Cat & Cloud Podcast

On September 30th, 2016 we opened the doors of our first cafe and roastery on Portola street, Santa Cruz. Ten years later, we're still here, thanks to the enduring love and support our community has shown us.

In this birthday special, we sit with Chris, Jared, and Charles to reflect on everything from road trips to Santa Barbara with green coffee in the trunk before the brick & mortar days, to the 16-month permitting journey and sealing the floor the night before inspection, to what we got right & wrong over the years, and how our mission & values have always been at the core of who we are.

In addition to the ten year anniversary, Chris has an announcement: he's stepping away from day-to-day operations at Cat & Cloud, and the change takes effect on our birthday. While he's keeping ownership and moving into an advisory role, this also means that this will be his last podcast as a regular host. Chris takes a minute to say thank you to everyone who's listened, visited, and supported us along the way.

You can follow Chris's next chapter on Instagram and YouTube at @realchrisbaca.

Chris's departure from the podcast also highlights some exciting news: we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Cloud Podcast. We'll be introducing new segments, fresh industry voices, and candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture, and leadership development. 

We'll be taking a short hiatus while we're heads down, new episodes to launch Winter 2026.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Disneyland has been a long-time inspiration for us at Cat & Cloud in terms of their inspiring ability to completely immerse their guests in an experience. To compound this: they consistently do it at scale. This is something that a lot of small businesses struggle to maintain as they grow and owners are forced to take a step back from the front of house.

This is what has brought us back, year over year, to the Disney Institute, professional workshops taught by Disney spanning leadership, culture, and service. On this episode, Chris, Jared, and Marc chat about their takeaways from attending the workshop this September: the aversion to feeling like you're being "sold" an experience vs. providing a "genuine" one, Disney's approach to evaluating successful experiences that don't have monetary data associated with them, and Chris & Jared's thoughts about the course having done it several times in the past.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Originally aired March 10, 2025

Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.

This week: We're pulling a Chris Baca and Charles Jack (Chuck) conversation from last year discussing the C Market. Chuck covers what the C Market is, why coffee prices are at an all time high, and his thoughts on why and how to get away from a market based approach to setting prices. 

Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Originally aired March 11, 2024

Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.

This week: what does it look like from a team member's perspective to experience a coffee origin trip? Jorge Madrigal, one of the most cross-trained members on the team, details his trip to Colombia. Along the way, Chris and Jorge touch on a recurring theme of what expertise and care look like at every step in the system, and how it all ties in to putting relationships and experience first.

Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Originally aired March 11, 2024

Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.

This week: Doing the Right Thing, a Cat & Cloud After-hours episode. Jared, Chris, and Charles get into a wide range of topics spanning the business, with a single through-line: what does it actually mean to do right by people?

Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Originally aired January 25, 2025

Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.

This week: The Seven Steps of Service. What are they? What are they for? And why are they so straightforward? Learn why these fundamentals shape how we train hospitality in our cafes, and why leaning into the spirit of a system this simple can transform guest experience.

Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Summer camp but for coffee professionals! Learn about what Jared & Charles were up to this week at Camp Coffee Shop, a brand new retreat hosted by Barista Magazine all about building community in the coffee industry. This was four days of coffee workshops and skill-building sessions, unplugged in nature, with everyone from new business owners to coffee industry veterans.

Jared gives us the industry veteran perspective. He covers a summary of the talk he gave, Building a Cafe People Love to Work In, impressions of panels and workshops he attended from other long-time industry friends, and how it compares to the vibes of a larger trade show like SCA's World of Coffee.

Learn more about Camp Coffee Shop: https://www.campcoffeeshop.com/

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

This week Chris & Jared get carried away in conversation with a newer member of the Cat & Cloud team. Misha Holtz— who's been ramping up in the marketing team at Cat & Cloud for the last three months— gets pulled onto the mic without warning and grilled about her path from founding software engineer to leading our digital platforms and marketing work.

Turns out her Cat & Cloud story started way before her start date. She was a barista at Verve Coffee back in the mid-late 2010s, crossed paths with Cat & Cloud and the founding team on opening day and then consistently throughout the early years, and went on to spend seven-plus years building software remotely in Santa Cruz— espresso in hand every single morning. They talk about what pulled her out of tech, what Cat & Cloud and SCA in San Diego look like through fresh eyes, and the parallels and differences between two industries that attract different crowds for different reasons.

A candid conversation about what it actually feels like to take the leap from a career you're great at into one that's been present all along.

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Cat & Cloud Podcast 

Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com

Interview with Chris Baca: 10 Years of Cat & Cloud, Building Culture, and Keeping Specialty Coffee Accessible

Reflecting on nearing Cat & Cloud’s 10-year milestone, Chris Baca emphasizes valuing day-to-day progress over anniversaries while acknowledging the achievement of surviving a life in small business and growing from a single store with eight team members to four cafes and over 100 staff, plus a brand in good standing. He recalls early DIY demolition at the Portola location and clarifies the timeline: pop-ups began in 2015 and the first store opened September 30, 2016. They discuss sustaining community choice through hospitality, evolving menus, and staples like the breakfast burrito, plus Chris’s YouTube origins as pushback against pretentious specialty coffee. Chris also highlights the messy reality of small business, the importance of key leaders, career risks during growth, and the belief that great people and culture can be developed anywhere.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:27 Ten Year Reflections

05:05 Early Days Portola Build

08:06 Staying Relevant Locally

13:00 Service Culture Over Marketing

17:33 Burrito Staple Stats

18:53 YouTube Coffee Encounters

20:24 Anti Pretension Coffee

22:22 Simplify The Craft

23:06 Teaching Style Strength

24:37 Ten Year Reflection

25:20 Small Business Chaos

27:20 Key People Grit

31:01 Careers Trust Scale

34:57 Verve Expansion Lesson

36:42 Family Responsibility Shift

39:03 Cat And Cloud Future

41:29 Great People Everywhere

43:43 Podcast Sharing Wrap

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: Want Coffee? Want cool schwag?!  www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Produced by Casey Ryan July 2026

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby 

Cat & Cloud Podcast 

Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.com

Two Big Ideas: Café Ownership Reality Check & Why Coffee Can't Be What It's Not

Episode Summary Chris Baca and Jared Truby dig into Casey's prompt "What's the big idea?" with a pair of hot takes on the state of specialty coffee. Jared argues the classic neighborhood café — unless run by one or two deeply committed owners — is essentially dead in the current economy, sparking a wider conversation about living wages, misplaced expectations, and why intentionality (not luck) separates cafés that scale from those that scrape by. Chris follows with his own take: you can't turn coffee into something it's not, using dialed-in espresso, green buying, and home-barista setups to unpack why understanding a coffee's true potential matters more than chasing a recipe or flavor note that was never really there.

CHAPTERS 

0:00 — Intro, Burritos & Pastrami Talk 

6:12 — What's the Big Idea? 

9:45 — Hot Take: The Modern Café Is Dead 

15:30 — Living Wages & the Economics of a Small Shop 

21:18 — Intentionality, Choices & Building a Business 

28:40 — Hot Take #2: You Can't Turn Coffee Into Something It's Not 

35:00 — Is the Best Espresso Actually Being Made in Someone’s House?

42:50 — Home Baristas vs. Café Cohorts 

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: Buy Our Coffee! www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan July 2026

Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ 

Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ 

Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions 

Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesale

Cat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.

Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.

Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby