5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

On today’s podcast we’re heading to the city that never sleeps to explore the past, present and future of New York’s influential specialty coffee scene.We’ll be speaking with coffee writer Ever Meister to find out how New York became a global centre for coffee culture and why the city's love affair with caffeine endures to this day We’ll also hear from the founders of two iconic NYC specialty coffee chains, Chi Sum Ngai and Kaleena Teoh of Coffee Project New York, and Caroline Bell of Café Grumpy, to discover what’s happening on the streets of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond and get their take on where the specialty market is headed.Credits music: "Friends" by Katie Kittermaster for The Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast this week, we’re diving into the world of water for coffee and unpacking its impact on café operations. What kind of water makes for an excellent espresso and for well-running machines? How should coffee operators embed water management systems into their day-to-day operations?To help answer these questions and understand the science of water a little deeper we’re speaking with Samantha Scoles, Head of Beverage at BRITA Professional UK, Dr. Marco Wellinger, research associate at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, and two coffee shop operators, Jon Whyte of Bean Coffee, and Mike Logue of Redemption Roasters.To go even deeper into coffee science you can enrol in the online course to receive a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence at Zurich University of Applied Sciences Credits Music: Coffee Bean by Zaniah Harris, winner of the Coffee Music Project 2021Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

To kick off 2022 we bring you a very special bonus episode with Klaus Thomsen, co-founder of the legendary Coffee Collective – a boutique specialty coffee chain, roastery, and bakery based in Copenhagen, Denmark.In this episode, we discuss Klaus’ early career and inspiration, the vision and culture behind Coffee Collective, and his key learnings to creating a successful and sustainable coffee business.Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast today we’re shifting our focus outside of coffee to steep ourselves in the world of tea.The tea industry is enormous, with a long and rich history. In fact, tea is the most consumed hot beverage globally. Yet in many coffee shops around the world, the consumer experience for tea falls short.What does an outstanding tea offer look like? What are the financial rewards for getting tea right? How can coffee operators create an enticing tea value proposition? To help us answer these questions, we’re speaking with Kai Ellerbrock, Managing Partner, Market Grounds, David Veal, Executive Director of The European Speciality Tea Association, and Oscar Woolley, Co-owner, Suki Tea Makers.Credits music: 'Wake me up' by Faith Child for the Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

On the podcast this week, we’re continuing our exploration of hiring strategies in the wake of the current hospitality staffing crisis. In part one, we covered how small independent operators are navigating this issue and today we’re turning our attention to larger scaled hospitality chains.In conversations with Danielle Caserta, Chief People Officer at Bluestone Lane, and Thomas Nørøxe, CEO, Joe & The Juice, we discuss the importance of building team culture and hear how these established operators are rethinking how they attract talent to their business.Credits music: 'Bout A Thing' by Julia Cole for the Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

The hospitality industry is experiencing one of the biggest staffing shortages in living memory. We covered the scale of the issue in a July 2021 episode and today, we’re returning to the topic to explore the solutions independent operators are trialling to attract and retain staff in the current climate.In this episode, we speak to small business owners from the UK and Europe and a tech-based recruitment start-up to hear how they are tackling this issue. Peter Dore-Smith, Founder of London’s iconic café brand Kaffeine, outlines his framework for hiring talent and ensuring staff are able to enjoy a good work life balance. Marian Plajdicko, Owner of Berlin-based Happy Baristas, shares how he’s pivoted his recruitment strategy and new approaches for targeting potential employees.Shelagh Ryan and Jo Mason, Co-founder and Operational Director, Lantana, discuss the new normal and improving working conditions for hospitality staff.Karina Coen, Managing Director of Hospitality Operations at Stint, shares how her start-up company is helping hospitality businesses address staffing pain points and nurture their core team of skilled workers.Read more from Peter Dore-Smith's blog 'Kaffeine Alumni: 12 Years of Legends' here.Credits music: "Summer Blue" by Iris Lune for the Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

Fresh from Le Paris Café Festival last week, today we’re putting the spotlight on the French capital and diving into the past, present and future of the rapidly changing specialty coffee scene across France.In conversations with influential coffee operators, major roasters and suppliers, we explore the shift in consumer demand for high-quality coffee and the impact Covid-19 has had on French drinking habits and Parisian coffee culture.Michael McCauley, Coffee Quality & Training Director, Cafés Richard, gives us a perspective on how the French coffee scene has evolved in the last 30 years.Tom Clark, Co-founder & CEO, Coutume shares the impact of Covid-19 on the Parisian coffee shop market and the challenges operators are facing today.Sandra Bouckenooghe, ambassador for La Marzocco France, discusses the new generation of specialty coffee professionals and what’s next for the French coffee scene.Credits music: "Paris" by Bandits on the Run, winners of the Coffee Music Project 2017.Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In the third episode of our mini-series on environmental sustainability across the coffee industry, we’re shifting the focus to carbon reduction in coffee roasteries. In conversations with a leading academic, an electric roaster manufacturer, and coffee roasters, large and small, we unpack where carbon is generated once green coffee leaves the farm and how coffee roasters can make their operations as sustainable as possible.Mark Maslin, Professor of Earth Systems Science at University College London provides an overview of the life cycle of a cup of coffee and where carbon is generated across the supply chain.Grayson Caldwell, Head of Sustainability, Bellwether Coffee, discusses the urgent need to electrify coffee roasting and the environmental benefits vs. traditional gas roasting.Ewan Reid, Managing Director, Matthew Algie, shares how his business is tackling the challenges of carbon production in large-scale roasting operations.Bengt Ove Hagen, Production Director, Joh. Johannson Kaffe shares how his team designed a brand new eco-focused roasting facility and their ambitions to become one of the world’s most sustainable coffee roasters.Read more on Bellwether’s annual sustainability report here. Credits music: “Rage” by Kate Klein in association with the Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

Today on the podcast we’re speaking with leading investors and experienced entrepreneurs to lift the lid on the world of mergers, acquisitions, and investment in the coffee space. What does a great hospitality business look like from the perspective of an investor? In what circumstances should you merge your business with another? What type of investor should you be looking for and who should you avoid? To help us answer these big questions, we speak with Henry McGovern, co-founder of McWin Investments – a recent investor in GAIL's Bakery, Nils Erichsen former Founding Partner of HEMRO Group and now CEO of Wave Investments, and David Abrahamovitch, CEO of Grind, to get their advice on building a successful coffee business and attracting investment.Credits music: RTime by 1403 in association with the Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In the second part of our mini-series exploring eco-sustainability across the coffee industry, we turn the spotlight on carbon generation in the coffee shop.In conversations with a café consultant and leading operators from Los Angeles, London and Singapore, we uncover exactly where and when carbon is being generated in coffee shops, what contributes the highest emissions in the store, and ask what owners can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Tim Ridley, Founder, United Baristas, provides a framework for understanding the carbon footprint of a cup of coffee and what that means for cafe owners.Zayde Naquib, CEO of Bar Nine, and Ten, discusses his approach to reducing waste and carbon emissions at his ecologically progressive cafes in Los Angeles.Lizzie Gurr, COO, Hasbean and Ozone Coffee, shares the ways her team are tackling their carbon footprint and their commitments to whole-cycle cooking.Pamela Chng, Founder, Bettr Group in Singapore, discusses the challenges of balancing business needs with the need to reduce the carbon footprint of cafes.Read more of United Barista's resources on reducing carbon emissions at unitedbaristas.com/CO2 Credits music: California Sky by Chanel Yates in association with The Coffee Music ProjectSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear