5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

In today’s episode we’re discussing the future of office coffee and finding out how coffee businesses are adapting to changing dynamics and the rise of hybrid working. In this episode we’ll examine the UK and European office coffee markets and in a later episode we’ll take an in-depth look at the North American market. Today, we’ll speak with Nick Stevens, B2B Commercial Director UK&I, Nespres...

Today's episode is part two of a conversation with Peter Harman - a veteran restaurateur, author and host of the Build A Better Restaurant podcast . In part one, Peter walked us through his Eight Basic Fundamentals and actionable insights for success in the highly complex restaurant industry. In part two, Peter shares yet more wisdom from his years in the restaurant industry and outlines his Six S...

In today’s episode we're joined by Peter Harman - a veteran restaurateur, author and host of the Build A Better Restaurant podcast . Drawing on a wealth of experience in the restaurant industry, Peter's weekly podcast shares invaluable insight and advice on how to grow as a leader and build a more profitable hospitality business. Over the next two episodes, we'll bring you a snapshot of some of hi...

In today's episode, we’re stepping into one of the world's most vibrant and trendy coffee shop markets to uncover why Korea is so captivated by coffee. In conversations with Cera Jung, Country Manager, Specialty Coffee Association Korea , Ryan Suh, General Manager, Blue Bottle Coffee Korea and Matt Lee, General Manager, La Marzocco Korea, we'll find out how the Korean coffee market has evolved in...

Following on from our Antipodean brunch episode , today we’re speaking with Adam White, Founder of Riding House Cafés –  a pioneering all-day dining operator in central London. After a career managing pubs for Mitchells & Butlers and success with his own venture, The Garrison in edgy Bermondsey, Adam opened The Riding House Café in Fitzrovia in 2010. Since then, Riding House has established it...

In today's episode, we're diving into the world of plant-based beverages to explore the rapid rise of non-dairy options in coffee shops and what's next for this dynamic category. We'll first speak with Sam Henderson, Group Beverage Development Manager at Starbucks EMEA and Mia Hartwell, Head of Food, Hubbub to find out how the dairy alternative category has developed in recent years and why more c...

In today’s episode, we’re speaking with a true industry legend - Todd Carmichael, specialty coffee pioneer and Co-founder of La Colombe Coffee Roasters . From humble beginnings, Todd founded La Colombe with his business partner JP Iberti in Philadelphia in 1994 and together, they grew the business into one of the most influential coffee brands in North America. In 2023 La Colombe was fully acquire...

In today's episode we're exploring the Antipodean influence on London's brunch culture and finding out how this unique style of hospitality made its mark in the UK capital’s fiercely competitive casual dining scene.   We'll be speaking with the founders behind three of London’s iconic Antipodean-inspired all-day restaurants to find out how brunch culture has evolved across the city, and how they d...

In today’s episode we’re speaking with one of the most innovative pioneers within the global coffee equipment market, Kees van der Westen. Since designing his first machine in 1984, Kees has been an industry trailblazer, known for an unwavering commitment to quality, boundary-pushing design and innovation. Today Kees focuses on research and development, while the core business operations are run b...

In today’s episode we’re speaking with Hans Tietema, Founder of the highly-respected Dutch retail and coffee bar chain Kaldi Koffie & Thee . With over 30 years of experience in the coffee industry, Hans has grown Kaldi from a single shop to a thriving franchise business with 25 sites across the Netherlands plus a recent partnership in Saudi Arabia. In this conversation Hans shares insight on h...

Today we’re rounding off our series on the business of coffee roasting by finding out how leading roasters establish and nurture their wholesale partnerships. We'll speak with Colin Morrison, Managing Director, Small Batch Coffee Roasters , Petr Kvasnička, Owner, Father's Coffee Roastery and Alex Spruce, Sales Director, Löfbergs UK , to understand how they market their brand and generate new busin...

In this episode we’re speaking with David Steingard, CEO and co-founder of New York-based coffee business, Laughing Man. David founded Laughing Man in 2009 with his business partners, united by a vision to foster connection, positivity and community through coffee. The company has also set up a related charitable initiative The Laughing Man Foundation and more recently, the content creation space...

Following on from our last episode on the world of green coffee, today we’re releasing the complete interview with John Gibson, Head Roaster at Danish specialty coffee and bakery chain, La Cabra. In this conversation, John walks us through La Cabra’s approach to sourcing green coffee, how he selects growers to work with and the importance of nurturing those relationships at origin.  He also unpack...

