Joey's Story: The Honor of Service.

Favorite drink: Cappuccino

Favorite origin: Ethiopia and Columbia

 

“I felt like there was a good amount of diversity in the California coffee scene. Around here in Seattle I would say it’s definitely less- it’s not a stark difference, but it’s definitely less. I would love to see more diversity. I think in order to invite more diversity into their space, cafes could have more pop-up events in lower income communities. I know that a lot of big corporations sometimes have events like that. I am a huge basketball fan, and big teams do a lot of community outreach, both within low income communities and more globally in order to attract a broader audience. I think that is something we could implement in the third wave coffee community. Especially pop-ups. Have pop-ups with coffee and different types of drinks in order to get a coffee shop name out into the community. I want to own a coffee shop one day and that’s definitely something I would want do- for more exposure. Like anything else you have, the more response you have the better. Have community events, have pop-ups, different discussions with the community.

I think the local coffee shop has a big responsibility to the community. For most places a coffee shop is the community hub. And I think it’s a huge responsibility of the coffee shop to foster that. One of my favorite coffee shops in Los Angeles doesn’t provide wi-fi on the weekends- in order to foster an engaging community space. That is something that fascinates me and something I would probably want to do at my own coffees shop. Especially nowadays, there is such disconnect. I think creating this atmosphere (with no wi-fi for instance) can help cause a reconnection, just humans being humans. I think as a coffee shop, we have the responsibility to foster that connection. But also be a place where we can have disagreement in a respectful manner. I think a coffee shop should create space to have conversations on difficult topics in a safe environment. And I think that is also part of the huge responsibility that coffee shops have to their communities.

I know I am in a safe environment when I walk into a coffee shop and am greeted with a smile. It makes me feel seen, as a human. And talked to genuinely. Sometimes you go into a place and you know the barista just wants to get the day over with. I try to be an optimistic person, like maybe they are just having a bad day, and so I go ahead and meet them with a smile. Ask them, genuinely, how their day is going, and usually that sets the interaction on a different trajectory. Perhaps they will want to open up more, and likewise, we can have a better interaction- a conversation can thrive from there. Like with any conversation, it can get closed off if they are just trying to get your work done- you are less likely to open up and be yourself.

It’s all about the human aspect. A coffee shop excels depending on how we work with customers, we work with our product, we work with the equipment, and appreciate the privilege to make someone’s day. I try to do that as a barista. I smile a lot. My girlfriend makes fun of me for it. But it’s just my personality- to smile. Obviously, there are days when you don’t feel like working, but having the ability to serve is something that I think is really beautiful.

One of the most paramount ideas in the coffee industry: when you serve, it’s a reward too, to continue to do that. For me – we have a scale to weigh the grinds, and sometimes when you’re in a rush, you just dose it and go, but I have to weigh each shot. I want to make sure that each customer is getting the best possible shot that they can. It’s just going the extra mile to make someone else’s day a little bit easier. This world is tough in and of itself, I would like to just make a person’s day just that much easier. Having that honor makes me happy to be in the coffee industry and be a part of a regular’s life, or even a stranger’s who I am meeting for the first time. It’s like meeting different worlds. It’s cool to explore that.”

 Joey values open communication and access to education in order to feel good behind the bar. “I think that just having a genuine conversation with my manager- not even about work- but being able to talk about what needs to get done at work, and anything and everything under the sun- it just makes things easier. It makes it more fun. I think that’s a good way to feel support- like you can laugh and have a good time at work. It makes it feel like I can come to them without fear. If I need something done about a situation, or I feel nervous to tell my manager something. But when there is that communication and levity in conversation it makes it easier to ease into things. It even helps during a stressful day or during a rush. Just having conversation while you are in it makes it feel like you are in battle together.

I think in the beginning of hiring- there is more investment from ownership. But then ideally it would be a two-partner investment. I am always willing to learn from anybody, I don’t care if you don’t have that much experience. I am always eager to learn from whoever. I think in the beginning it starts off with ownership investing time into new hires. But then when it goes in the other direction, that’s awesome. I love to learn from what others have to bring – we all have different life experiences. Maybe there is a way that the coffee shop could improve ways of doing things. I think that is an area where my first boss could have improved a little bit more. I had co-workers who had some ideas, but he would listen to them, but didn’t act upon their ideas, or give much importance to them. For me, personally, when I own my own shop, I never want to not be approachable. I always want to be open to new ideas. That’s why, if I were to hire someone, I want them to be a team player. As the owner, I would have all these responsibilities I have to do. But at the same time, I don’t want to be thinking I’m above the barista. That’s definitely why, as much as there are so many other responsibilities to the business side of coffee, I never want to be taken away fully from bar. Just to show that I am a leader by example.

