We had a spontaneous guest join us, Alex Sciarrotta owner of Narrative coffee, as we talked about underrated and overrated parts of coffee. We touched up on coffee varietals, coffee competitions such as Cup of Excellence, and even got into Sergei's iconic outfits behind bar. We had a lot of fun recording this episode and diving into these topics together.

Coffee roasting companies that don't have a storefront, like us, oftentimes don't get the local, face to face interaction that can be very helpful for business growth. Even though launching a storefront for your coffee roastery might not be in the plans, there are other ways to have those interactions with guests that can be very financially beneficial and help you expand your reach.

Oftentimes, coffee business owners are stuck with always needing more time, overworking, and feeling like you're not getting much back. Time is one of your most valuable resources so we have to learn to manage it well and make sure it's getting the most done while helping you achieve your goals.

Mark just got back from competing in the U.S. Aeropress Championship in Arkansas at Onyx Coffee Lab and got 3rd place. This episode breaks down his recipe, preparation, and the mistake that cost him first place.

Texes A&M launches the first acedemic coffee certificate. This is a huge overall step for the growth of the specialty coffee industry, however, what role will it play in the coffee industry? Will we see the industry favor those who do have the certificate? We break these questions down and more in this episode of the Coffee Roaster Warm Up Sessions podcast.

Coffee competition isn't perfect. We competed in our first aeropress competition and loved it! It was a great experience overall, but there were a few things that were challenging. As much as we wish competition was a flawless system of evaluation of who's the most skilled, it oftentimes isn't that. This is a debrief of our experience competing in the Canadian regional aeropress competition.

Most of us, if not all, have experienced burnout whether that's within the coffee industry or not. We know what those exhausted, long days feel like when you've lost your passion and drive to do the work let alone do anything. It sucks. With this episode we wanted to break down what burnout is, what might be causing it, and how we can do to avoid falling into burnout.

At face value, coffee shops are there to serve you a drink, pastries, and occasionally offer a full food menu. From what we've noticed, that is really only the beginning and oftentimes just a sliver of why people even show up to coffee shops. Here's how coffee shops impact communities, cities, and the vital role they play in society.

We want to help set you up for your next interview at your favorite coffee shop. Although it could feel like experience behind bar is prioritized, but we think there are other ways you can increase the chances of getting hired at a cafe. We talk about being a regular, building meaningful friendships, and a few ways to prep for your interview. There are a handful of practical steps you can take that can increase the chances of you getting hired at the coffee shop you’ve been eyeing.

We've all been there where we go to a cafe only to receive a beverage we did not like or wasn't brewed right. Although few things can be done at this point, is giving feedback the right thing to do? Would anything change if you did give feedback? As a barista, it may be uncomfortable to receive feedback, however, it's far from the end of the world.

In this episode, we talk through both giving feedback and how we should approach getting negative feedback.