Today we’re continuing our series on the business of coffee roasting and exploring the world of green coffee supply. We'll speak with Jordan Hooper, Head of Green Coffee Trading, Sucafina and Line Cosmidis, Head of Specialty Sales, Falcon Coffees , to learn more about the green coffee supply chain, the role of the trader and how this has evolved in the digital era. We'll also speak with John Gibso...

In today’s episode we’re returning to our funding mini series and speaking with entrepreneur Ed Barry about scaling and ultimately selling a coffee business. Ed is the former owner of London-based independent cafe chain Over Under Coffee . Ed founded and grew Over Under to a formidable eight-strong chain, plus a franchise in the Middle East, before selling the business to ambitious New York-based...

The London Coffee Festival 2024 is less than 2 weeks away and with it comes a four-day celebration of London’s vibrant coffee scene and its dedicated community. Since its inception in 2011 , The London Coffee Festival has attracted tens of thousands of hospitality professionals and coffee connoisseurs, fostering deep connections among those with a shared passion for coffee in London. And so in cel...

In today’s episode we’re swapping our coffee beans for tea leaves and speaking with Nathan Kosky, Executive Vice President, for Rishi Tea & Botanicals. Founded in 1997 by Joshua Kaiser, Rishi Tea was a pioneer in bringing premium loose-leaf tea to the North American market. Today the brand supplies a wide range of high-quality teas, powders and infusions to coffee shops, restaurants and consum...

In today’s episode we’re speaking with Eileen Rinaldi, Founder and CEO of San Francisco’s iconic Ritual Coffee Roasters. Established in 2005, Ritual was a forerunner in San Francisco’s specialty coffee movement that exploded in the late-2000s. Today, the business operates five sites and a roastery in the Bay Area and Napa Valley. In this insightful conversation, Eileen discusses her bold ambition...

Following on from our last episode exploring the equipment required for a successful roastery, today we are releasing the complete interview with Scott Stouffer, Chief Sales Officer, Probat . In this conversation, Scott offers incredible insights into the world of coffee roasting equipment and he sheds light on which markets are growing the fastest. He also discusses the latest trends in technolog...

In today's episode we're continuing our series on the business of coffee roasting and focusing on the essential infrastructure required for a successful roastery. We'll speak with Scott Stouffer, Chief Sales Officer, Probat and Andreas Idl, CEO & Founder, Cropster to get an overview of the roasting equipment market globally and find out how technology and AI can be used to improve coffee consi...

In today's "Coffee Entrepreneur" episode, we're speaking with Dillon Edwards and AJ Walzer, the team behind one of New York City’s favourite specialty coffee brands - Parlor Coffee. Dillon founded Parlor Coffee in 2012, originally as a pop up espresso bar in a Williamsburg barber’s shop. AJ joined in 2014 and since then, Parlor has grown to a formidable and globally revered roasting business, driv...

In today’s episode we're to be joined by Vanusia Nogueira, Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO). Established in 1963, the ICO was set up to regulate the global coffee market, promote international cooperation and administer the International Coffee Agreement. Today the ICO is as a vital platform for education and consultation, fostering long-term, sustainable productio...

In today's episode we're kicking off a new mini series on Thailand's vibrant coffee shop market, exploring the recent growth of specialty coffee and opportunities for international brands. First up, we're speaking with Varatt "Tae" Vichit-Vadakan, founder of Kinnest Group - a boutique F&B group in Bangkok with over 20 hospitality venues and 8 sub brands including Roots Coffee, Roast and Monty'...

Today we're kicking off a new series on the business of coffee roasting, exploring all aspects of setting up a roastery - from sourcing equipment and green coffee to building a brand and establishing wholesale partnerships. In the first episode, we speak with Lem Butler, Co-Founder, Black and White Coffee Roasters and Kirby Sinclair, Co-founder, The Roasting Party , to understand the basics and fi...

Today we’re continuing our funding series by speaking with Dan Hardy, Chief Revenue Officer at Crowdcube to find out how to prepare and execute a successful crowdfunding campaign.  Crowdcube is Europe’s largest private lending marketplace with a community of over 1.5 million members. To date the platform has helped raise £1.4 billion of investment and has worked with over 1,300 entrepreneurs, incl...