5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

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...

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 an...

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...

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...

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, Fou...

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...

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 elev...

This week we’re bringing you a very special bonus episode with Isabela Raposeiras, former Brazilian Barista Champion and Founder of the pioneering specialty coffee and coffee education business, Coffee Lab in São Paulo. In this fascinating conversation, Isabela shares her extraordinary journey motivated by living through a family bankruptcy, to owning one of the best coffee shops in the world.  Sh...

Coffee and hospitality is truly a people business and on the podcast this week we’re highlighting the importance of investing time and resources in staff training and their career development. In conversations with Tim Sturk, Founder, Cherry Coffee Training , Ben Helt, Training Director, Specialty Coffee Association , and Diana Getchius, VP of Human Resources, Union Square Hospitality Group , we f...

On the podcast this week we’re walking through the fundamentals of building a coffee brand and how to express that concept across every aspect of the business. We chat with Ibrahim Ibrahim, Managing Director of branding agency Portland Design , who unpacks his framework for ideating and rolling out a successful hospitality concept. We also speak with two standout coffee operators, Talor Browne, Fo...

On the podcast this week we're investigating the design and build-out process for cafés to understand exactly what's required each step of the way when opening a new hospitality venue. We chat with Anna Burles, CEO and Founder of contemporary design agency Run For The Hills , who takes us through the intricate process of designing a new space. We also speak with two leading operators, Valdemar Hal...

This week on the podcast, we're exploring the global supply chain crisis and how it is impacting coffee shop operators around the world. We chat with Xavier Martinez, Global Supply Chain Officer, Costa Coffee , Jack Brewitt, CEO and founder, 92 Degrees , and Gert-Jan Eling, Operations Manager, Algrano , to find out how coffee businesses are navigating these challenges and the medium and short-term...

On the podcast today we’re exploring the market for home coffee roasting and its potential to resonate with the sophisticated home coffee consumer. In conversations with Andrew Stordy, founder of IKAWA , Tom Owen, Co-founder, Sweet Maria's , and author and editor Kenneth Davids , we uncover the history of home roasting, find out who the consumers are that roast at home, and address the barriers to...

On the podcast this week we’re examining the market for high end coffee grinders and their essential role in the coffee making process. In conversations with Dale Harris, World Barista Champion and Global New Product & Business Development at Hasbean / Ozone Coffee Roasters , Lena Frick, Head Of Marketing, Hemro Group , and Lauro Fioretti, Chief Engineer, Simonelli Group , we discuss just how...

On the podcast this week we’re exploring the impact of soaring inflation on the global economy and the rising pressures on hospitality operators. We speak with Will Hawkley, Global Head of Leisure & Hospitality, KPMG , Chris Ammermann, Director of Operations, Caravan , and Jim Ragas, President & CEO, The Second Cup Coffee Company, to understand where inflation is stemming from, how operato...

This week on the podcast we’re exploring the growing demand for decaffeinated coffee and its increasing potential in the specialty landscape. In conversations with Laura Burton, Marketing Lead for Coffee, Taylors of Harrogate , Chris Kornman, Director of Education, Royal Coffee , and Emmanuel Dias, VP of Trading for Europe, Swiss Water , we discuss the different processes for removing caffeine, fi...

On the podcast this week we’re addressing the important topic of diversity and inclusion across the coffee industry. We’ll be exploring why it is important to have a diverse workforce, what it means to be truly inclusive, and the business benefits of building a welcoming environment for both customers and staff. To help us tackle these complex questions and shed light on some different employee an...

On the podcast this week we’re exploring the multi-billion dollar coffee capsule industry, to uncover the opportunities for pods and capsules, and understand why many specialty coffee players have recently entered the space.  In conversations with Jason Webber, B2C Commercial Director, Nespresso UK , Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, Founder, Colonna Coffee and Adrienne Roberts, CEO, Allpress Espresso , w...

On the podcast this week, we're discussing how Covid has impacted the real estate market for coffee and hospitality businesses and why finding the right site can make or break any new café opening. In conversations with Russel Helbling, Managing Director, Katz & Associates , Heather Perry, VP, Klatch Coffee , and Julia Wilkinson, Restaurant Director at Shaftesbury , we'll explore the success f...

Today we’re catching up with Kris Schackman, Co-founder of Berlin’s iconic coffee chain Five Elephant. In this conversation, we learn about Kris’ early journey from the film industry into coffee, the evolution of the German specialty scene over the last decade, and the key decisions that have shaped the creation of one of the most respected roastery cafes in Europe. Credits music: "Rain Pour Down"...

On the podcast this week, we’re hitting the streets of the UK to discover what’s happening across the nation’s fast-growing specialty coffee market.  From London to Birmingham, Edinburgh and beyond, the specialty segment has seen remarkable growth in the 20 years since coffee consumption exploded across the UK high streets. To find out what’s next for this exciting market and the challenges and op...

On the podcast today we’re entering the world of biophilia – a powerful human-centric design philosophy that’s making inroads to the mainstream and revolutionising hospitality spaces worldwide. To help us get to grips with the basics of biophilia and understand the health promoting benefits of reconnecting with nature, we’re speaking with Oliver Heath , one of the world’s leading thinkers in bioph...

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 cof...

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 Sa...

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 bus...