La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti. A Brotherhood Built on Coffee (2020)

71 snips

Jan 12, 2026

Guest

J.P. Iberti

Guest

Todd Carmichael

Todd Carmichael, an adventurous co-founder of La Colombe Coffee Roasters known for his endurance feats, teams up with J.P. Iberti, a former barista from France who helped scale the business. They recount their unexpected friendship, sparked at a Seattle concert, and their dream of revolutionizing coffee in the U.S. Discover the challenges they faced, from illegal ventilation fixes in their first roastery to pitching top chefs uninvited. Their journey culminated in the acquisition by Chobani, a testament to their dedication and innovation in the coffee world.

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ANECDOTE

Meeting Over Champagne And A Stove

Todd first met J.P. at a grunge show after spotting him ordering champagne at a dive bar.
They bonded when J.P. asked to use Todd's stove and then cooked for him weekly for three years.

ANECDOTE

Name From A French Artistic Inn

J.P. named La Colombe after La Colombie d'Or, a bed-and-breakfast near his hometown where artists stayed.
The name evoked the dove and an international artistic heritage they wanted the brand to channel.

ANECDOTE

Improvised Roastery And Ceramic Mugs

They shipped espresso machines and a roaster from Italy, bought hand-painted ceramics, and opened in Rittenhouse Square.
Early roasting lacked permits and ventilation, forcing them to vent through a garbage chute and roast at night.

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When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks are sold in stores across the country, and in 2023, La Colombe was acquired by Chobani for $900M.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:11:22 - Learning barista basics: like being a DJ
0:25:25 - Todd squats at JP’s place, they set out to sell coffee
0:29:48 - How La Colombe gets its name
0:32:40 - Launching the business in a city they've never visited
0:35:49 - The first roastery: no ventilation, visits from the fire department
0:40:29 - Pitching the coffee–uninvited–at a top French restaurant
0:46:48 - The trick to making a perfect espresso
0:53:30 - Todd takes a sabbatical: “I was suffering from my brain.”
0:57:40 - Expanding to more cafes and a shift from roasting to hosting
1:01:17 - An impasse with investors, and a bailout from Chobani’s founder
1:09:38 - Small Business Spotlight

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This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Sarah Sarasohn. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.

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