I fell in love with coffee at a very young age (maybe even toddler) My grandpa would make the best coffee. He would make what he called "cafe con leche." He would start with coffee in an Espresso Pot - it made really strong coffee, then he would add a tablespoon of Hershey's Cocoa Powder, then top the cup off with sweetened condensed milk. It was basically a dessert, and I loved it.
I met Sam as a colleague in coffee; he and I worked in the same community but never together. He previously had partnered with the founders of Olympia Coffee, but exited the company. Simultaneously, I was hired to run the company. Sam and I had a short transition time where we worked together. I could see that he was a hardworking and honest person, and generally a good person. When I realized I needed a partner after purchasing Olympia Coffee, the first person I thought of was Sam, so I asked him to come back as my partner in 2010.
My college degree is in food science. I realized quickly that all roasting was to that point was craft and very little science. Nobody actually knew what they were doing to develop flavors. I spent a couple of years in a lab looking at coffee roasting and chemical changes that take place. I realized that one of the things I really valued was the elongation of the proteins in coffee which allows for the fructose and sucrose to become soluble very easily in brewing. Our caramelization roast allows for a roast profile that is noticeable sweet in comparison to other coffee roasters.
One of my favorite coffees right now is Ethiopia Gola. Desta Gola is a single farmer in Wenago Yirgacheffee, and we met him more than ten years ago when he served on the board of the Adame Garbota Cooperative, another cooperative we still purchase from today. A couple of years ago, he reached out to let me know he was striking out on his own and building a tiny wet mill to process his coffee. Today, Olympia Coffee is the exclusive world buyer for his coffee. With the premiums of owning his own business, he has been able to send his oldest daughter to college.
Fair for All is my reaction to Direct Trade, which is simply not sustainable enough. Fair For All ensures that not only is the farmer paid a fair price, but the laborers and employees at the farm also are paid fair prices and work and live in human and safe conditions.
We looked at how we can help in the thick of the chaos. I remembered that sourcing and roasting coffee is our superpower, and if we are to focus on our mission to improve the quality of life, we had to use our expertise to help. As business was slowing down in cafes and baristas and roasters hours were reduced, I created a product called Tip Jar. We donated over 1500 lbs of green coffee and donated 100% of all sales of Tip Jar back to the staff of Olympia Coffee
a proud husband and a father.
Yes, I love to cook. I love experimenting with different recipes. When I have guests though, I go for dishes that are tried and true and that my family loves. Steamed clams or mussels, New Mexican Enchiladas (stacked) and pizzas are favorites.
I'm a huge music lover, and I'm almost always listening to music at work. I think my staff finds it funny how much I love Taylor Swift, but I mostly listen to folk-country music.
In High School, my older sister (who is just a year older than I) got her driver's license and a cute little 1982 Honda Civic. We named the car Little Buddy. Little Buddy gave us freedom from our boring suburban neighborhood and allowed us to explore the Tacoma area where I grew up. When we opened our Tacoma location in 2018, it made perfect sense to me to name a blend after that car. Little Buddy the car helped me explore and grow and learn, yet safely. Little Buddy does the same thing with your senses.