That is something that is huge for me. Talk the talk, but also walk the walk. For me I think of a coffee shop owner as you were me once, cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing the toilet- you worked hard to get to where you are, and that’s definitely an amazing accomplishment, but you never forget where you came from. Not to lose sight of that. I want to be an active owner like that, when I open my own coffee shop. Like cleaning the bathroom, - be willing to do it, and make sure the baristas know that you are willing to do it.”

One word Joey would use to describe his time in coffee: “Inspirational. I think back to when I first started- steaming milk, and learning all these things- and, like with anything else that you learn- I find that I will never get to a point where I am done learning. And I think if my younger self could see me now, he would be really proud. It’s inspirational in the sense that like, if I can do this, I can do anything, and having the aspiration to open my own coffee shop- to have a collaborative work environment- is something that I believe that I can accomplish- seeing where I was to where I am now, inspires me just to continue to learn more and more things. And not be afraid to pursue whatever I want to pursue. There is a quote from a Jewish philosopher- Martin Buber ‘All journeys have secret designations, of which the traveler is unaware.’ I think growing up I never thought I would work in coffee, especially as a little kid. Coffee has definitely been a secret destination for me.

I draw inspiration [for my future shop] from almost every coffee shop I go to. How I want to decorate, how I want to design it. I definitely want it to be an open space. I’ve never been to a specific coffee shop like that, but having an open space I think opens up the mind and adds a little more clarity. My girlfriend is really into plants, so having like lots of plants in the coffee shop is definitely something that I want to have. Having a strong chai and matcha menu is something that I really want to push. I call my girlfriend a chai connoisseur.

I want to have a diversity of baristas, and also artists showing their work-artists from different communities. And I want to have a community board, in a unique way. I would love to have a mural outside my coffee shop. Something that resembles togetherness, community, and creativity. There are four major cities where I would like to have a coffee shop: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and New York. That’s my goal. But to even just have one, I would be happy. Having four in different cities would be a huge milestone for me. At first, it would be a multi roaster shop. Start with one established roaster, but also have roasters that are up and coming. I would want to get their name out. But then eventually, I would want to roast our own coffee.

I think the coffee world needs more education around new technologies, new ways of tasting things and innovation. I go to other coffee shops and see new things that are developing, and then I hear from other baristas that their managers are only stuck in the way they do things. Maybe it’s time to take a try at something new. Change things up a bit, and maybe you fall in love with that new innovation, or a new way of doing things. It might just add a new experience to a coffee shop. So I think more education around innovation is what the coffee industry needs now. And I would love to learn more about roasting. It would be cool if there was a way to teach about roasting without companies worrying about their recipes going public. It could be done in a way where that doesn’t happen- just teaching the foundations.

I think that with no experience, people are discouraged to apply to coffee jobs. Sometimes you need to have a certain about of experience, so you just don’t apply- you’re afraid to. I never would have gotten into the coffee scene if it weren’t for my first boss taking a chance on me. That’s something I want to implement in my own coffee shop- bring people in that don’t know anything, and teach them. Like how I was taught. Pay it forward. I would hire hard workers, people with no ego, and people who have a passion for coffee. But the hardworking aspect is huge. If you are a hard worker, and dedicated to your craft, no matter what it is- whether you’re here for a year or for five- I know I can depend on you to provide the best. That is something my mother instilled in me. She is an immigrant from Mexico, and came over and worked hard. Now she is a Senior Retirement Analyst.

She is someone that has always inspired me to work hard- chase after what you want.”

Joey’s advice to baristas first starting out: “Be eager to learn. And never stop learning. Always be a student of our craft and smile and be engaging. No matter how small you think your effect is to the world around you, - to the people around you, it’s actually huge. Even if you don’t know it. You have an impact. It’s a responsibility- seeing it in that way makes it a true honor that you have, to impact someone’s life so greatly. Even if you don’t know it. In that way it’s kind of sweet and more sincere, because it’s not like you do something and you see an automatic good impact. You might say something they really needed to hear, and then you might never see them again. So just knowing the impact that your words have. And with the cup of coffee that you make- just taking it that extra mile. Never forget to be human, I guess.”