From the Grounds Up — A Journey Through the Coffee Shop Industry
Over the past three years, I’ve visited over 80 small-business coffee shops on a quest to find the very best in my area. While my palate for the finer intricacies of coffee is still developing, I’ve noticed that when a coffee shop roasts their own beans, I often enjoy their coffee more. This realization brewed a curiosity in me toward coffee roasting and the actual business behind it. It seems there’s an attention to detail that we’re not seeing from the outside; I wanted to understand it better.
One such shop—by the name of One World Roasters—became my family’s go-to coffee roaster. When an opportunity to work for them presented itself, I took the position without hesitation. I have to say—it’s pretty different from what I expected. It’s multifaceted, and with a wide variety of roles well beyond pulling a good espresso. With some months under my belt, I wanted to give you a window into my journey through the coffee shop business in this month’s blog.
What the Customer Sees
When most people think of working in a coffee shop, the job of a barista is probably what comes to mind. No doubt, this is certainly an important part of my work since joining One World. I need to make everything from a great espresso shot, to chais, to the cafe’s plethora of lattes, and also steam milk with perfect consistency; “perfect” of course being different for every drink I have to make (i.e. a dry cappuccino ditches the liquid and leaves only the froth). Oftentimes, I’ll learn a different way to make a drink from a customer’s order. Adaptability is key to this part of the job.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much the modern coffee shop employee is as much an ambassador for the brand as they are a barista and business manager. Outside of the big chains, the person you see behind the bar is doing a lot more than just pouring your coffee. They have to be or become savvy in a wide range of areas. Currently I manage One World Roaster’s social media accounts for Instagram and Facebook, which I post on multiple times a week. This put me in a few big roles that were new to me—specifically, photography, video, and content writing.
I spend about as much time each week meticulously taking video of my work in the cafe, editing graphics to promote events, and writing up social posts, as I do making drinks. There’s an attention to detail required of a coffee shop employee that I would never have imagined before this position. The professionalism of brand social media is so standard, it often goes unnoticed. A small shadow off to the side can make the difference between a video getting tons of engagement or looking amateur.
What the Customer Doesn't See
Obviously one of the big reasons I wanted to work at One World Roasters was the roasting, and about three weeks into my time at the shop, I finally got my chance. Learning from their head roaster, Eric, I was struck by how seriously they take the quality of their coffee—only buying from fair-trade / organic coffee farms, and putting beans through a very rigorous process of research and experimentation.
When I started operating their roaster, my only prior experience was as an at-home “cast-iron skillet warrior.” Needless to say, a top-line Diedrich R5 drum roaster is a bit more complicated than a skillet! I needed to learn how to properly operate the machine, but also methodically document the process, which was actually a lot more involved than the roasting, requiring exact temperature and gas measurements every 30 seconds of roast time!
There’s also work on the management end. This includes some standard tasks like taking inventory, assigning tasks other employees need to do, and even arranging collaborations on social media with coffee reviewers and other local businesses.
The Modern Coffee Shop Gig is a Full Education
Working in an independent coffee shop has been more complex than I’d ever previously imagined, but also a lot more fulfilling. It isn’t a passive job of pouring and stirring, but a proactive and engaging role with aspects of service, advertising, media proficiency, and technical skill.
In other words, it’s been an incredibly valuable opportunity for a person like me who is interested in breaking into the coffee industry. Coffee shops make up the third largest category of restaurants in America, and are also the most common new businesses being started. For anyone who wants to dive into a career in coffee, seeking out a position in a coffee shop and being open to whatever tasks that may entail is the best possible experience you can find. I look forward to sharing more of my journey with you in the months to come.
One such shop—by the name of One World Roasters—became my family’s go-to coffee roaster. When an opportunity to work for them presented itself, I took the position without hesitation. I have to say—it’s pretty different from what I expected. It’s multifaceted, and with a wide variety of roles well beyond pulling a good espresso. With some months under my belt, I wanted to give you a window into my journey through the coffee shop business in this month’s blog.
What the Customer Sees
When most people think of working in a coffee shop, the job of a barista is probably what comes to mind. No doubt, this is certainly an important part of my work since joining One World. I need to make everything from a great espresso shot, to chais, to the cafe’s plethora of lattes, and also steam milk with perfect consistency; “perfect” of course being different for every drink I have to make (i.e. a dry cappuccino ditches the liquid and leaves only the froth). Oftentimes, I’ll learn a different way to make a drink from a customer’s order. Adaptability is key to this part of the job.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much the modern coffee shop employee is as much an ambassador for the brand as they are a barista and business manager. Outside of the big chains, the person you see behind the bar is doing a lot more than just pouring your coffee. They have to be or become savvy in a wide range of areas. Currently I manage One World Roaster’s social media accounts for Instagram and Facebook, which I post on multiple times a week. This put me in a few big roles that were new to me—specifically, photography, video, and content writing.
I spend about as much time each week meticulously taking video of my work in the cafe, editing graphics to promote events, and writing up social posts, as I do making drinks. There’s an attention to detail required of a coffee shop employee that I would never have imagined before this position. The professionalism of brand social media is so standard, it often goes unnoticed. A small shadow off to the side can make the difference between a video getting tons of engagement or looking amateur.
What the Customer Doesn't See
Obviously one of the big reasons I wanted to work at One World Roasters was the roasting, and about three weeks into my time at the shop, I finally got my chance. Learning from their head roaster, Eric, I was struck by how seriously they take the quality of their coffee—only buying from fair-trade / organic coffee farms, and putting beans through a very rigorous process of research and experimentation.
When I started operating their roaster, my only prior experience was as an at-home “cast-iron skillet warrior.” Needless to say, a top-line Diedrich R5 drum roaster is a bit more complicated than a skillet! I needed to learn how to properly operate the machine, but also methodically document the process, which was actually a lot more involved than the roasting, requiring exact temperature and gas measurements every 30 seconds of roast time!
There’s also work on the management end. This includes some standard tasks like taking inventory, assigning tasks other employees need to do, and even arranging collaborations on social media with coffee reviewers and other local businesses.
The Modern Coffee Shop Gig is a Full Education
Working in an independent coffee shop has been more complex than I’d ever previously imagined, but also a lot more fulfilling. It isn’t a passive job of pouring and stirring, but a proactive and engaging role with aspects of service, advertising, media proficiency, and technical skill.
In other words, it’s been an incredibly valuable opportunity for a person like me who is interested in breaking into the coffee industry. Coffee shops make up the third largest category of restaurants in America, and are also the most common new businesses being started. For anyone who wants to dive into a career in coffee, seeking out a position in a coffee shop and being open to whatever tasks that may entail is the best possible experience you can find. I look forward to sharing more of my journey with you in the months to come.
