5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

On the podcast this week, we're exploring the remarkable growth of cafés in Saudi Arabia and why coffee is fast-becoming big business in the Middle East powerhouse.In conversations with Abdullah Al Harazi, Technical Training Manager, Barn's, Sara Alali, Founder, THAT Boutique Café, and Fadi Hamoud, COO and Ali Alkhabbaz, Head of Coffee, Nejoud Restaurant Management Company, we discuss Saudi's historical coffee culture, the trends that are shaping the market today, and the growth opportunities for homegrown and international coffee businesses.Credits music: "All I know" by Norman Alexander in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In today’s episode, we’re bringing you a feature length interview with Nick Stone, CEO and Founder of Bluestone Lane - an Australian inspired, boutique hospitality chain with 62 locations in major cities across the US.In this fascinating conversation, Nick shares his extraordinary insight, key business learnings and wisdom gained from his multifaceted career. He also discusses the importance of developing a distinct and well-communicated value proposition and how human connection and community are central to the essence of Bluestone Lane.Credits music: "Beat the Blue" by KIA in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast today we're exploring the business case for drive-thru coffee and the potential for this highly-profitable format to expand across new market segments and geographies.In conversation with Kevin Hydes, Chief Commercial Officer, Tim Hortons, UK&I, Brett Bolwell, CEO, Barista Technology, and coffee historian Amanda Whitt, we explore the historical rise of drive-thru coffee in the US, the gravitation towards convenience post-Covid, and the format's growing popularity in the UK, Australia and beyond.Credits music: "The Great Outdoors" by Richard James aka HOLNE in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

This week we’re chatting with Ralf Rüller, Founder, CEO and creative force behind The Barn - a curated specialty coffee business with a roastery and 10 coffee shops in Berlin, plus three international stores, spanning Mallorca, Dubai, and most recently Seoul in Korea.In this conversation Ralf shares his entrepreneurial journey from a career in banking and a stint in acting school in London before stepping into the world of coffee and founding his own business. He also discusses his ambitions for international expansion, and how his total obsession with quality has always been at the core of his business philosophy.Credits music: "Little Pieces" by Pablo Mir-Mir in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast this week we're examining the impact of soaring energy prices and how café operators are navigating this unprecedented crisis.We first speak with Murielle Gagnebin, Senior Associate of EU Energy Policy at Agora Energiewende, to understand how the energy crisis arose and how long policymakers expect it will last. We also speak with Henry Ayers, Co-Founder, The Gentlemen Baristas and Konstantinos Konstantinopoulos, CEO, Coffee Island about the pressures operators are facing and how they are managing the steep increase in costs across their businesses.Credits music: "Life Lives Inside" by Flo Perlin and Pilgrim’s Dream in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast this week we’re bringing you a feature length interview with Roland Horne, Founder & CEO of WatchHouse – a boutique specialty coffee business with 10 locations across London, and five new UK sites already in design plus a flagship store scheduled to open in Manhattan in 2023.In this conversation, Roland discusses his entrepreneurial vision and growth ambitions for the business and shares how his risk-on mindset and desire to leave a meaningful legacy has helped to rapidly propel WatchHouse.Credits music: "Don't Give Up" by Yolanda Mutesasira in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear 

This week we’re bringing you a very special bonus episode with Anne Lunell, a former Swedish Barista Champion, international coffee judge and the co-visionary behind Koppi Coffee Roasters - an internationally acclaimed coffee roaster based in the Swedish town of Helsingborg.In this candid conversation, Anne discusses the importance of building a values-based business and shares why taking a step back and simplifying Koppi’s business model has created a fundamental work-life balance that so many successful entrepreneurs crave.Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear 

To celebrate the World Barista Championship taking place at Melbourne International Coffee Expo next week, we're turning the spotlight on this highly influential coffee city to explore the past, present and future of Melbourne's specialty coffee scene.In conversations with Ross Quail, Sales Director for Asia Pacific, Hemro International, Mark Dundon, Co-owner, Seven Seeds, and Sean Edwards, Founder, Cafe Culture magazine and the Golden Bean awards, we explore how Melbourne's coffee landscape has evolved over the last 20 years, how the city's culinary scene played an important role in the growth of cafe culture, and why Melbourne continues to inspire coffee businesses around the world today.Credits music: "Love & Distance" by Hollie Rogers, feat. Jamie Lawson and Robben Ford in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear 

Last week in our episode on coffee competitions we featured a clip from a conversation with 2009 World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies and today we bring you the interview in full.Gwilym is the founder of London’s iconic Prufrock cafe, is a coffee judge, runs his own barista training centre and recently launched his own coffee brand - The Naughty Dog.In this conversation, Gwilym shares a powerful story of personal growth, how becoming a reluctant winner ended up defining his coffee career, and why now is the time to hand the portafilter to the next generation of coffee professionals. Credits music: "Uncharted Waters" by Cloudy Galvez in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear 

On the podcast this week, we're pulling back the curtain on the world of coffee competitions and exploring their profound impact on the coffee industry.We chat with competition organisers, judges and barista champions, Stephen Morrissey, of the Specialty Coffee Association, Gwilym Davies, Morgan Eckroth and Rastislav Kasár, to understand the role competitions play in the community, how they elevate coffee standards, and find out what it takes to win.Credits music: "Summer is for falling in love" by Sarah Kang in collaboration with The Coffee Music ProjectSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear