Latest / Coffee People Podcast / Roast! - Kayte Wetherington & Tom Hadix, Luckie Coffee

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Roast! - Kayte Wetherington & Tom Hadix, Luckie Coffee · Coffee People Podcast

0:00
Hey, everyone. If you like the roast of West
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Coast coffee podcast, you might also appreciate the, I like
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And I appreciate not only having us on the podcast but doing this
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podcast because we have we listen to it like all during
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that. It was part of that.
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I don't even know how I how I found your podcast originally,
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but it was part of one of those morning's where we would sit
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around and have coffee and had nowhere to go because You know,
1:03
our works were shut down. We would listen to this podcast
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getting inspired for our shop hearing other professionals.
1:09
So thank you very much because this this podcast has been very
1:13
helpful to us. I mean, I'm going to record that
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and use it in an advertisement. I'm going to keep that on tape.
1:33
Hey, good morning everyone. Welcome to season 4 episode. 10
1:37
of the roast West Coast coffee podcast.
1:40
I'm Ryan Walton. This is the show where I bring
1:42
you the stories of coffee professionals entrepreneurship
1:45
and coffee education. Today, I'm joined by Katie
1:49
wetherington and Tom Haddix there.
1:51
The husband and wife team behind Lucky coffee, which will soon be
1:54
opening in Poway, California. So far on this show, I've
1:58
chatted with a lot of established Roasters about how
2:00
they've adapted to the pandemic. I have a lot of experience in
2:04
Hospitality but nothing like what the last two years have
2:07
been. Now we're seeing the first waves
2:09
of entrepreneurs were coming of age so to speak during the
2:13
pandemic era, Katie and Tom are starting their business knowing
2:17
that a pandemic is a possibility.
2:19
It is a unique position to be starting a traditional business.
2:22
Everything they are planning for will have this experience as a
2:26
foundational element, they and entrepreneurs.
2:29
Everywhere will be asking themselves if They are starting
2:33
is pandemic proof. Personally I've been wondering
2:37
if that will make for Less entrepreneurs willing to take on
2:40
the risk of opening a new business or maybe there will be
2:43
more because the early days of the pandemic gave some people
2:46
time to dream or time to plan or time to panic, whatever the
2:51
future holds, we'll probably still be wanting a good solid
2:54
cup of coffee. I know that's what the team at
2:57
lucky is hoping they bring the Poway.
2:59
I'm obligated to tell you to head to roast West Coast.
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Cam if you want to subscribe to the roast West Coast coffee
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3:32
Fresh roasted bag of coffee, grind about 22 grams of it, heat
3:36
up some water in the kettle and make myself a pour-over.
3:40
I'm going to go do that now and I hope that you've already done.
3:43
So because it is time for this week's roast West Coast coffee
3:46
podcast interview with Katie wetherington and Tom Haddix the
3:51
founders operators purveyors, entrepreneurs dreamers behind
3:56
Lucky coffee. Welcome to the show.
4:09
It's nice to meet you. Yeah, a nice to meet you.
4:11
I think we have a lot of friends of friends in the world, in the
4:15
coffee world, but we've never met.
4:18
No. Well, I've been stuck in this
4:20
closet for a long time. I don't come out in between
4:24
podcast. I just stay here and wait for
4:25
the next one. Hopefully, you get delivered.
4:30
That's the beauty of the world. We live in is deliveries like I
4:34
don't honestly know why I would ever go back to a store other
4:40
than just wanting to get out of the house and I use coffee shops
4:45
for that purpose for that socializing.
4:47
So yeah, I do want to start with just for the record if you could
4:52
just State kind of what your name is, the name of your
4:55
business and your job titles and maybe like your favorite
4:58
childhood toy, just to kind of get us going.
5:03
So I'm Katie wetherington, I'm the owner of Lucky coffee
5:08
company and my favorite childhood toy.
5:14
Like a hula hoop. Maybe, I don't know.
5:16
I was a very like, outdoorsy kid.
5:18
I loved like jumping on the trampoline climbing trees.
5:21
So anything outside, I guess. My name is Tom Haddix, I'm
5:27
co-owner of Lucky coffee and overall general manager, and I
5:33
was pretty much on a skateboard until my teens and then I was
5:36
behind an instrument. So not a lot of toys.
5:40
But skateboard, come pick it out next year.
5:44
For sure, I think about I'm on the wrong side of 40, just
5:49
barely but like, when I think about having toys as a kid,
5:52
there was it seemed like a much bigger deal.
5:54
And when I My, my friends who have kids.
5:56
Now, they're toys are video games.
5:58
Yeah, asking kind of this kind of question, or just to kind of
6:01
see you like, what people do? I don't even think about video
6:03
games, I think about childhood, they were definitely there, but
6:08
I, yeah, it's funny. I do because I re very clearly
6:11
remember, when Nintendo came out and my family owned a
6:15
restaurant, my dad got a Nintendo from a food vendor and
6:19
I was so excited and I remember him putting it on a very high
6:24
Shelf. Telling me that I could play
6:26
with it. After I paid him the full retail
6:28
value of the Nintendo by working as a dishwasher at for the
6:33
restaurant. Yeah, amazing.
6:36
What a great learning experience.
6:37
It was I would do the same thing to a kid to a child.
6:40
If I had one, I want to before we get too far into this.
6:44
I do want to clarify on your at lucky coffee Instagram.
6:48
It says, coming spring 2022 old Poway Village.
6:52
What is the status of the business now?
6:55
Now, and then is lucky coffee. Going to be a Roastery that
6:58
serves coffee or a coffee shop that has its own coffee Blends.
7:03
Okay, so first off, yeah, lucky coffee.
7:06
Right now, as it stands, we're just doing pop-ups.
7:10
We were doing like online bog sales for a little while, but
7:14
yeah, coming old probably Village 2022.
7:18
We have a space actually, an old pal, a village.
7:23
We have signed the lease and everything.
7:25
So this summer, we're going to be taking over this little 400
7:29
square foot sweet and turning it into a little brick and mortar
7:35
shop for us. We as of right now are not
7:38
roasting our own coffee but we're working actually with Mark
7:43
from make good coffee and he has been so kind to invite us in.
7:49
We've been like doing Special Curative roast like specifically
7:53
to our pallet. We've I'm doing like couplings
7:56
and developing it that way, and that's the road we're going to
8:00
take now. So he's kind of like our roaster
8:03
in the back room basically. Well, that was one of the
8:07
reasons I was interested in talking to you is that you are
8:10
in this beginning phase, like you've been in coffee, and you
8:13
have a business, but there's this window of time where you're
8:16
not open yet, but you're not nothing either.
8:18
Yeah, it's kind of strange limbo that we're in right now just
8:23
like a waiting game. But it's been really great.
8:27
Sorry, go ahead. No, I was gonna I didn't mean to
8:29
interrupt it. I open my mouth are for anyone
8:31
listening who can't see me, just may pause, but it's been really
8:34
great because Y, and I was just going to ask how has like, how
8:38
do you deal with the emotional part of the waiting?
8:41
Yeah. Kind of hard.
8:45
Well, but it's been great. The waiting is, it's better
8:48
Bittersweet. So it's good because we have
8:50
time to really take our time to do all the plans, and all the
8:55
like the city planning kind of thing.
8:59
The ugly side of like having a business, so you can take your
9:03
time with that. But it is like we see all these
9:07
other coffee shops doing so many fun things and we're just like
9:11
can't wait to like just be a part of that.
9:14
That and to like serve our community, you know, plus the
9:17
spot we have that area. Is there such a demand for
9:21
coffee there? There's a farmers market out our
9:23
front door, every Saturday, there's there's a, like a
9:27
brewery Winery type situation there and there's, but there's
9:30
no coffee and it's a very walkable part of Poway.
9:33
It's a very beautiful Park and it's just like kind of we drive
9:37
past it every week. I play in a church band down the
9:40
street and every Sunday morning we drive past are empty spot.
9:44
And we're like so close. Is there a date?
9:48
I don't mean to put you on the spot.
9:50
But do you have an anticipated opening that?
9:52
Yes, we do. Get Keys June 1st.
9:55
There's a chance. Maybe in May, what happened is,
9:58
we went through a whole process of a spot that was going to be
10:01
perfect for us. And the current tenants were
10:04
considering leaving. So we kind of just got going and
10:06
going and going and then after five months of like, you know,
10:10
checking my email, every 10 minutes, we finally, they're
10:14
finally like yeah. We're just gonna stay.
10:16
So yeah so there ya seeing their least to fruition.
10:20
So now we're just waiting for them to get out of our spot.
10:23
But it's not awkward when you're just hanging out in their store
10:29
now and like, taking measurements.
10:33
They're not even, like, they're just like offices.
10:38
So it's a little bit more frustrating.
10:41
Like obviously if there was a another store there, I would be
10:45
more than happy to let them but it's like everyone's working
10:47
from home. Anyways.
10:51
Okay. I want to back up a little bit
10:53
at least. East and just kind of start with
10:55
some of your back stories about coffee and just ask you where
11:00
did coffee become something that you thought was interesting and
11:02
became interested. Like did you have an experience
11:04
that you were like, oh okay, yeah, this is something.
11:07
The Next Step would be kind of what led you on the path of
11:10
going. This is more than just, I'm
11:11
going to have coffee in the morning.
11:14
Yeah, definitely. So for us, Well I think we even
11:20
though we've been together for so long, our coffee Journeys are
11:23
so completely different. Yeah, because I didn't really
11:26
start drinking coffee until like the pandemic until I got to sit
11:30
home every morning with my wife and we needed something to do
11:33
and we would sit and watch, you know, TV and have coffee.
11:37
And I didn't have to rush off to work because I was never the
11:39
biggest fan of caffeine. I've always loved the taste of
11:42
coffee. I have like a craft beer
11:44
background, so the world of coffee is always been
11:47
interesting. Like the The flavors you can get
11:50
out of just the roast. So I've always been a fan of our
11:52
coffee, but never a drinker and I've gone to a million places
11:57
with her and just watched her worker.
11:59
So it's kind of interesting. She's always been the coffee
12:02
drinker, not until the pandemic is really when.
12:05
Yeah, well, I've always well, not always, but in the last few
12:10
years have worked as a barista. Well, starting in a restaurant I
12:14
did and then I got the little taste of they'd a Old little
12:20
Lorimer La marzocco in the corner and I would have to pull
12:25
shots in this. It was just, it was my first
12:28
taste of coffee, basically. And I learned how to make micro
12:34
foam like to steam milk properly, it just kind of
12:37
sparked something in me. And from that point on, I kind
12:42
of sought out specialty coffee shops.
12:45
It was really fun. Like Tom said, he was in the
12:47
Brewing industry, it was Always really fun going into different
12:50
shops and seeing their pour over menu and seeing how different
12:54
Origins can lend such different interesting textures, and flavor
13:00
notes and it was just such a whole world that I feel like I'd
13:04
never been explored and so it just got me so excited.
13:07
And so from then on just every, every opportunity we had, I
13:13
remember the first we moved to North Park, we grew up in Poway
13:17
and we first moved out. Poway.
13:19
We move to North Park in 2014 and I think Dark Horse only had
13:23
their original location and I remember she wanted a cup of
13:27
coffee and we're like oh we live in the hip neighborhood.
13:29
Let's look for the hip copy and I remember walking in the Dark
13:32
Horse when they were only doing pour overs and there was a
13:35
chalkboard wall of all the different Origins and I like had
13:39
no idea what was going on but it was exciting.
13:41
I'm like this ain't just a black cup of coffee my grandpa's
13:44
drinking, you know it's there's something more going on here and
13:48
I So it's always been we've always had a craft interest in
13:52
like that craft world. And I think coffee is just kind
13:56
of where we are right now. Yeah, we might have been
13:59
standing in that same line at Dark Horse.
14:03
I think there's a good chance waiting on that one bench
14:06
outside. Well, that was a learning
14:09
experience to the the idea that you don't just get your coffee
14:13
in six seconds. You know, from a machine.
14:15
And I think there's a growth period that everyone Is through
14:19
and they get into coffee or or beer for that.
14:21
Matter of identifying, what is of value to them and the
14:25
experience of someone else making the cup.
14:28
Just for them is something that's so unique.
14:31
Even in beer, you don't get that, nobody's making a single
14:33
cup of beer or glass of beer, just for you, but in coffee or
14:37
tea you do. Yeah.
14:39
That is just special. So you'd like coffee, you're
14:42
exploring the world of craft coffee but something inside of
14:45
you is saying we want to start our own business.
14:48
What was kind of that Tipping Point where you thought, man,
14:51
I'm going to take this to the next step and take a risk.
14:54
I mean you are in the beginning phases of a business which I'm
14:57
assuming you're going to have some financial responsibilities
15:00
and obligations or giving up other opportunities.
15:03
Why did you decide to do that? Well I I've been working in
15:08
coffee shops. Soooo running coffee shops.
15:13
This is for us trance and I am really good at my job.
15:19
I'm so because I'm so passionate about the coffee and customer
15:24
service. I love just curating a great
15:28
experience for someone. And with all this experience, I
15:33
think came to a natural point and saying, why am I working so
15:37
hard to make all these other people's dreams come true?
15:40
When I can do this for, Self, you know.
15:45
And so that's kind of where I'm at right now.
15:48
It's like I'm running. I'm running these other people's
15:51
businesses so well and so wonderfully.
15:53
There's a few things that I could tweak.
15:55
There's a few things that I would do differently myself and
15:58
I think it would be great. So let's try it basically,
16:02
another part of it too. Was this has been in our heads,
16:06
you know, for the last two years since the pandemic and a lot of
16:09
it was we lost our jobs in the restaurant industry and The
16:13
uncertainty of what the future holds was.
16:16
Well let's not let's not leave any more uncertainty and develop
16:20
our own job. And let's for now on like if we
16:23
like working in the restaurant industry, we've always cared
16:25
about good service because, you know, you can make a living
16:28
there, the in San Diego, especially you get paid minimum
16:31
wage still, it's not like, in some states.
16:34
So, we've always cared about working the restaurant industry
16:37
because of the community aspect of it just, you know, getting to
16:42
especially like Like, we work at the beach a lot, you're hanging
16:45
out with people on vacation, most of the time.
16:46
It's a good time. It's a good place to go to work,
16:49
right? So just developing our own our
16:52
own job really was worth was mostly the plan on the on top of
16:57
always something inside of us needing to own something.
17:01
Yeah. It's always been there and I
17:02
think it just finally. Finally found its way to what?
17:07
You know what it needed to be? Yeah yeah so you said two years.
17:12
That's essentially the Beginning of the pandemic which when you
17:14
said that, I thought, what hasn't been two years yet but it
17:17
really. Yeah.
17:20
Was it something that where you all of a sudden had all this
17:24
free time to kind of let your mind wander and it just was
17:26
like, man, we should start a business right away and then a
17:29
marinated from there. Where was it?
17:30
Something that's been kind of progress progressing over the
17:34
past two years. To me, it was a combination of
17:37
two things. I before the pandemic, I was
17:41
putting a lot of time, into some music projects.
17:44
And I really wanted to I was I, I developed a lifestyle where I
17:49
had a lot of free time to develop her music.
17:53
So once touring didn't become a thing anymore and I didn't have
17:58
the energy to really put out the music that I wanted to.
18:02
And I kind of just you know, had a momentary lapse. what I wanted
18:06
to do in life, and We had the opportunity to buy a coffee cart
18:12
and we were thinking like, oh a coffee cart will never go out of
18:16
business because it's outside. You know, this is in the middle.
18:18
This is probably met 2020, right?
18:21
We're have all this in our head, like what are we going to do
18:24
now? Let's start a business.
18:26
That's pandemic proof, right? And so we thought a coffee cart
18:29
that's going to be outside. People still want to go outside.
18:32
Thanks to go. Yeah, everything's to go and you
18:34
can provide that meeting space. That's still, you know, outside
18:38
there's a They're like a safe space for people to meet ya.
18:43
So we bought a car that summer and it's been in storage for two
18:48
years and then so it's just ready to go.
18:51
So that's why we're hoping. Once we get those keys in June,
18:53
it's we're ready to go. Well, that's a question, you're
18:58
talking about the cart being outside, but with the space, is
19:00
it indoors? What was the impetus to roll it
19:02
inside? Exactly.
19:04
We took the we we went full circle and realize that a lot of
19:08
these shops and Diego are just getting cart permits and putting
19:11
them inside. And it's like an easy way to do
19:14
a, you know, a fun interesting. Maybe low cost low maintenance
19:21
easy to manage, you know, maybe between one or two people kind
19:25
of concept so well, and I just want to clarify for anyone
19:28
listening when they say easy. They mean, I think you mean
19:31
relative to opening a restaurant.
19:33
Yeah, there's still work goes into a cart and even getting
19:37
permitted for a cart. So, So it's a process.
19:41
Yes. Shout out to a mutual friend of
19:44
ours, Chris at Coffee cycle because he's been an awesome
19:47
help with with cart stuff. Because if anyone's been to
19:51
Coffee cycle, you could notice his car.
