In this episode of Coffee Think Tank, Luke Waite—founder of Pomelo Coffee Consulting and former operations and sales leader at Metric Coffee and Passion House—talks about what it actually takes to run a profitable coffee roastery in 2026.

Luke spent years on the inside of some of Chicago's most respected specialty roasters before launching Pomelo, where he helps roasters get a handle on their people, processes, and finances. He also just wrote The Owner's Manual, a practical guide to sustaining a coffee roaster.

In this conversation, we get into...

• Why roaster profitability is eroding and what the warning signs look like on your P&L
• What Luke considers the financial danger zone for roasters—and what to do if you're in it
• Why price increases are usually less painful than roasters expect, and how to communicate them well
• What it means to "build the sales car before you hire the driver"—and why most roasters do it backwards
• How coffee buyers have changed in the last few years, and what that means for your wholesale approach
• Luke's "Core 7" framework for building a healthy, stable, and profitable roastery
• A peek inside The Owner's Manual, Luke's new book on sustaining a coffee roaster

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction & The State of Roaster Profitability
• 02:05 The Goal of Becoming the First Michelin-Starred Cafe
• 07:10 What a Michelin-Starred Cafe Would Look Like Today
• 11:31 The State of Roaster Profitability Heading Into 2026
• 13:19 How to Know If You're in Financial Trouble
• 14:13 Luke's Consulting Framework: People, Process, and Profit
• 18:37 Why Roasters Are Afraid to Raise Prices
• 25:09 The Power of Relationships in Wholesale Sales
• 27:31 Advice for Medium and Large Roasters
• 29:27 Nurturing Wholesale Accounts Beyond the Transaction
• 31:46 The Owner's Manual: Luke's New Book
• 36:32 Why Roasters Sell Coffee at a Loss
• 40:44 Building a Wholesale Sales Program
• 45:58 How Coffee Buyers Have Changed
• 46:56 Building the Sales Car Before You Hire the Driver
• 53:54 Overcoming the Resistance to Sales and Marketing
• 57:25 Recommended Resources and Inspirations
• 1:03:55 What Luke Is Working On Next

Where to Find Luke Waite

• Pomelo Coffee Consulting website: pomelocoffeeconsulting.com
• The Owner's Manual (book): pomelocoffeeconsulting.com/book

Mentioned in the Episode

• Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time by Jeff Sutherland
• Lucia Solis (coffee fermentation and producer-side consultant)
• Metric Coffee (Chicago roaster, former employer)
• Passion House Coffee (Chicago roaster, former employer)
• Fresh Cup Roaster Link (wholesale matchmaking program for roasters and buyers)

If you've spent any time on social media lately, you've probably noticed that everyone with a million followers is suddenly a beverage entrepreneur. Energy drinks named after gaming teams, protein shakes endorsed by fitness influencers, and coffee brands co-signed by your favorite TikTokers, actors, and musicians.

Emma Chamberlain, Tom Hanks, Green Day, Millie Bobby Brown, Jimmy Butler, Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey Jr. It just goes on and on, and I suspect it’s still early days for creator-led coffee.

That's why I wanted to talk with Danny Wright, the founder and CEO of COLLAB in the UK, who's basically figured out how to make this whole creator-coffee thing actually work. COLLAB is the manufacturing and operational partner for a growing list of coffee brands, including Florence — Millie Bobby Brown’s brand — and Sides — by the The Sidemen. Danny’s company is seeing the kind of growth numbers—2,000% projected growth from 2024 to 2025—that make you wonder if you've been thinking about this business all wrong.

We talk dealmaking, beverage R&D, marketing, getting into Walmart, concentrates, nootropics, AI, and more. If you’re curious how creator and other licensing partnerships work, this episode is a must-listen.

As always, if this podcast is even a hint interesting or helpful, will you drop us a review on your favorite podcast platform? I hear those help with getting this show in front of other people.

I’m Garrett from Fresh Cup, and welcome to the Coffee Think Tank.

What You’ll Learn

- How CoLab evolved from local coffee marketing to partnering with A-list celebrities and major brands like Ubisoft

- The seven-point system Danny uses to evaluate potential creator partnerships and why follower count isn't everything

- How creator-led brands can get into major retailers like Walmart and Tesco within months of launch

- The deal structures that work best for creator partnerships, from licensing to joint ventures

- Why concentrates are becoming a major focus and how CoLab is innovating in home delivery

- The role of AI in operations while maintaining authentic creator content

- How CoLab balances accessibility and quality while building brands for long-term success

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Creator-Led Coffee Brands

02:00 Danny Wright's Journey into Coffee Branding

05:09 Criteria for Partnering with Creators

08:08 Understanding Product Line Structure

11:50 Deal Structures and Creator Engagement

15:11 Building Lasting Coffee Brands

18:58 Coffee Selection and Recipe Development

22:21 The Rise of Coffee Concentrates

26:10 Balancing Automation and Authenticity

29:18 Getting Products into Major Retailers

30:03 Understanding Retailer Needs

31:51 Building Relationships with Creators

33:27 The Evolution of Coffee Brands

35:30 The Future of Beverage Trends

38:24 Innovations in Coffee Products

40:28 Engaging Gen Z Consumers

43:56 Collaborations with Influencers

47:23 The Journey of Growth

50:16 Embracing AI in Business

53:46 Future Trends in the Beverage Industry

Where to Find Danny Wright

- wearecollab.com

- linkedin.com/in/dannywrightcollab

Mentioned in the Episode

- Florence by Millie Bobby Brown (celebrity coffee brand)

- Sides by The Sidemen (YouTube group coffee brand)

- Fitness Marshall/Zappi (fitness YouTuber coffee brand)

- Beverage Forum (US event coming to UK)

When you think about where specialty coffee belongs, a bank probably isn't the first place that comes to mind. But what if the best coffee in your city happened to be served inside a Capital One branch?

That's the audacious vision of Verve Coffee, the Santa Cruz-based coffee roaster that was started in 2007 and now has over a dozen cafe locations across California and Japan. Harris Nash, the company's Senior Wholesale Manager, has spent the last two years helping Verve Coffee take over the more than 50 Capital One Cafe locations across 18 states, converting customers from Peet's to specialty coffee in places like Herald Square in New York and shopping malls in Kansas.

Harris brings a unique perspective to this challenge. He's worked nearly every role in the coffee industry—from barista to importer to getting stuck on a Chinese coffee farm during COVID lockdowns. But this Capital One project has pushed him out of his comfort zone even further with training 600 baristas to represent Verve's brand in locations they don't directly control, creating systems to maintain quality across a massive geographic footprint, and proving that specialty coffee can thrive in unexpected places.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why Capital One switched to serve Verve Coffee from Peet's across 50+ locations
• The challenge of training 600 baristas to represent Verve's brand in locations they don't directly control
• Why customer redirects became crucial for converting Peet's customers to specialty coffee drinkers
• How Verve developed granular training systems and learning management platforms to maintain quality at scale
• Why Verve partnered with local coffee trainers in each market to facilitate the transition
• How the partnership enabled Verve to support more coffee producers than ever before
• The technology and operational systems needed to manage coffee quality across 18 states
• Why Harris believes specialty coffee's future lies in making high-quality coffee more approachable
• How Verve created the exclusive Daybreaker Blend with a give-back component for Capital One Cafes

CHAPTERS

• 00:00 Introduction to the Capital One Cafe Project
• 03:11 Harris Nash's Journey in Specialty Coffee
• 05:48 Transitioning from Peet's to Verve Coffee
• 08:58 The Role of Training in Specialty Coffee
• 12:09 Challenges of Brand Transition and Customer Experience
• 15:10 Staff Training and Overcoming Resistance
• 18:02 Infrastructure and Support for New Locations
• 20:53 Maintaining Brand Standards and Quality Control
• 24:03 Collaboration with Capital One and Operational Challenges
  27:06 Integrating Verve's Identity into Capital One Cafes
• 34:12 Building a Brand Identity
• 39:13 Collaborative Marketing Strategies
• 46:06 Innovating Specialty Coffee
• 51:50 Future of Partnerships and Products
• 56:36 Experiences in China and Coffee Origins

WHERE TO FIND HARRIS NASH

• Follow Harris on Instagram: @harrisnash
• Verve Coffee website: vervecoffee.com
• Verve Coffee on Instagram: @vervecoffee

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

• Capital One Cafe
• Dwell Dripper
• Pink House Alchemy
• Swift Coffee
• Farm Level Foundation
• REI Foundation
• Torch Coffee
• Black and White Coffee

The Coffee Think Tank podcast is a show about trends, ideas, and innovations in coffee by Fresh Cup, hosted by Garrett Oden. Subscribe to Fresh Cup for more industry insights at

.

With quality coffee more widely available than ever, roasters can no longer rely solely on their beans’ excellence to drive growth. As Raina Roberts, Business Development Director at Partners Coffee in Brooklyn, NY, puts it, “When everyone’s special, no one’s special.”

Raina oversees 250+ wholesale accounts and has guided Partners’ expansion beyond the Northeast. She’s seen how grocery buyers now demand more, charge hidden fees, and issue dispute codes that can wreck margins if you’re not prepared.

In this Coffee Think Tank episode, we unpack what it really takes to break into grocery, the costs you can’t overlook, how to support rollouts across regions, and how to win wholesale accounts when you’re not local. If you handle B2B growth or expansion at a roaster, this one’s for you.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• How Partners Coffee grew from a Northeast base into Midwest grocery chains
• The real economics and logistics behind specialty coffee in grocery stores
• Why a grocery partnership can take a year before products hit shelves
• How to calculate true COGS for grocery to stay profitable
• Hidden fees and dispute deductions that erode margins
• Balancing Brooklyn identity with broad-market appeal
• Winning wholesale clients when you aren’t the local roaster
• Developing travel-friendly specialty SKUs like cold-brew pouches and instant coffee
• Using DTC data to prove market potential in new regions

CHAPTERS00:00 The changing landscape of coffee biz-dev03:02 Raina’s journey in coffee06:08 What a Business Development Director really does08:51 Distribution and logistics landmines11:57 First big Midwest win: Fresh Thyme Market15:07 Marketing a new region from afar18:02 How grocery sales actually happen21:06 Data management and transparency headaches24:10 Tariffs and price shocks28:07 Pricing strategy under grocery pressure31:12 Understanding and fighting disputes35:43 Region-specific marketing tactics39:05 Serving wholesale customers that aren’t local45:11 Protecting brand integrity while scaling51:07 Product innovation — cold brew, instant, and more55:48 Trends shaping coffee’s next five years

WHERE TO FIND RAINA ROBERTS

• LinkedIn
• Partners Coffee website
• Instagram @partnerscoffee

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

• Fresh Thyme Market
• Whole Foods Market
• World Market
• Rockaway Cold Brew Pouches
• Partners Instant Coffee

The Coffee Think Tank podcast is a show about trends, ideas, and innovations in coffee by Fresh Cup, hosted by Garrett Oden. Subscribe to Fresh Cup for more industry insights at freshcup.com.

In this episode of Coffee Think Tank, Bailey Manson, Director of Innovation at Intelligentsia Coffee, shares the story of the Illumination Bar in Pasadena—a bold experiment that replaced traditional espresso machines with freeze‑dried instant coffee for all espresso‑based drinks.

Launched during the pandemic in 2020, this radical service model lasted until January 2025 before evolving again.

We discuss how Bailey and his team convinced themselves to pursue such a crazy idea, the tools and workflow required to serve coffee this way, how baristas and customers reacted, and why the bar just replaced the freeze‑dried setup with an innovative—but more classic—espresso workflow.

What You’ll Learn

• How COVID‑19 and a lease renewal created the perfect opportunity for Intelligentsia to test a radical new service model
• The detailed workflow for making espresso drinks with freeze‑dried instant coffee (and the specialized equipment needed)
• Why customers often couldn’t tell the difference between freeze‑dried and traditional espresso in milk‑based drinks
• How Intelligentsia made instant coffee work as a viable alternative to espresso for years
• The economic and operational challenges of maintaining an instant‑based program
• Why customer reviews eventually pushed a return to traditional espresso equipment
• How the Illumination Bar still serves as a testing ground for innovative service models

Chapters

• 00:00  Introduction to the Illumination Bar
• 02:59  Bailey's Coffee Journey and Role at Intelligentsia
• 05:48  The Concept Behind the Illumination Bar
• 09:01  Challenges and Innovations in Coffee Preparation
• 11:54  The Unique Workflow and Equipment Used
• 14:54  Customer Reactions and Market Acceptance
• 18:03  The Science of Freeze‑Dried Coffee
• 21:06  Final Thoughts on Innovation in Coffee
• 29:02  Innovations in Coffee Equipment
• 31:46  The Unique Experience of the Illumination Bar
• 34:51  Adapting to Customer Feedback
• 38:01  The Challenges of Freeze‑Dried Coffee
• 50:55  The Evolution of Service Models
• 54:13  Future Trends in Specialty Coffee

Where to Find Bailey Manson

• Follow Intelligentsia Coffee on Instagram: @intelligentsiacoffee

Mentioned in the Episode

• Swift Coffee (freeze‑dried coffee producer)
• Curtis Corinth (water dispenser for instant espresso)
• La Marzocco KB90 (espresso machine)
• Wally (automated milk steamer)
• Flare 58x (manual espresso maker)
• X‑Bloom (brewing equipment)

Artificial intelligence tools are transforming how businesses operate. But in an industry built on human connection and craft, coffee business owners must balance taking advantage of new tools with preserving the soul of their business.

That's why I wanted to talk with Melissa Villanueva, someone I consider to be a sharp operator with a keen eye for how to use AI effectively.

Over the past decade, Villanueva has grown Brewpoint Coffee from a Craigslist purchase into a thriving company with three cafes and a roastery in the Chicago area. Now, she's navigating how to thoughtfully integrate AI tools without compromising what makes Brewpoint special.

• How BrewPoint uses AI as a targeted tool rather than a replacement for creativity
• Practical applications of AI for coffee shops, from custom coffee recipes to equipment troubleshooting
• The importance of maintaining authenticity in customer-facing aspects of your business
• Why AI often works best for enhancing existing processes, not creating new ones
• How to evaluate which AI tools actually save time versus create more work

00:00 Introduction to AI in Coffee Business

03:11 Exploring AI Use Cases in Brewpoint

05:54 The Role of AI in Writing and Content Creation

08:47 Customer Engagement and AI Tools

12:11 Operational Efficiency with AI

14:49 Philosophy and Future of AI in Business

28:56 Navigating AI's Ethical Boundaries

30:43 Preserving Human Creativity in Business

34:25 Empowering Teams to Use AI Effectively

39:50 The Role of AI in Policy Creation

42:33 Key Characteristics of Business Success

49:43 Reflecting on AI's Impact on Entrepreneurship

56:15 Future Goals and Strategic Planning

• BrewPoint Coffee website
• @brewpointcoffee on Instagram
• @melissaavillanueva on Instagram

• ChatGPT (OpenAI's AI assistant)
• Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant)
• BrewPoint's Nova Cold Brew Concentrate

Coffee sourcing is undergoing a quiet, tech-enabled revolution, and there are few people better equipped to talk about than Kat Melheim.

Through her roles at Black & White, her time on a Hawaiian coffee farm, and now at Algrano, Kat has been part of a shift toward greater transparency and accessibility, especially in the roasting and green buying realms.

The digitization of coffee sourcing isn't just a convenience play - it's fundamentally altering who gets to participate and how value flows through the supply chain.

I wanted to understand if we're witnessing a true disruption or just a repackaging of the same old power structures with a tech interface. Kat's perspective, from someone who's operated at multiple points in the value chain, offers some great clarity on what's really happening here, and what roasters who are just coming onto the green buying scene need to know about sourcing digitally.

• How coffee roasting's culture of secrecy is evolving toward openness and collaboration
• The shift from traditional importing to technology-enabled direct sourcing platforms
• Algrano's digital marketplace model for connecting producers and roasters
• The business advantages of forward buying for both sides of the supply chain
• Current market challenges facing traditional coffee importers
• How small roasters can now establish direct relationships from day one
• The important distinctions between direct sourcing and direct trade
• Why origin experiences fundamentally change coffee professionals' perspectives
• How immersive origin trips create meaningful connections across the coffee industry

00:00 Breaking Down Coffee Roasting Secrets

07:00 Modern Coffee Sourcing Evolution

15:15 Defining Direct Trade vs. Direct Sourcing

21:03 Algrano: Simplifying Coffee Trade Logistics

24:10 Digital Marketplaces vs. Traditional Importing

30:22 Current Challenges for Coffee Importers

34:01 How Technology Transforms Producer Relationships

37:33 Overcoming Forward Buying Hesitation

40:09 Algrano's Transparent Business Model

44:06 Building Meaningful Producer Connections

46:01 Kat's Origin Journey: Farm to Roastery

53:34 Creating Immersive Origin Experiences

58:08 How to Connect with Kat and Algrano

• RoasterKat Instagram
• RoasterKat YouTube
• Algrano
• Coffee People Zine

• Kona Farm Direct (Hawaiian coffee farm)
• El Vergel (Colombian coffee producer)
• Mountain Harvest

The Coffee Think Tank podcast is a show about trends, ideas, and innovations in coffee by Fresh Cup, hosted by Garrett Oden. Subscribe to Fresh Cup for more industry insights at freshcup.com.

We’re in a change or die moment across the industry, and even more established companies are having to rethink everything to make sure the numbers all add up. The rising c-market price, in particular, is throwing everyone for a loop, but there are other pressures that are forcing leaders to stay on their toes.

I asked Anne Djerai, CEO of Metropolis Coffee, to come on the podcast and talk about what it’s like to be what we end up calling a ‘wartime CEO’.

We talk about how to respond to changing conditions effectively. We talk about planning for a possible $5 green price, and how that affects their different business lines. What happens when your green coffee broker defaults, how to make hard choices as a business leader, and how the distinctions between commercial and specialty coffee are being chipped away over time.

If you’d like to learn what it’s like to lead your coffee business right through the storm effectively, this episode is a must listen. And if you like the podcast, make sure to hit subscribe wherever you’re listening.

Thanks to this season’s sponsor, SumUp, a modern point of sale system for cafes.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Change in Specialty Coffee03:00 The Journey to CEO: Challenges and Growth06:11 Market Dynamics: Specialty vs. Commodity Coffee08:47 Responding to Market Pressures and Price Adjustments12:01 Looking Ahead: Trends and Predictions for 202515:05 The Impact of Rising Costs on Business Models25:46 Navigating Coffee Pricing and Market Challenges28:02 Leadership in Wartime: The CEO Experience31:35 Building a Trusting Team During Tough Times33:10 Empathy as a Leadership Tool35:07 The Complexities of the CEO Title36:37 Understanding Broker Defaults and Their Impact39:46 The Role of AI in Coffee Supply Chain44:20 The Churchill Duck: A Symbol of Leadership47:31 Advice for Emerging Leaders

Where To Find Anne

Metropolis Coffee website

Anne Djerai on LinkedIn

Metropolis Coffee on Instagram

Metropolis Workshop (the co-packing arm of Metropolis Coffee)

Mentioned in the Episode

Gemini for Google Suite (the AI tool Anne uses for email management and organization)

EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) (a management framework by Geno Wickman)

Churchill Duck (the rubber duck)

The Coffee Think Tank podcast is a show about trends, ideas, and innovations in coffee by Fresh Cup, hosted by Garrett Oden. Subscribe to Fresh Cup for more industry insights at freshcup.com.

Everyone wants recurring, predictable revenue, and the pull of reliable income has been strong enough to turn nearly everything into a subscription program: toothpaste in glass bottles, delivered meal kits, toys for dogs, and of course—coffee beans, or coffee pods, or frozen coffee pods. There are many kinds of coffee subscriptions.

But subscription models for coffee shops—like actually visiting a shop in person—haven't really caught on. There's no winning framework for coffee shop subscriptions like there is for subscribing to a roaster online. But the dream of recurring revenue for the in-person cafe experience is alive and well among operators and leaders.

That's why I wanted to talk with Patrick and Krystal Burns. For nearly a decade, they've run Palace Coffee in Amarillo, Texas and built out a membership program that goes beyond discounted drinks. They've refined their program a lot over the years, and it's fascinating to learn how they've adjusted pricing, perks, marketing, and operations to keep the program going and profitable.

Thanks to this season’s sponsor, ⁠SumUp⁠, a modern point of sale system for cafes.

What You'll Learn

- How Palace Coffee transformed a traditional "mug club" into a sustainable membership program that generates predictable revenue

- The economics behind pricing an in-person coffee subscription and the calculations that make it profitable- Why community events became a powerful differentiator in their subscription model

- How to balance discount structures without sacrificing profitability

- The recent evolution from an annual membership to a monthly subscription format- The technology and operational systems needed to manage a coffee shop subscription program

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Palace Coffee and Community Focus

05:58 Building Community Through Membership Programs

12:13 Adapting to Change: Lessons from COVID-19

18:00 The Future of Palace Coffee's Membership Program

31:49 Navigating Customer Engagement and Feedback

39:40 Expanding Community Connections

47:21 The Origin Story of Palace Coffee

53:09 Theater as a Reflection of Life

Where to Find Our Guests⁠

Palace Coffee website

⁠⁠Palace Coffee on Instagram⁠

Email Patrick -- [email protected]

Mentioned In The Episode

⁠Per Diem⁠ (mobile ordering app w/ subscription management)

⁠Cinemark Movie Club⁠ (inspiration for their subscription model)

*The Coffee Think Tank podcast is a show about trends, ideas, and innovations in coffee by Fresh Cup, hosted by Garrett Oden. Subscribe to Fresh Cup for more industry insights at freshcup.com