘retail litigation,’” he says. “Corporate lawyers will not be able to help in this situation. Look for those who can range in retail, wholesale...in the legal realm, there is a specialist that can be found for everything.”

Think Ahead Getting in touch with a lawyer preemptively before needing one could save a lot of time, energy, and headaches later on. Bringing Connally on early in the start of Sis Got Tea was essential for

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In House

Clark, she says, because she wanted to prepare for anything to happen in the process of getting her business off the ground. “I believe wholeheartedly that the earlier you get advisory, the much, much better you’ll be, because you can be able to bring them into those conversations as they can get more familiar with your business,” she says. “I would rather preemptively do things and have a lawyer come on, than look back on things and thought I could have done this better.” Lawyers can also find legal issues for business owners and work to advocate for you before actual problems or situations arise. “When I got involved with Arielle, I was able to put together her merchandising contracts, her distributor contracts...things that she needed immediately that you’re just not going to be able to do that and foresee all the possibilities that a lawyer can,” says Connally. “You’re going to be able to understand your market, but that’s why it really has to be a team process—you tell me what you’re doing and what your needs are and explain some of the concerns that you have, and then together, we create a contract that can help you get off the ground. I know in Arielle’s case, we have used those original documents to really get her off the

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ground, and get her noticed, and grow her business into what it is starting to become today.” Connally has also represented the employee side in discrimination cases, and says creating a strong message about values as a company can help avoid going to court.

ONLINE LEGAL CONSULTATION avvo.com/find-a-lawyer legalmatch.com legalzoom.com

“Put together really strong, inclusive messages that prevents discrimination,” says Connally. “When you’re hiring, when you’re finding people, you’re making crucial decisions about who to trust with your livelihood, which is what this really is. Those really need to be thought out decisions that convey your overall message.”

Costs & Affordability Employing a lawyer can be a serious expense for business owners starting out. To begin understanding what your operation can afford, prioritize commu-

nicating what you can afford, and what you are projected to make as a business. “I was open with Georgia that I was a very, very small business startup,” says Clark. “We were able to work out an agreement that works for both of us financially.” While online legal services may seem easy and affordable, there is “no substitute for having an actual lawyer relationship with someone you select and hire, who also knows your business,” says Hillas. Asking for a lawyer to consider payment terms is one flexible option some may offer. “If you are willing to give some money up front, there is a chance they’re willing to work with you on a plan,” he says. “Say you owe $1,000—maybe you can afford about $400 up front and work on a two-month plan of $300 payments, for example.” Sis Got Tea’s Connally believes a lawyer who can get behind your brand will be the key to selecting one you can work with in the long term, financially and over the life of your business. “What I see happen the most is that you go to one lawyer and they’re going to tell you a price, because not everyone will do those for free or reduced,” says Connally. “Don’t give up on finding somebody because not...every attorney is going to charge the same. Find some person who agrees with your business message, who believes in the potential of your business, and is willing to work with you because that person is going to do better work for you anyway.” Although a lawyer’s résumé is important to look at, Connally affirms that a commitment to your business’s vision is invaluable. “It is not going to be the years of experience that person has,” she says. “It’s going to be the connectedness that person can display to your message. That’s going to motivate that person to learn what they need to know and to fill in the gaps when necessary...if they’re motivated to do the best possible work.” FC

PHOTO BY ADEOLU ELETU

COFFEE MARKETING

Introducing: The World’s First Coffee Marketing System By Emily McIntyre

ou want to pay down your line of credit at the bank, give your employees COVID-19 hazard pay, and look back at the end of your life and see that your hard work and sacrifice have paid off and you’ve built a real business legacy. To do that you need to do one thing most of all: sell coffee, and lots of it! But if you’re like many coffee business owners, you may not know much about marketing. I’m Emily McIntyre, a five-time coffee business founder and creator of the world’s first coffee marketing system, and I believe that you can sell lots and lots of coffee without being a salesy jerk. It’s possible to sell coffee with grace and confidence. Over the years, I’ve seen it done and done it for others, even selling millions of pounds of coffee through common-sense tactics at two of the businesses I founded: coffee subscription Crema.co and Ethiopian coffee importer Catalyst Trade. After more than a decade selling coffee, I’m teaching others how to do it for themselves. I’ve created a simple system to sell coffee: “5 Steps to Actually Sell Coffee,” which I introduced in May with a masterclass of coffee business owners from 10 different countries. I now offer the mini-course through my website, and this article is the official debut of my new column in Fresh Cup! I’ll be showing up here in every issue to share the very practical details of how to sell coffee from an expert perspective. Here’s the great news about selling coffee: as long as you have the five basic steps in place with your coffee marketing, and you or your staff allocate a certain amount of time every week to doing those tasks, your business is guaranteed to sell coffee. If you do that, you can do many things

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less than perfectly—and still sell more coffee than you think possible! Over the next few issues I’ll be digging into these steps in detail (and you can always check out my On-Demand Masterclass, which goes deep-dive and has all sorts of useful resources), but as an introduction, here are the five steps I’ve identified that serve as the foundation for sales and marketing in coffee. Every successful coffee business does a great job at these.

THE 5 STEPS 1. Product - I feel pretty confident that you’re making a great product! But even more important than the actual quality of your coffee are the promises you’re making about your product, and how well you’re fulfilling them. These can be clearly stated or subliminal. 2. Presentation - One of the biggest misunderstandings I see in this area is when people mistake a fancy logo

or visual design for their presentation. Actually, everything your business does is part of your presentation, from the way your employees respond to customers, to the color of your packaging, to the prices you display on your menu board. 3. “It” Factor - This is one of the hardest pieces to nail down, but the most essential: what distinguishes you from your competitors? It can be flashy design or witty copy, but even those are just part of your presentation. The core of your brand is your “It” Factor, and it’s worth the soulsearching necessary to figure it out because this is how you stick in your customers’ minds long after they’ve drunk your coffee. 4. Outreach - Outreach is everything we often think of as marketing, from social media posts, to PR pushes, to cold calling potential wholesale clients. It’s important to have a simple list of tasks here that you can accomplish regularly, instead of throwing everything you have against the wall and hoping it will stick. It is this step that, once the others are complete, defines successful coffee companies in the long term. 5. Observe & Adjust - Figure out which metrics you’re tracking and revisit them regularly. When delegating, systematize the tasks necessary, and check in regularly to see how well they are performing and make adjustments as needed. While the whole topic of coffee marketing is much more complicated than this, at its core, it’s this simple: make sure you have your 5 Steps in place and are putting the appropriate amount of time in every week, and you will start to see success. FC

THE WHOLE LEAF

Cultivating Collaboration in a Socially Distanced World How two companies came together to create a tea blend for these restless times By Caitlin Carter

ipping on A. Tellin Company and T Project’s “Community” blend brings a sense of warmth and comfort—the tea equivalent of a hug, something many of us could use right about now. Bright citrus and spicy ginger notes complement the smoked chamomile, a familiar yet wholly unique trio of flavors that yields a calming, caffeine-free blend best experienced through gentle sips and deep breaths. “The one thing I think we all need now is good sleep,” says teamaker Tony Tellin. “With all of this stress upon us right now, rest is a powerful weapon.”

Extending an Invitation In May, the two Portland, Oregonbased tea companies joined forces to release a collaborative tea blend— something of a rarity in the tea world, according to Tellin. Formerly of Smith Teamaker who recently embarked on his own independent endeavor, Tellin has a lot of experience when it comes to collaborating with chocolatiers, distillers, and even musicians. But tea people, he says, can be reluctant to work with each other due to a sense of secrecy. “I’ve always wanted to do more collaborations with tea people,” he admits. “I think what we’re losing a little bit is drawing attention to the craftsmanship that happens at the blender-packer level. Showing that there is a sensory skill set, and a creative skill set, and a skill set that mirrors the culinary and the distillery worlds is something that I’m passionate about.”

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Inspired by the culinary world’s sense of collaboration, he decided to extend an invitation to Teri Gelber of T Project, whom he had met before launching his own company last year. “I reached out and said, ‘You want to do a collaboration? It feels like the right time to come together and to try and do something.’…And she was game,” he says. “I think we needed something to help boost our creative energy as well, because, like everybody in the world, it’s just been difficult to stay optimistic and positive and inspired right now.”

Picking Up the Brush A partner secured, the challenge became how to work on a blend together

amid social distancing protocols, as the first wave of COVID-19 began to hit. Taking a cue from the world of painting, where one artist begins a piece and the second finishes it, Tellin created the initial brushstrokes, then sent his results to Gelber to finish the canvas. “It was the first time I’d ever worked on a joint project where I wasn’t engaged throughout the whole thing,” he says. “Normally, I’d be sitting side by side at a tasting table with somebody and we would be tasting ingredients and mocking up blends and making those decisions together.” Setting out to create a tea that would promote rest and relaxation, Tellin turned to a classic: chamomile, sourced from Egypt—but with a twist. Using

PHOTOS BY CHERYL JUETTEN

TERI GELBER

whiskey barrel chips, the chamomile blossoms were smoked and allowed to rest, then sent to Gelber. “I loved that he took that familiar ingredient and made it a little different by smoking it,” says Gelber. “It really turns it into something completely different.” Inspired by the smoked chamomile as the base, she began to play around with different ingredients. “I wanted something that could stand up to the smoke,” she says, “but also give a sense of, it’s familiar, it’s not familiar; it’s invigorating, but the chamomile is soothing.” She ended up with organic tangerine oil, ginger root, and cornflower, whose rich blue hue is the finishing brushstroke that signals to the drinker they’re about to savor something special.

Benefiting the Community Taking its name further, Tellin and Gelber arranged for a portion of the blend’s sales to go back into

TONY TELLIN

the community: $10 of every bag of Community is donated to Family Meal PDX, a nonprofit that provides financial relief to Oregon’s foodservice and agricultural workers. Since the coronavirus hit, Family Meal PDX has distributed more than $80,000 to workers in medical or debt crisis. “They’ve been around longer than [COVID], but it has even more need right now, because how many people in the food, restaurant, and agricultural business are struggling to find work and are struggling to work,” says Tellin. He reached out via their social media, asking if they’d be comfortable accepting donations from the sales of the tea. “We wanted this to be a partnership, and we didn’t have any expectations on their side other than to keep doing the great work that they’re doing,” he says.

Beyond the Collaboration Following this, his first “social distancing collaboration,” Tellin is excited

about more collaborations down the pipeline, with a continued focus on giving back to the community. “It helps me feel less like I’m on the sidelines, just waiting for this to all be resolved,” he says. “It feels good to try and help even in a small way.” Meanwhile, Gelber advocates for further connection and comfort over tea, which she believes is more important than ever. “We’re all being affected, we’re all rethinking things, and we’re rethinking what is community—how do we help each other, whether it’s with COVID or with anti-racism,” she says. “I think tea can be a connector and instrumental in the way that we come back together.” FC Learn more about these companies, and order your own bag of Community (while supplies last), at:

A Tellin Co.

T Project

atellinco.com

tprojectshop.com

Donate to Family Meal PDX at familymealpdx.org.

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DO YOU KNOW?

Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp By Caitlin Carter

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PHOTO BY ELLI MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY

“As an Enneagram 8 and a Leo, my knee-jerk response to anything is action.”

iana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp is not one to shy away from a challenge, whether it’s restructuring a coffee festival to go virtual in a world impacted by a pandemic, supporting the Southeastern coffee community in her roles as Oatly market development manager and SCA U.S. Chapter regional coordinator, or growing an ambitious garden on her Atlanta apartment’s balcony. She’s now focusing her energy on launching a virtual learning club, (Un) Learning: Coffee and Colonialism, which invites coffee workers across the U.S. to dig into the industry’s roots, exploring white supremacy’s historical and modern-day impacts on coffee. “I’ve been mentally and spiritually and physically active to prepare for what is inevitably going to be very hard work over the next couple of months,” she says. “I’m trying to create a situation where I have a really healthy, strong mindset and body so that as the work continues with issues of social justice, both inside and outside of coffee, I can try to bring my best self towards a lot of these conversations and actions that are needed. An empty cup can’t fill others.” Read on to learn more about Mnatsakanyan-Sapp’s vision for the learning club—and coffee’s future. Fresh Cup: How did the idea for “ Coff ee + Colonialism” come about? Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp: It started with the discourse of the Black Lives Matter movement…it finally reached the surface of our social conversations.

I was seeing a lot of conversations with white people in coffee that seemed to lack a similar context. In my quest to educate myself, to have these conversations with my peers, I was finding that there were just a lot of gaps in my own knowledge. I had worked in coffee for around a decade [but] I still lacked so much information about the context of the history of our industry and how it pertains to slavery, white supremacy, and racism. [In white spaces] there has not really been a lot of discourse around this, so I wanted to create something where I could bring a group of well-intentioned, but potentially misinformed or under-informed, white people together so that we can all learn with one another, because I feel like the most important thing you could do when you’re dealing with social issues of any kind is to educate yourself. How do we collectively educate ourselves so that we can move forward to do the right thing and to build a more equitable industry? There’s a lot of misinformation that I carry or lack of information that I move forward with that I want to rectify within myself as well. And so I was like, okay, well, if I’m going to take the initiative to learn about this, I might as well ask others if they’d be interested too….I grossly underestimated the amount of response that this would get. I did not even understand the scope of work that would have to be done in order to do this club right, and to do this well. What started out as a “book” club became a “reading” club because…there aren’t a lot of books that specifically ad-

dress the issue of coffee and colonialism. The written and historical resources that we have, we have to tread carefully with, because…history has largely been written through the lens of whiteness and by white people. And ultimately the goal is to amplify the voices and experiences of marginalized people. When we’re talking about colonialism in the specialty coffee industry and specifically how that’s affected the coffee trade and how it’s affected our modern-day coffee community, there really isn’t much that is readily available and accessible. I’ve been working with some really helpful, knowledgeable and experienced people to put together resources….we now have a sizable chunk of book excerpts and articles and podcasts and things like that. So that’s why it’s now a “learning” club! FC: How is it going to work? DM: We have about 100 people from across the United States participating. We sent out a survey to all of them to randomly assign small groups based on time zone (although some groups are going to be a full staff, so they can work together!). Our syllabus will start September 1st and go through the first week of January 2021. The bulk of the syllabus was created by Nora Burkey, who’s the founder of a nonprofit called The Chain Collaborative, and has a master’s degree in sustainable development and has been working in coffee for a long time. So we have this syllabus of educational materials and a schedule of speakers,

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Do You Know? Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp

and we’ll be split into small groups and encouraged to independently meet with our groups via video call several times a month to discuss the learning topics together. There will be assigned readings and small group discussions, and we’ll invite speakers to cover topics ranging from slavery and colonialism in coffee, to neo-colonialism in coffee, and how that’s evolved over the last century, to modernday conversations about social and racial justice in coffee. On top of that, we’ll talk about what we can do as allies, and learn from leaders in the community. I’ve created a Slack group, so the bulk of our club and small group communications will be held on there. Outside of our subject-matter speakers and the learning syllabus, we’ll be largely encouraging everyone to work together to continue learning and contributing positively to this learning experience. I’m a white person, and Nora is a white person. Some of our subjectmatter speakers may be white, but we are primarily looking to amplify the voices of Black coffee professionals, and non-Black POC, both from the U.S. and from coffee-producing regions. We’re also making a conscious effort to share readings from BIPOC authors, and female and non-binary authors. This is going to be a very self-led

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learning journey, there’s no defined leadership. My role is more that of a project manager/coordinator—I’m not in charge, I won’t be teaching, I’ll be learning alongside everyone! FC: What have been some challenges since starting out? DM: I started this…fully not realizing the work to create this was going to be much more [than I thought], I needed to call in for help. I care more about doing this right than doing it quickly, so I made peace with the fact that this might take a little bit more time and we might lose some “momentum.” But I don’t really care, because Black lives matter, whether it’s a trending hashtag or not. We need to be consciously thinking about the issues of racism and white supremacy at all times, and we need to be regularly having these conversations in our industry. We’re trying to build the structure of this club so that it’s replicable. We want to make this as accessible as possible— we’re going to create rules of engagement, we’re going to create a code of conduct, we’re going to create a syllabus. We have a review board—folks who will be reviewing the syllabus to contribute resources and ideas, and influence its final outcome—largely

composed of Black coffee professionals. The people we’ll be working with will be compensated for their time and labor, thanks to a handful of really great sponsors that have stepped forward to support these efforts. Sponsorship will also help make the learning items accessible. I’m very excited about this opportunity and how it’s growing and how it’s being shaped. And hopefully, we’ll be able to start turning those wheels, moving forward soon. But it’s more important that we do this right, and we do this really thoughtfully, because if the entire goal is for us to empower ourselves with education and to fuel the resistance, the worst thing we can do is be misinformed and miseducated. Just because you act with good intentions doesn’t mean that your end result is going to be good—especially if you act without a lot of thought to context and history and to the chorus of voices that are speaking ahead of you and that have guided you to this place. FC: Who are those voices that inspire you? DM: My courage is bolstered by folks like Michelle Johnson, Phyllis Johnson, Chris McAuley, Tymika Lawrence, Jenn Chen,

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA MNATSAKANYAN-SAPP

How to Create a Virtual Event

s the effects of COVID-19 continue to be felt around the world, our industry has had to adapt in ways it didn’t anticipate. One key element of the specialty beverage industry is events. From trade shows to latte art throwdowns, in-person events make up a large part of our world, creating opportunities for career and skill development, networking, education, sales, and forging deeper connections with our peers. But in light of the pandemic, the future of such events has been called into question. Some organizers, however, have found success using digital platforms for their events. Earlier this year, Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp and Matt Dudley, creators of No Filter Coffee Fest in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted a completely virtual event on Instagram Live, with more than 700 people around the world participating. Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp and Matt Dudley

Here are some of their tips for creating a successful virtual event: GET EVERY ONE ON THE SAME PAGE

GET THE WOR D OUT

KNOW Y OUR TECH

• Reach out to your vendors and presenters to make sure they know what their responsibilities are ahead of the event.

• Press releases are your friend! “Figure out the people that you think are going to be able to communicate your story to your audience fast,” says Mnatsakanyan-Sapp. Then go to their website, find the Contact Us page, and send a press release to the appropriate email. (Pssst! Not sure how to write a press release? Head to freshcup.com/how-to-create-avirtual-event for tips.)

• Familiarize yourself with whatever platform you’re using; for MnatsakanyanSapp, it was Instagram live, which she had never used before. “Use the platform that you’re going to ask other people to use, both as a viewer and as a presenter, so that you can know what [each experience] will be.”

• Provide all the necessary logistics, including how long the presentation should be, what materials they may need to create or provide (a slideshow, worksheet, etc.), and any login passwords. • Encourage promotion: Share the event’s flyer/promotional material with all participants to ensure cohesive visuals. Share all participants’ social media handles so they can tag each other as they promote the event.

• Use grassroots efforts to reach out to organizations in your region or that can easily target your audience, and share artwork and necessary information with them to promote. • Find sponsors. Regardless of Mnatsakanyan-Sapp’s role as Oatly representative, she says companies like Oatly account for sponsorships and community support in their marketing and events budgets. Don’t be intimidated to reach out to a company for swag, prizes, and other promotional help. “It may be intimidating [to reach out to larger companies], but those companies are in the business of supporting the industry and its people, no matter how small you think your event may be,” she says.

PHOTO BY ELLI MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY, LOGO: INSTAGRAM @NOFILTERCOFFEEFEST

• Have someone whose sole job is to observe any problems that may arise during each presentation—“someone who is not a presenter, not the videographer, but someone watching who can give feedback about if they need to adjust the camera lens, speak louder, etc.” • Be aware of how the camera flips your content; if you’re using the front camera of your device, it mirrors images. “[Some presenters] spent all this work on visuals that became basically unreadable,” says Mnatsakanyan-Sapp. • Finally, she addresses the “obvious basics: having good lighting, being in a quiet environment with no distractions, speaking loudly and slowly, enunciating, and moving in almost slow motion—because there’s always a lag!”

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Do You Know? Diana Mnatsakanyan-Sapp Dee Stubblefield, Jeanine NiyonzimaAroian, and so many other folks within our industry who are very generous with their knowledge and information. There are so many amazing Black and Brown coffee professionals that have been speaking about issues of white supremacy, of colonialism, of racism in the specialty coffee industry—they have literally been doing this for years. I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you if it weren’t for them laying that groundwork. Being in the same social media channels as these humans has completely changed my perspective on our industry, on the future of this industry, on my role in the coffee industry, and, quite frankly, in the world in general. Were it not for these people, sticking their necks out time and time again, so that we can learn and be better—what an amazing act of grace on their part to continue to teach us, to teach our industry. FC: How do you think making No Filter Coff ee Fest a virtual experience earlier this year helped you create this virtual learning club? DM: It definitely made me more comfortable with the medium of technology as a connector. I don’t think I would have been as comfortable trying to execute something large-scale before that point, especially for something as intense and sensitive and important as this. The stakes, quite frankly, are kind of low with an Instagram-based virtual coffee festival. But the stakes are really high with this learning club. I think I would be even more afraid to engage with something like this and even more unsure about the viability of something like this had I not been able to do the virtual No Filter Coffee Fest. There was a really cool virtual event I got to attend the other day: Gimme Brown, led by Radical Xchange. It was an entire day-long virtual festival, specifically addressing Black people’s experiences in food and beverage. Phyllis Johnson, Tymika Lawrence, and Ashley Rodriguez had a panel at

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the beginning of the day about the specialty coffee industry….Just seeing the way that they navigated that was really inspiring to me—you can do large-scale important work in the digital sphere, you can tackle hard things in the digital sphere. We can learn together about anything, we just have to think about how we’re doing it, and you have to create systems that encourage honest dialogue and vulnerability and openness. I think that will be an even bigger challenge than the syllabus—making sure that these conversations are productive and feel both safe and challenging at the same time. FC: What are your plans for the No Filter festival in the future? DM: I would like to spend my energy fueling the resistance rather than coordinating a virtual festival. The festival that we did in May was awesome, and I think a really wonderful breath of air for our Southeastern coffee community. I think it provided a fun, distracting thing in a time when we really needed a fun, distracting thing. But I think that where we are as a country and as an industry, we don’t need any more distractions. We need to focus. I don’t want to contribute to distractions. I would like to contribute to the focus and the discourse that’s happening.

FC: What do you think 2021 might hold for our industry? DM: Whatever this next iteration is going to be, it has to be about people. We’re seeing Augie’s Union and all of these coffee unions cropping up. We’re seeing all of these Black people and indigenous people and people of color within coffee stepping forward and demanding more. We’re seeing coffee producers demanding more. If we’re not actively thinking about all the people involved in the coffee industry—not just the people who are most visible, not just the people winning awards, not just the people who are deemed successful—if we’re thinking about everyone, then we can actually create something worth being a part of. I think we’re seeing in real time the ramifications of our industry having not done that and focusing on our product and on our quality and on our aesthetics and on our bottom lines a lot more than about the actual people operating within the systems we’ve made. I think if anything is going to have a future, it has to be people-focused. This can’t just be about the specialty coffee industry, because everything is so intertwined. If we’re going to have a functioning society, we have to think about others. We have to think about the communities that we’re a part of. We have to think outside of ourselves. FC

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIANA MNATSAKANYAN-SAPP

F R E S H CUP M AGAZI NE [ 39

CAFÉ CRAWL

e c n e d i v o Pr d n a l s I e d o h R

A Coffee Community By De e Wa lls

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PHOTO BY TOM HENNEL

rovidence, Rhode Island, sits about 50 miles south of Boston and 185 miles north of New York City. From summer strolls at WaterFire to fine Italian dining

on Federal Hill, this New England city has much to offer visitors and residents alike. Coffee may not be the first thing one tends to associate with Providence. Nevertheless, there are numerous places tucked all throughout the city where one can find a quality cup. This piece highlights three such places: Bolt Coffee Company, Borealis Coffee Company, and The Shop. I spoke with the owners of each business about their origins, cafĂŠ environments and coffee products, and relationships to Providence. While each location has a distinct feel and approach to coffee, what they all have in common is a commitment to cultivating community with those who enter their spaces.

VIEW OF PR OVIDENCE, the Crawford Street Bridge, and the Providence River.

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Café Crawl: Providence, Rhode Island

BOLT COFFEE

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PHOTOS BY DEE WALLS

Bolt Coffee Company boltcoffeecompany.com When Bolt Coffee Company originated in 2012 as a cart and catering company, Providence was not home to any third-wave coffee shops that were putting cup quality first. “There was less focus on the science of extraction,” says coffee director and lead roaster Justin Enis, who became involved early on with Bolt, seeing it as a real opportunity to grow a local coffee fan base. In 2014, Bolt opened their first physical location in downtown’s Dean Hotel. Shortly after, Enis developed a multi-roaster program, which involved working with a variety of roasters on short-term contracts to bring different coffees to the Providence community. The company soon launched additional locations, including at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum in 2016, a new roastery space in 2017, and another café within the Jewelry District in 2019. In 2020, Bolt opened their first stand-alone space on Washington Street in downtown Providence, one week before COVID-19 disrupted the world. Following a period of significant expansion, says Enis, “it has really been a chance to start anew.” Bolt has used this time to give staff opportunities to grow and focus on providing spaces where customers feel welcome, safe, and supported—feelings that the Providence community reciprocates, particularly in this time of COVID. “There is a real safety net within the community for businesses that are intentional about facilitating that community,” says Enis.

Borealis Coffee Company borealiscoffee.com In 2016, Brian Dwiggins opened Borealis Coffee in Riverside, Rhode Island, as “a way to connect with as many people as possible over a cup of coffee.” After roasting and selling at farmers markets for a few years, while balancing work on movie sets, Dwiggins came across what is now the current Borealis location, situated conveniently along the East Bay Bike Path. At the time, there were not many specialty coffee options available outside of Providence; opening a café presented a more sustainable approach to operating a coffee business. A roaster first, Dwiggins says, “I don’t claim to have the best coffee, but I want to be a local coffee shop people are excited about.”

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Café Crawl: Providence, Rhode Island

The Shop theshopfox point.com

BOREALIS COFFEE CO.

As a third-wave café, initially those passing by in their cars, on the sidewalk, or along the bike path might misread the space as “too fancy” or at an unreasonable price point, but Borealis strives to cultivate an approachable atmosphere where customers are able to transform their relationship to coffee. “It is exciting when people can’t drink what they used to drink after having your product,” says Dwiggins.

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Borealis has fondly evolved into the “East Bay roaster,” providing a specialty coffee option for commuters during the week and users of the bike path on the weekends. Though not located in the city, Borealis has maintained close ties to the coffee community in Providence, which Dwiggins characterizes as tight. “You don’t necessarily see that in other cities, which are way more competitive,” he says.

For JP and Diana Murton, The Shop was created keeping in mind the ability for them to have a family. JP Murton describes the space, located in the Fox Point neighborhood, as “a small coffee shop on purpose, a way to enter into people’s daily lives and participate in real ways.” He hopes that those interacting with The Shop feel welcome to ask questions, rather than feel dictated to about what the space is and who it is intended for. When The Shop first opened in 2014, the goal was to consistently provide quality espresso drinks to members of the community. Over time, the team has developed its skill set in various ways, expanding into single-origin

PHOTOS BY DEE WALLS

THE SHOP

drip coffee and espresso. This has been made possible through partnerships with various roasters such as Stumptown Coffee and Parlor Coffee. While not intending to be everything to everyone, the team at The Shop is committed to ensuring the customers who enter the space are seen as people first, much like family. Trust, says Murton, is at the center of The Shopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ethos, from their relationships with those who stop by for a coffee to those who make decisions about sourcing on their behalf. Ultimately, for the Murtons, coffee provides a means of expressing core values such as responsibility, sustainability, and community engagement.

Make Yourself at Home Whether through hospitality, accessibility, or family, each of these businesses illustrates how retailers in Providence are using coffee to cultivate community. Bolt, Borealis, and The Shop all rigorously consider what good coffee can taste like and how it can be experienced. It was exciting to talk with the owners and learn more about how each company has been able to make a home for themselves. If you find yourself in Providence and are searching for a welcoming place to make yourself at home, consider stopping by one of these cafĂŠs for a beverage. Take a walk through downtown or the RISD Museum and visit Bolt, hop on the East Bay Bike Path and re-energize at Borealis, or check out The Shop before you head over to India Point Park. No matter what adventure you choose, both your palate and your spirit will be left satisfied. FC

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INNOVATIONS in ROASTING Learn how roasting is evolving and what seasoned roasters are excited for in the future By Carrie Pallardy

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PHOTO BY BATTLECREEK COFFEE ROASTERS

Roasting coffee is an art, but technology can bring more precision to making the perfect cup of coffee.

ach coffee roaster has a unique approach shaped by the machine they use and their own intuition. “Coffee roasting is all about getting the best out of the beans you’re working with,” says Matthew Hitcham, the owner and head roaster of Eighty Seven Plus Coffee in the United Kingdom. “You’re never going to add flavor to a bean that doesn’t have the potential, but you can really easily ruin it in just a matter of seconds.” During a process where seconds matter, control is essential. Professional roasters have been able to hone their instincts for smell and timing, but more advanced technology is enhancing precision and repeatability in roasting.

OKON UDOSENATA, owner of Equiano Coffee in Eugene, Oregon.

Roasting Today The coffee industry has come a long way from roasting beans over an open fire. Roasting evolved to the point that coffee could be roasted on an industrial scale, resulting in a commoditygrade product. Today, roasting is looked at like more of an art, emphasizing batch quality over sheer size. Roasting companies and coffee shops invest in equipment, some brand new to the market or others, like the Probat roasters, older and refurbished. Whatever the roaster selected, automation is playing an increasing role in how roasting is done. Software connected to roasting machines can help users dig deep into the process and apply precise temperature and timing to their particular approaches. “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it,” says Tiffany Lopez of Barista Lab. “Technology allows you to see what is going on in the roasting process. You know exactly what happened, at exactly what time, and why it happened. It allows you to dissect [the process] and figure out how to make it better.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF EQUIANO COFFEE

Roasters like Joel Gargaro, owner of Rock Creek Coffee Roasters in Billings, Montana, and Okon Udosenata, owner of Equiano Coffee in Eugene, Oregon, still use their intuition while roasting. “My approach is to follow where the beans lead me,” says Gargaro. “You experiment with coffees in the beginning and narrow it down to what works really well.” He roasts on a Diedrich IR-12, over the years gaining a feel for when his batches were done roasting. His roaster

does have automation capabilities as well, and Gargaro is in the process of upgrading his roaster’s automation capabilities with a new system from Diedrich. “Technology allows us to get more granular and consistent,” he says. “Each iteration gets a little bit better and a little more refined.” Udosenata has been in the coffee business for about 15 years, and he has roasted by smell and sound. He roasts on a 15-kilogram Ozturkbay, but he is considering a new roaster with more

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Innovations in Roasting technology. He doesn’t see it as abandoning the approach he has built over his career, but rather as a blend of old and new school roasting. “Right now, I am roasting with a more intuitive, analog approach,” he says. “I want to get a different roaster; I want a little more control.”

Exciting Developments

R OCK CR EEK COFFEE R OASTERS roasts on this Diedrich IR-12.

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Automation isn’t the only exciting technology at play in the roasting field. Hitcham is intrigued by increasing portability. “I am happy to see lots of new and interesting sample roasters becoming available. Portable machines such as the IKAWA make it much easier to test different roast techniques in microbatches and provide so much data to analyze,” he says. “Being able to take these with you on the road means you can sample coffees literally on the farm itself.” Smoke-free roasters are also making an impact on the coffee industry, offering roasting companies and cafés a more environmentally friendly option. Roasting is also becoming more accessible. People interested in adding roasting to their café business can learn how from their peers, industry events, and online resources. Plus, they can cut their teeth on roasting equipment designed for beginners. “I expect to see even more coffee shop owner’s roast their own beans, as in the long run it will likely increase their profitability,” says Hitcham. That accessibility is also extending outside of coffee shops to people who are just starting to become interested in the industry. “I think before, you really had to get to know a roaster, almost like an apprenticeship,” says Udosenata. “Now, anybody can go to the specialty coffee conventions or take online classes to learn beginning roaster techniques. It is pretty accessible for people who are excited about roasting and want to pursue it as a career.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCK CREEK COFFEE ROASTERS

the limitation,” says Cheryl Guildner. “You have to let the machine do what the roasters need to do to get that perfect cup in their mind.”

PONDER OSA R OASTING MAINTENANCE AND MANUFACTUR ING builds roasting platforms that emphasize roaster control and precision.

Precision & Creativity in Roasting The level of control afforded by a roasting machine is directly correlated with how creative roasters can get. “There is no wrong answer. Everybody gets to the same place, but they get there differently,” says Cheryl Guildner of Ponderosa Roasting Maintenance and Manufacturing. “It shows in the cup. We

wanted the roaster [to] be able to drive the machine in any way they want.” She and her husband Boyd build roasters. Boyd has a background in repairing and maintaining roasters, while Cheryl comes from the world of IT. Over the years, they have developed two different roasting platforms that emphasize roaster control and precision. “When we came to the table the first time, we realized the machine can’t be

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PONDEROSA ROASTING MAINTENANCE AND MANUFACTURING

Their roasters are designed to allow roasters to home in on the minutiae of the process. “We believe that drum speed and airflow are as critical as burner,” says Boyd Guildner. “All three variables are critical to the roast and can change the characteristics of the coffee.” Ponderosa machines also come with data logging capabilities, allowing the user to track every single roast they do on the platform. Users also have the option to integrate other software programs into the roaster. The two platforms the Guildners have developed each took years to perfect, but they are hardly finished. “I can’t fall asleep at night because my brain is always thinking about what is next,” says Boyd Guildner. But while technology and automation hold the promise of more precision, is there still room for creativity in roasting? “I think there will always be people who like to measure and like to perfect things. Then there will always be the other side. You have the roasters who still do the open roasting, do it by touch and feel,” says Lopez. “Coffee is so diverse; there is a place for everyone.” From more intimate control of the process to more environmentally friendly options, the landscape for coffee roasting is only growing. Roasters will continue to have more access to technology, which they can integrate into their own personal approach. FC

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MASKS are the new normal, a pandemic requirement for baristas and customers alike.

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PHOTO BY GARRETT HANSON

V AR K

FK R EE

ER K

Cafés going the extra mile for staff in an unprecedented time

arlier in the year, as the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths soared into the thousands, the service industry quickly found that no amount of caution or planning could have prevented the uncertainty that followed. Around mid-March, most of the U.S. had enforced some kind of shelter-inplace order to help slow transmission of the virus. Temporary or permanent closures of restaurants meant the loss of some 5.9 million jobs at the beginning of May. Virtual tip jars and crowdsourced funds cropped up across the country to help suddenly jobless baristas before the Paycheck Protection

Loan or unemployment benefits kicked in. Even for cafés with strong work cultures and exceptional commitments to staff, business losses still meant tragic layoffs. California’s Bay Area-based Paper Moon Coffee Co. offers employees a 401k plan, healthcare, and paid time off benefits. Last year, CEO Wendy Warren went a step further when she finalized 501(c)(3) nonprofit Coffee Housing, an ambitious initiative that would provide affordable housing for baristas in the Silicon Valley. However, COVID-19 put Paper Moon at risk of closing their Santa Clara location, and Warren says “I’ve lost approximately $70,000, and I need to break even in

the next 2–3 months or I will start to lose money that won’t have any chance of being recovered.” The outlook for coffee businesses was grim. If 2019 was marked by a wave of barista-led activism, what did that amount to in the wake of a pandemic? Lamplighter Coffee Roasters temporarily closed their Richmond, Virginia, locations. Seattle’s Broadcast Coffee reduced their hours and laid off 12 of their 20 employees. Amethyst Coffee Company closed all three Denver shops on March 16, and a team of 17 was reduced to two: co-owners Elle Taylor and Breezy Sanchez. These hardships certainly weren’t unique. On the surface, it might seem like COVID-19 would be a

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Going All-Out For Baristas During COVID-19 terrible time to restructure a business, but for these cafés, there has never been a more perfect time to reprioritize workplace equity and inclusion.

Recentering The Barista COVID-19 forced Lamplighter to close their three locations on March 23, laying off most of their 77 employees. They donated the use of their Summit Avenue coffee bar and roast lab to Richmond Mutual Aid, a grassroots organization that provides food, supplies, and funds to those in need. Lamplighter reopened their flagship Addison Street location on April 11, revising their menu to provide mostly locally sourced, nutrient-dense food offerings at accessible prices. Co-owner and managing partner Noelle Forest says scaling down has led Lamplighter to reevaluate their foundations. Started in 2009, without many resources or help, Lamplighter adopted a more traditional business model as they grew to three locations. Starting over with a smaller team feels more authentic to Lamplighter’s roots, and gives all staff a more equitable voice in the company, as well as raises and paid sick time benefits going forward. “Now that everything has been completely shut down, it’s been an opportunity to really evaluate. What was working well before? What wasn’t working before? And the things that have been really bad were from things that were already problems in the industry for our workers before,” says Forest. “People have to realize that more than ever these people are some of the least protected in our society who are serving food or preparing things like this. For us it’s been a really big opportunity to look at everything we’re doing and just say, ‘Wow, we don’t really want to build it back up the same way it was before. Maybe we can revamp not just how we’re going to seat people or how people are going to be touching things, but how can we really restructure in a way that’s going to be different?’”

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BR OADCAST COFFEE established an Employee Wellness Fund. Available for all baristas in times of need, the fund originated out of the need to help support staff who were underemployed or laid off in mid-March during quarantine lockdown.

Before COVID, Broadcast was intentional about prioritizing their staff. Molly Flynn, project coordinator and service repair tech, remembers past instances where owner Barry Faught and general manager Natalie Walker “found ways to support the staff in times of need, whether it came from finding a few dollars in the business, or if Barry paid out of his own pocket. The whole leadership team has really stepped up to take care of the staff and I think it’s just important for people to know that’s just a core value at Broadcast is to care for the staff, and that’s not solely a response to COVID.”

