We are still plugging away on the long list of questions from guests and the most poignant one in this episode refers to the Barista. Why do we place all the emphasis on the Barista in this coffee culture. How come they are the "cool" job. Why do we put all of our emphasis in the cafe experience on the interaction with Baristas specifically? All of that and more on this episode. Thank you as always to Wilbur Curtis!
Feb 09, 2017•41 min
Couple of fun updates from our lives alone with follow up questions. Do we think External education is worthwhile? Why did we get an SBA loan? Do we think investors are good or bad? Why do we give our team $20 to gift drinks? All of this and more on this weeks episode of C&C podcast. Thanks Wilbur Curtis!
Jan 31, 2017•41 min
We partially answer a few questions for Unpacking Coffee, another coffee podcast and then jump into a few questions about communication, teamwork, & our past. Learn about our struggles with leaving previous companies and pursuing our dreams & celebrate our 100th episode with some classic melodies. Cheers & Thanks to Wilbur Curtis
Jan 21, 2017•52 min
Listen to our first ever Live Podcast at the KEXP radio showroom in Seattle where La Marzocco has their first cafe. We take questions from both the internet and the audience: Thoughts on farmers, NDA policy, Roasting, Dialing in and all things great. Special Thanks to LA Marzocco & KEXP for being such great hosts! Enjoy & Thanks to Wilbur Curtis. We have Coffee Subscriptions available @ catandcloud.com
Jan 14, 2017•1 hr 5 min
We had a live Instagram video asking what questions we should answer and so here it is. We close out 2016 talking about our highs & Lows as well as ranting about giving away drinks and how it affects us all. If you haven't, please vote for us at sprudge.com/vote for best coffee podcast, best new cafe & Real Chris Baca on Youtube. We appreciate you all and Wilbur Curtis for the love this year!
Dec 31, 2016•39 min
What are some of the tipping models? What do we think about cafe tipping? Sharing knowledge is hard, here's why we think posturing yourself to share and be confident is wise. What's up with trying to improve and implement service in places that are already established? How does the layout play a role? All that and more on this episode of the Cat & Cloud Coffee Podcast. Thanks, Wilbur Curtis for the love!
Dec 25, 2016•55 min
WE have been nominated for best coffee podcast, best coffee video & best Cafe. Vote Cat & Cloud & Real Chris Baca at sprudge.com/vote In this episode we interview Anne Nylander who has taken on consulting after her long stint in coffee. She has worked with the Specialty Coffee Association of America, Starbucks & more. She talks of her story, asks us some questions about our Values & how we are applying them and walks us through some of the vision for how she hopes to help you. We talk trends, fo...
Dec 17, 2016•1 hr 5 min
Liz Chai is an avid coffee lover with a background in design. She fell in love with coffee in Atlanta through Octane & Counter Culture Coffee companies. Through the years she has helped with Aeropress Championships, Photographed, Freelanced as a writer and done part time barista work. She has learned a lot through traveling. She took her airstream trailer on a tour of the US while in transition to Portland, Oregon, where she lives now. Enjoy!
Dec 11, 2016•52 min
Scott Rao has written multiple books about coffee roasting, extraction & theory. His story includes founding coffee shops, studying physics, traveling, blogging, writing & everything in between is very fun. IN this episode he talks application, perspective, context & answers many questions. If you ever wondered, WHO IS SCOTT RAO? Now you can know.
Dec 02, 2016•1 hr 11 min
This episode is super fun. We answer some questions about cafe flow, operations, dialing espresso & tasting varieties. We talk about top gun, beans not seeds, and just have a fun time. In a world of running a coffee shop it's nice to blow off steam and reflect on how proud you are of whats happening. Thanks for listening and thanks Wilbur Curtis for everything!
Nov 22, 2016•53 min
We had the opportunity to visit San Diego & the coffee scene down there. We worked along side Dylan & his father at Hawthorn Coffee in North Point. This episode shares some of that story, the background on the cafe and a bunch of Baca's beautiful voice. Enjoy! Thanks Curtis!
Nov 14, 2016•45 min
Have you ever heard the term 3rd wave and wondered why we use it, or why people talk about coffee and waves together? This is your episode. We talk Starbucks, Peets, Specialty Coffee, Espresso Machines, La Marzocco & More. This episode has some good history and classic trubaca trash talk. Fun right?
Nov 05, 2016•46 min
People keep asking how we tuned our espresso machine to make coffee. It's definitely different than brewing espresso and a lot of fun. Chris also rants about serving espresso, dialing in espresso & whether we make it too hard on ourselves. Perhaps we do. Cat & Cloud loves you a lot.
Oct 30, 2016•34 min
What are some strategies to keeping your grind setting consistent when making a lot of coffee? What are our thoughts on keeping your hoppers clean? How can we reduce waste & what are some things we do at our shop? That and many more fun things in this episode. We recorded in our shop & have some random guests say hi from Verve, Chromatic, St. Frank & Temple. Cheers
Oct 22, 2016•35 min
Chris is out with the Flu so Jared takes us on a ride through a few service opportunities, answers some questions & updates us on the busyness of opening a cafe. The shop has been open for 2 weeks and it's been insane. How did the motivational based/values based interview questions work for Cat & Cloud? How did Cat & Cloud prepare and pre-market themselves to aid in their attempted success? Check and see. Shout out to Califia & Wilbur Curts
Oct 16, 2016•41 min
Benjamin Paz is a Honduran coffee producer who is near & dear to our hearts. He has produced award winning coffees & we are happy to have one of them in our shop. In this episode we talk about his history, what relationship/direct trade means to him, how it has affected him & his country as well as what motivates him. We also talk about the impact of specialty coffee growth at the producer/farmer level when we grow our industry with passion & love. Thanks Califia & Wilbur Curtis
Oct 07, 2016•39 min
Chris & I decided to soft open the cafe & it's been super fun. We talk about the challenges as well as how an epic team can soften the blow of how daunting it can be to get running. We also answer a question about approaching roasting & beginning the journey down the road to potentially opening your own place. Thanks for listening, sorry this is a day late. Thanks Curtis & Califia
Oct 02, 2016•40 min
In this episode we speak on some of the philosophies we have in our attempts to treat employees with value. We talk about incentives, ideals, profit sharing, & why we are willing to invest in our team. We also talk about medical benefits, the challenges of opening a new company & emotionally connecting with our team. Plus, we answer a couple of questions about Geisha, by the cup & dialing in. Cheers! Thanks Califia & Curtis Brewers!
Sep 24, 2016•56 min
How do we stay motivated? Do we dislike the French Press? How's the shop coming along? Is our crew tight? DUH. Who are we looking to sell to? What are some of our strategies and beliefs? Do we think 2nd wave shops are in jeopardy? What's a clever? Listen & we'll share a bit. Thanks Califia & Curtis
Sep 17, 2016•36 min
Jasper is one of the most passionate women we know. She cares very deeply about the coffee craft & it's contagious. She is heavily into the BACC, has competed in barista competitions & is an educator for Ritual Roasters in San Francisco. She talks women's rights, calls us out a bit & speaks about what drives her. This is a must listen.
Sep 09, 2016•59 min
Ever wondered what we thought of restaurant coffee? Ever wondered how we would approach a new market? See what tasks Jared used in helping open Verve Coffee Roasters original location & hear Baca's approach to training. Also, Wholesale? What do we believe it should be about? Sourcing too. All in a short episode of awesomeness. Cheers.
Sep 03, 2016•42 min
Jen is pretty seasoned with roasting & her drive to follow her passions is encouraging. This is a very strong woman in life, not to mention coffee & should be considered a role model to all. Jens story is entertaining and educational because of her persistence in self growth. In this episode we talk about Jens presence in roasting for companies like Ecco, Blue Bottle, Royal Coffee & more. From mentorship, to different roaster, to her time in Mexico, to being a mom, this episode has it all. Jen s...
Aug 26, 2016•1 hr 2 min
We are getting close to finishing our buildout & people have been asking us about our approach. How do we roast, how do we blend, how did we pick our location & many other fun things. This episode is definitely worth a listen & a share. Thanks, Cat & Cloud
Aug 18, 2016•56 min
Brandon Paul Weaver hails out of Seattle as both a Competition Barista & a Bar Tender. In this episode we talk about our first coffee experiences, views on specialty service, and the parallels between bar tending & being a barista. Brandon helped start Slate Coffee, worked at Zoka & is a pillar of the Liberty Bar which has been renowned for its imaginative cocktails. This guys kicks all the corn. Enjoy.
Aug 11, 2016•1 hr 5 min
In this episode we talk about the stereotypes around coffee aging. When is coffee to old? Is it possible to have coffee that is too fresh? We give you our thoughts. We also talk about the World Barista Championships & our views on some alternative approaches. Are Barista Championships reflecting the general coffee industry correctly? Finally we just talk a lot in this episode about what is going on in our brains after a major roast day. Party on.
Aug 04, 2016•38 min
Managing time and projects is hard & takes a certain level of skill. A lot of the time that skill is not inherent but learned. In this podcast we talk about the different techniques, disciplines, & applications we use to ensure we manage our time properly. How do we stay motivated? How do we get the most done? How are we efficient? How do we stay focused? Learn that & more on this weeks episode of the Cat & Cloud Coffee Podcast.
Jul 27, 2016•46 min
Chris & Jared dive into some guest questions & give their beliefs on cold brewed coffee, why they don't like it & how they will approach it. Anthony Bourdain had some words about specialty coffee & his feelings toward the specialty coffee stereotype that the boys address as well. This episode is sure to have people loving & disliking the trubaca duo.
Jul 19, 2016•40 min
Chris & Jared are hot off finishing a roast day & answer some questions. Topics of Roasting, Cafe Culture, Stereotypes, Milk Alternatives & overall classic Trubaca stuff comes right at you. Back to our regular podcast schedule next week. Stay Gold!
Jul 15, 2016•28 min
Tonx Continues the journey with us talking intelligentsia, hipsters, service, subscription services, blue bottle & so much more. The story of Locol, a new healthy fast food venture with amazing coffee quality is part of this episode. Big shout out to Califia for being our first sponsor.
Jul 07, 2016•1 hr 6 min
Tony is better known as Tonx. He was a roaster for multiple respected specialty coffee companies, founded the first successful coffee subscription service & does the coffee program with Locol, a high end fast food company with Micheline Chefs at the helm. He has deep roots in the coffee world & shares a portion of his journey in this episode. Typical banter ensues.
Jun 29, 2016•52 min