The pandemic gave Broadcast time to acquire new tools to move forward as a stronger company. In addition to staff raises, plans are in the works for antiracist training and educational classes (both coffee-related and not), as well as the creation of an Employee Wellness Fund. The wellness fund is a continuation of an early initiative started by their Gimme Shelter blend. Five dollars from each bag sold of Gimme Shelter went to support their underemployed baristas, including the furloughed ones. Now that the company has brought back all 20 of their employees, the idea exists as a long-term fund.

PHOTO BY GARRETT HANSON

“Moving forward, every coffee we have, as a blend or single-origin whole bean offering that we have, a dollar of that goes to the fund. Every single bean purchase, some portion of that pays into it,” Walker explains, also adding that a portion of seasonal drink sales as well as all proceeds from their hand sanitizer sales will go to the fund, with Faught matching up to $10,000. The fund is available for any staff person in need, for example, offers Walker, a barista needing more time off after exhausting their sick pay benefits. “Even without a pandemic and a social uprising,” she says, “there are things that come up in people’s lives where they need some kind of extra support, and we want to be able to do what we can as an organization to take care of the folks who are working for us.” Broadcast has also been deliberating another issue: gratuity. “We are trying to navigate the pros and cons of whether we continue to offer tips. That may or may not change in the future,” says Walker. “It’s a touchy area because we want our staff to be financially taken care of, and for them right now that includes tips. We’re discussing what we might need to do as a company to take that out of the equation and offer a wage that would be fair, beyond fair.”

years. Amethyst was already talking about increasing prices 30% to keep up with the rising cost of goods, and challenging the gratuity system had been on everyone’s minds. Co-owners Sanchez and Taylor combed through their monthly budget “with a microscope.” If they were going to restructure Amethyst, they reasoned, why not now? “In this time of unprecedented economic crisis and humanitarian crises, if we can’t take stances for the working class and what’s going on, it seems like such a waste not to,” says Sanchez. “There’s a chance that Amethyst might be gone in a year. We might as well just try really hard to do what we actually

want to do and combat these bigger things even though it’s scary, but I’d also be scared if we did this or not.” The May 12 announcement was largely met with positive feedback, but there were some who disagreed with the move. “I feel very lucky that we have a pretty big platform to be able to speak out about it, and make some pretty drastic changes to the company that not everyone agrees with,” she says. “Some of the backlash we got was from the baristas themselves in the community, which kind of surprised me and kind of didn’t at the same time. If you have stuff so deeply ingrained in you and that’s

The Importance of Pay Equity Amethyst Coffee Co. had also grappled with the issue of equity and gratuity. On May 12, one day before reopening two of their four locations after closing mid-March, Amethyst announced they were eliminating gratuity and raising prices by 50% across the board. Though certainly not the only café to do away with gratuity, at Amethyst the decision means “everyone makes the same rate. Everyone’s at 50k a year and 30–35 hours [a week],” says Sanchez. To some it seemed like a drastic move, but pre-pandemic, the company hadn’t raised their prices in several

PHOTO COURTESY OF BREEZY SANCHEZ

AMETHYST CO-OWNERS Breezy Sanchez (left) and Elle Taylor made the decision to eliminate gratuity and raise drink prices by 50%, making an equitable salar y available for all staff.

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Going All-Out For Baristas During COVID-19

Safety Basics

Protecting your baristas, your customers, and your business

PLEX IGLASS Use a plexiglass barrier to reduce airflow between staff and customers, while maintaining visual connection and communication.

WELLNESS CHECK-INS Your employees’ physical, emotional, and mental health should be top priorities. Implement temperature checks at ever y shift, encourage frequent hand-washing, and have workers stay home if they aren’t feeling well. Make yourself available to your staff for feedback on how safety policies may or may not be working, or put out a box where they can anonymously submit notes.

FACE MASK The CDC has confirmed the use of face masks as key to helping prevent the transmission of COVID-19 through respirator y droplets. Wash your hands before putting on your face mask, and make sure the mask covers both your nose and mouth.

Consider scheduling one-on-one mental health check-ins. Learn about signs of depression at nami. or g (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and make resources, such as hotlines or local counseling services, available to your staff. Find more information at: htt ps: //w w w. cdc. gov /cor onav ir us/2019-nCoV/index . ht ml

GLOVES While the CDC has not deemed gloves necessar y for the general public, it’s a good way to signal to customers you take their protection seriously. Use gloves when handling food and drink, or while cleaning and sanitizing your space.

DISINFECTING SPRAY

HAND SANITIZER

Have a bottle of disinfectant handy to frequently wipe down the counters, plexiglass, and any other points of contact in between customers.

Have an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, containing at least 60% alcohol, available to customers.

SIGNAGE Use signage throughout your store to encourage customers to keep 6 feet apart and to communicate other safety protocols, like wearing a mask.

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ALEX IS MEJIA of Amethyst Coffee Company.

what you know, of course you’re going to combat it and break it down.” As of August, Amethyst has six employees, a staff size that will remain for the foreseeable future, according to Sanchez.

Enforcing A Mask Policy Not to be overlooked, making a clear stance on face mask rules and enforcing them is a tangible way for businesses to prioritize the safety of their staff. However, baristas are the ones who often shoulder the burden of enforcing mask rules among customers. In Richmond, Virginia, local guidelines put the responsibility of mask protocols on the business, not the customer, which led Lamplighter to delay reopening indoor seating anytime soon. “The businesses will get fined if people are not wearing masks,” says Forest. “That’s going to put workers in a really bad position in our state to have to enforce people wearing masks and be at the front lines of that philosophical battle is a really unfair position to put staff in. That’s another reason why we’re not going to have people in the building for a while, because I don’t want to put my staff in that position.” Mask rules might seem like a cutand-dry issue, but it can get tricky for cafés entering Phase Two, which for most states means reopening indoor

seating with reduced occupancy. Customers technically don’t have to wear masks while eating or drinking. That’s the case for Oceana Coffee’s two cafés in Tequesta, Florida. The two shops provide sanitizing stations for customers, and table placards to indicate when a space is occupied.

AT OCEANA COFFEE’s two locations, table place cards reserve a customer’s seat for the duration of their stay. Once they’ve left, the sign stays until staff have wiped down and sanitized the table and chair.

“If someone does come to sit down, we bring a little place card at their table that says, ‘This space is occupied.’ That little sign doesn’t leave until that guest leaves, and then everything at that table, the chair, everything, gets

PHOTO OF ALEXIS BY DAVID MEJIA, OCEANA COFFEE PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY ANGELO

sanitized,” explains Oceana co-owner Amy Angelo. “It’s a good way for us to communicate with our team whether the space has been cleaned or not. Everything that people may touch: door handles, POS, all of that is sanitized and Lysoled many times throughout the day.” In Seattle, Broadcast made sure to put large, visible signage at the entrance to help mitigate the additional labor it would take baristas to enforce the protocol. “It was really important to get that in people’s faces right away so that our staff don’t have the whole burden of enforcing it. It is a burden to have to ask every person, talk to every person about this. We are lucky that our clientele have by and large been wholeheartedly embracing it. The conversations that I’ve had with our team have been to keep it really short and positive,” says Walker. “We do emphasise, ‘Just keep it positive and stand your ground.’ I feel that way about a lot of things, this is just the latest instance of, ‘Here’s something we have to enforce, but I don’t want you to be put in a position where you feel unsafe or have an uncomfortable dialogue that goes on.’ Trying to quickly turn that around is the goal.” To take some of the burden off of baristas, Broadcast has provided customers hand sanitizing stations and disposable masks if they don’t have their own. Between these extra measures, and backed by a city- or statewide mandate, it’s easier to enforce. Aside from being a part of barista advocacy, enforcing a mask policy is a sure way to continue flattening the curve, which will hopefully stave off another wave of closures. As the latest Re:co Symposium revealed, the coffee world is working hard to make sense of what happens next in a pandemic that’s far from over. Even as the full effects across the supply chain have yet to be seen, the steps that these and other cafés are taking to center the most vulnerable serve as examples of a more equitable future. FC

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COUNTER INTELLIGENCE

EMBRACE YOUR ALTER EGO Alter Ego Sparkling Drinks Riff Cold Brew ed riffcoldbrewed.com Want a refreshing alternative to your daily dose of caffeine? Riff’s Alter Ego takes coldbrewed cascara, coffee’s fruit, and introduces a sparkling drink available in Original, Blackberry, and Guava Passionfruit flavors. With low sugar, this shelf-stable drink is packed with 100mg of caffeine in each 12-oz. can.

JUST TWO SIMPLE INGREDIENTS Craft Chocolate Sol Cacao solcacao.com Sometimes all that’s needed is raw cane sugar and cacao beans to enjoy a bit of dessert. Sol Cacao is an artisan “ bean to bar” chocolate manufacturer that crafts single-origin chocolate bars in the South Bronx. Owned by three brothers, this family operation offers 72% Madagascar Chocolate, 70% Peru Chocolate, and 70% Ecuador Chocolate. Pair them with a cheese plate, wine, or your next hot beverage!

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COFFEE WHEREVER YOU GO Organic Instant Coffee Black Cof f ee Roast ing Co. blackcoffeeroastingco.com No need to sacrifice quality when drinking instant coffee. Black Coffee Roasting Co. has crafted a medium roast that dissolves faster than you can say “ yummy!” One box offers eight cups of coffee, allowing for plenty of caffeine during your road or camping trip. Eight bags per pack.

TOO CUTE FOR WORDS Sparkling Tea Infusions Suk i Tea Maker s suki-tea.com Iced tea can sparkle too! Try out Suki Tea Makers’ line of drinks, which features real brewed tea leaves and natural fruit juice, and is available in two fun flavor combos: White Tea, Apple & Elderflower and Black Tea Peach. Use as mixers for your favorite cocktail, or turn heads at the park with its cute designs. All packaging is plastic-free. Available in packs of 4, 12, or 24.

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Counter Intelligence

IF YOU LIKE PIÑA COLADAS Pineapple Fruit Purée Monin monin.com Monin’s Pineapple Purée delivers the ripe, sweet, and tangy taste and texture of pineapple that can be enjoyed in all seasons. Part of the company’s new clean label line, it’s a perfect addition to fruit-forward, blended cocktails and smoothies.

TEAMING UP Stumptown x Oatly Cold Brew St umptow n Cof f ee Roaster s stumptowncoffee.com Oat milk and cold brew may be a match made in heaven, thanks to Oatly and Stumptown. This vegan, low sugar drink packs creaminess with the caffeine equivalent of 1.5 cups of drip coffee. Try it in Chocolate, Horchata, or Original flavor, each in 11-oz. 100% recyclable cartons made from 53% renewable materials.

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DROPS OF JUNIPER Hogg Batch Coffee + Gin Hogg Batch Ex perimental Cof f ee Roaster s hoggbatch.com Experience this limited release by Florida’s Hogg Batch Experimental Roasters, with aromatic notes of juniper, jasmine, and citrus. Single-origin Ethiopian beans are light-roasted and Tom Cat Gin-barrel aged, making for an exciting pourover! Available in ½- lb. or 1-lb. bags.

TASTE THE CARIBBEAN Hibiscus Flower and Ginger Brew Mathilde’s Kitchen mathildeskitchen.com Portland, Oregon-based business owner Mathilde Aurélien Wilson brings the flavors of Haiti to the masses with her flavor-packed brews, like this nonalcoholic Hibiscus Flower and Ginger Brew. Pour it over ice, add it to ice cream or mixed drinks, or enjoy it straight from the bottle!

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Counter Intelligence

NEW COLORS ON THE BLOCK Carter Everywhere Mug Fellow fellowproducts.com Fellow’s Carter Everywhere Mug is now available in three limited-edition colors: Golden Hour, Dusk Blue, and Warm Pink. All colors come in 12-oz. or 16-oz. options. This to-go cup is not only stylish but ergonomic, with its thin lip for sipping and comfortable width for holding. Its insulated steel walls can keep a drink warm for 12 hours, and a cold drink cool for 24 hours. Did we mention it fits under the most popular manual brewing devices and is leak-proof? Get one in your favorite color before it’s gone!

SAY AHOY TO HARD NITRO Hard Nitro Brew Espresso Dark Roast Seaw or thy drinkseaworthy.com Adventure is out there with Seaworthy Hard Nitro Brew, a rich addition to your picnic basket. Available in Espresso Dark Roast and Vanilla Blonde Roast, Seaworthy’s brews are steeped with 100% Arabica coffee beans, nitro-infused for a rich creamy texture, and topped off with an unexpectedly adult twist. 5.5% alc/vol.

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BRIGHT LIKE THE AURA BORA-ALIS Herbal Sparkling Water Aura Bora aurabora.com Aura Bora takes plant-based ingredients, adds some adorable animals on the packaging, and brings a fuzzy good feeling to drinking sparkling water. Choose from Basil Berry, Cactus Rose, Lavender Cucumber, Lemongrass Coconut, or Peppermint Watermelon. Say goodbye to artificial flavors and hello to full-bodied, fresh ones, with zero calories per 12-oz. can.

CUTTING NO CORNERS Wellness Cold Brew Coffee Shots Humblemaker Cof f ee Co. humblemaker.coffee Your coffee routine doesn’t have to sacrifice essential nutrients. Try Humblemaker Coffee Co.’s Wellness Cold Brew Coffee Shots, packed with minerals and vitamins to start your day, or even renew your midday. Boomtowne is a simple black coffee option; La Fonda takes coffee brewed with cacao and cinnamon and matches it with active polyphenols, vitamin C, and selenium; and Black Sea celebrates Turkish coffee, packed with cardamom and clove, and finishes it off with with L-Theanine and ginseng. Each 2-oz. shot contains 115mg of caffeine.

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Counter Intelligence

CEREMONIAL GRADE GOODNESS Matcha Powder MatchaBar matchabar.co

BE EXCLUSIVE SLURP rare

Grown in Japan, this matcha is from Match-

SLUR P

aBar, the first U.S. matcha café in Brooklyn,

slurp.coffee/en/rare

bringing ceremonial grade quality to the masses. This smooth, original powder blend is full of antioxidants and enough caffeine to replace your morning espresso shot. Add your favorite milk, splash some in your latte, or even try it with a favorite spirit. Available in 30g tin, 80g tin, or 200g bag.

BEE HAPPY & HYDRATED Me & The Bees Lemonade Me & The Bees meandthebees.com Real lemon juice, no high fructose corn syrup—this lemonade can brighten up anyone’s day. Created by Mikaila Ulmer, a young Texan entrepreneur who wanted to celebrate her grandmother’s lemonade recipe, Me & The Bees adds honey to lemonade for its sweetness. Try all five flavors—Classic, Mint, Ginger, Iced Tea, and Prickly Pear—and become a beeliever in Me & The Bees.

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Become one of the select few to try exceptional coffees from around the world through SLURP rare, a subscription service of hard-to-get coffees, delivered right to your doorstep. Each subscriber will receive 100g of SLURP rare once a month, with an email containing information on how SLURP decides on the coffee, plus a greeting from the roaster and a recipe for each coffee. Give yourself a surprise every four weeks and experience unique flavor profiles. Available as whole beans or ground.

CBD YOUR TEA The Hemp Division Line Har ney & Sons harney.com Harney & Sons introduces its handcrafted Hemp Division line, a variety of products with hemp infusions. From tinctures, lotions, and bath bombs to sparkling elixirs, iced teas, and tea sachets, there is something for everyone to try out CBD for the first time or to continue their CBD journey. Rest, recenter, and hydrate with these all-natural flavors and products.

TIME TO MIX IT UP Natural Frappe Bases Monin monin.com Velvety, smooth frappes are just a spin away with Monin’s new Natural Frappe Base line. Choose from four comforting flavors—Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Mocha, and Cream (Plain)—and enjoy nonartificial deliciousness. Use it by itself, or combine it with your other favorite Monin syrups, sauces, or purées. Part of Monin’s new clean label range, the bags are reusable too!

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SUSTAINABLE MATTERS

How to Be Eco-friendly in a Changing World By Caitlin Carter

t’s hard to tout reusable coffee mugs during a global pandemic. Although more than 125 experts from around the world released a statement back in June stating that “reusable Read the full systems can be used statement at safely by employing basic gr eenpeace. or g hygiene,” many cafés are not willing to risk the threat of cross-contamination posed by filling a customer’s travel mug. The rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced us all to rethink business practices, especially those surrounding sustainability. The shift to takeaway and delivery has increased the foodservice industry’s reliance on single-use plastics and other packaging, leaving many businesses wondering: How can we be eco-friendly in this changing world?

Incentivize the Return When Nam Ho and Brad Penna set out to open Horizon Line Coffee in Des Moines, Iowa, sustainability was a top priority. Opening in June 2017, they initially served to-go drinks in ecofriendly paper and plastic, as a more affordable option for the new business owners, but after analyzing the number of returning customers, they decided to implement a reusable glass program. “In August 2019, we completely eliminated our single-use products and provided customers their drinks in 12-oz. glass jars,” says Ho. “In order to incentivize our guests in bringing back their jars on their next visit, we provide a discount for every jar returned on their next purchase.” While the upfront cost of the jars was a challenge, Horizon Line saw an increase in overall sales and continues to not take a loss on using the jars, even through COVID.

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HOR IZON LINE COFFEE instilled its reusable glass program to replace single-use to-go products.

“When the pandemic forced us to close our shop temporarily, we did initially have concerns about how smoothly our glass reuse system would run,” says Ho. “Not necessarily that people wouldn’t bring back jars, but more or less, I assumed they would bring back jars less frequently. Currently, I’m sitting here and we’re down to our last 60 jars waiting on our next pallet shipment, which has been delayed due to the pandemic.” The shop has continued its online orders and in-store pickup; while it remains closed for seating and in-person ordering, Horizon Line is encouraging customers to bring back any jars they’ve kept at home the last few months. “I’m happy to sanitize and store them at the shop,” says Ho.

Plant-Based Packaging While overhauling your takeaway system to a reusable glassware program isn’t viable for all businesses at this time, packaging manufacturers are doing their part to produce more ecofriendly to-go options. Future Market Insights recently reported that the foodservice industry

is estimated to account for over 60% of the global biodegradable disposable market by 2030. “Customers are going to be more cautious and concerned regarding the hygiene and safety factors than ever before,” according to the report. “Since biodegradable disposable tableware cannot be reused and reduce the chances of multiple handling, it offers a safe solution to the foodservice industry without negatively impacting the environment.” Innovations in manufacturing, including the increased use of plantbased, renewable materials like sugarcane and bamboo, have led to more (and more affordable) eco-friendly to-go options. Food packaging company Huhtamaki, for example, offers fiberbased products that are recyclable and certified for home composting—a major benefit to the everyday customer.

Sustainable Shipping Stay-at-home orders have meant an uptick in e-commerce, with consumers around the world ordering coffee and tea subscriptions, brewing devices, and other merchandise shipped to their doorsteps—usually in wasteful packaging, like bubble mailers and boxes with packing peanuts. Noissue, however, brings custom, sustainable packaging to over 30,000 small businesses and brands, offering compostable shipping materials from stickers and tape to tissue and mailers. “Our custom products are printed with soy-based inks, which come from a renewable resource and produces a more vibrant color,” says marketing manager Amanda Teo. “We also try and offer low minimum order quantities, to make it accessible to businesses no matter what stage they’re at.”

PHOTO BY KENZIE WYATT, IG: @KENZIEFAITHWYATT

NOISSUE’s mailer

Coffee businesses are hopping on board. Earlier this year, subscription service Trade Coffee took its first step toward zero waste by switching from cardboard boxes to noissue’s compostable mailers; customers need only to cut out the shipping label before adding it to their home compost. And

in July, introduced by Trade to noissue, Onyx Coffee Lab unveiled, as part of its rebranding, its custom mailer for coffee shipments. The coffee itself comes in compostable bags inside recyclable boxes, and is roasted and bagged at their 100% solar-powered production facility in Arkansas. Onyx co-owner Jon Allen says he is happy to see more eco-friendly solutions become accessible to small businesses, from customization to low minimums. “A lot of these things used to feel out of our league, as far as investing in,” he says. “Obviously right now is a hard time to invest in something. But I think, because people care more [about sustainability], things are becoming more accessible.” Whether you’re trying to implement more sustainable takeaway options or better shipping strategies, rest assured many other companies are facing similar challenges.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NOISSUE (LEFT), COURTESY OF ONYX COFFEE LAB (RIGHT)

ONY X COFFEE LAB’s custom mailer

“There might be a few more hurdles, but I think being eco-friendly is always possible, pandemic or no pandemic,” says Ho. “We’re just trying to do our best right now.” FC

F R E S H CUP M AGAZI NE [ 65

ADVERTISER INDEX

To view our advertiser list and visit the websites listed below, go to f reshcup.com/resources/f resh-cup-adv er tisers

ADVERTISER

CONTACT

ONLINE

1883 Maison Routin

800.367.1883

1883.com

AeroPress

650.493.3050

aeropress.com

Barista Pro Shop

866.776.5288

baristaproshop.com/ad/fresh

Café Femenino Foundation

360.901.8322

cffoundation.org

Canadian Barista & Coffee Academy

canadianbaristaacademy.com

Coffee Fest

425.295.3300

coffeefest.com

Custom Cup Sleeves

888-672-4096

customcupsleeves.com

Ditting

810.367.7125

ditting.com

Divine Specialty Tea

604.503.1909

divinespecialtytea.com

Divinitea

518.347.0689

divinitea.com

Food 4 Farmers

802.497.3304

food4farmers.org

Fresh Cup Magazine

503.236.2587

freshcup.com

Ghirardelli Chocolate

800.877.9338

ghirardelli.com/professional

Golden Bean

503.706.1330

goldenbean.com

Gosh That’s Good! Brand

888.848.GOSH (4674)

goshthatsgood.com

Hershey Foodservice

800.468.1714

hersheyfoodservice.com

Huhtamaki

913-583-3025

us.huhtamaki.com/comfortcup

Java Jacket

800.208.4128

javajacket.com

Malabar Gold Espresso

650.366.5453

malabargoldespresso.com

Mountain Cider Co.

800.483.2416

mountaincider.com

Pacific Foods of Oregon

503.692.9666

pacificfoods.com/foodservice

RetailMugs.com

970.222.9559

retailmugs.com

SelbySoft

800.454.4434

selbysoft.com

Service Ideas

800.328.4493

serviceideas.com

Show Me Your Beans

showmeyourbeans@gmail.com innovatedproductsmfg.com

Simpson & Vail

800.282.8327

svtea.com

Tea & Trumpets

707.799.7188

tea-and-trumpets.com

Tea Trade Show

973.551.9161

teatradeshow.com

TeaSource

855.320.4832

teasource.com

Theta Ridge Coffee

800.745.8738

thetaridgecoffee.com

Toddy

970.493.0788

toddycafe.com

Torani

800.775.1925

torani.com/puremade

Your Brand Cafe

866.566.0390

yourbrandcafe.com

Zojirushi America

800.264.6270

zojirushi.com

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