19:53
Definitely went through the wringer of permits and and all
19:58
the all the fun things you got to, you got to think about when
20:01
building a cart, this is the second time in a week that
20:05
somebody has said we have a mutual friend in Chris or
20:08
someone else that I had no idea that connection was there
20:11
already. So when you said that I was
20:12
like, really, like, he just knows everyone but also it says
20:16
something about Hospitality being relatively small, there's
20:20
obviously tons of people that we don't know and Hospitality but
20:24
they're it's kind of a Kevin Bacon.
20:25
He were connected through somebody threw somebody somehow
20:28
there's only a couple million people in San Diego.
20:32
How many degrees of separation? Yeah.
20:35
Whatever it is. Yeah, and I think the coffee
20:38
scene In San Diego, is small and I think that people who are in
20:42
coffee and who get it really love to support each other.
20:47
We love to go to the new shop that we heard open to the old
20:53
friend, you know, down the street.
20:55
I think I think we all just love to support each other and any
20:58
way we can and going back to Chris.
21:00
Yeah, he's been such a great help for us and really just like
21:04
an open book with anything. Any question, any, anything we
21:08
need? We can go to her.
21:09
Which is really great. Well, I'm gonna edit all of that
21:12
nice stuff about him out because he's already.
21:15
So it's such a big head. So you have a cart.
21:20
You have a location. You decide on a name.
21:23
Lucky coffee. Where did the name come from?
21:26
What does it mean to you guys? Okay, lucky coffee.
21:32
She lucky. Why we are so lucky.
21:37
Tom Nye are born and raised in San Diego.
21:40
That is like a huge. Thing of luck.
21:44
I'd say we're so fortunate to have like found each other.
21:49
However, like relationship together is so lucky just having
21:54
gratitude for everything around us.
21:57
It kind of evolved into what she's saying because originally
22:01
it's like, you know, you're starting a business you got to
22:03
come up with the fun theme, right.
22:06
And we've always were from Poway are spots in its in Old Poway
22:11
which if no one's ever been. It's like an old Restored
22:14
western town. So the lucky was like, we were
22:18
playing with the fun like, you know, like the original 49ers,
22:22
like people who came to California, looking looking to
22:25
get lucky. My grandfather was one of those
22:29
original people like died on his on his death certificate says
22:33
Gold Miner. And I'm like, just thinking of
22:35
like how many steps, you know, people came from Scotland.
22:38
All the way just for me to be born in San Diego and because
22:42
they were looking for gold. Also it started as this fun like
22:46
pioneer Western theme but then it's like the more.
22:50
We said lucky every day as we're building this business, we're
22:53
like, aren't we lucky for this only looking for that?
22:55
And it's so it's kind of a fun evolving motto that just started
23:00
from something fun. Like when you, when you're
23:03
always starting a project, you got to think of a theme and then
23:06
it Finds Its nothing. I love that.
23:08
It's kind of a self reinforcing positive affirmation to some
23:12
extent to like, you Is he talking about your business all
23:14
the time? But you're also reminding
23:16
yourself, that things are good. And that's kind of unique.
23:18
I like that a lot. You just mentioned that you
23:21
found each other. Your husband and wife, I believe
23:23
you can correct me if I'm wrong in that.
23:25
Yeah. What is it been like to work on
23:28
the project together and how you're in a pandemic together?
23:32
You're starting a business together.
23:33
You're working together living together.
23:35
How do you delineate kind of between work and the rest of
23:38
your life or do you? I think that comes back to?
23:43
Like the name thing. It's we don't know why it works
23:47
so well. But I guess we're just lucky
23:49
like, like people always like how can you work with your wife,
23:52
like people say some negative things to you like oh, you're
23:55
going to work with what? But it's like, yeah.
23:57
I like, I like being around her. That's why we we met in high
24:03
school in Poway and then never separated and things just with
24:06
the business or just, it's to me, it's easy.
24:09
And I wouldn't want anything more life than to go to work.
24:13
My wife every day and hopefully, you know, we'll have kids.
24:16
One day that could take over the shop and it's just one big mama
24:19
and papa business. That's my ultimate goal.
24:23
Yeah, that's so sweet. I think the same thing, I think,
24:26
it's just because we have been together for so long, it is just
24:30
a natural thing. We don't, we don't really think
24:33
about trying to separate work from like, our normal life.
24:37
Like it's all just one together. Yeah.
24:40
And we don't try and like, force that.
24:43
At separate kind of being sure. I have worked with my wife and
24:49
we've been together a long time as well.
24:51
And it I do kind of see parallels between our
24:54
relationship and running a business.
24:56
Because there's this, this whole aspect of running your life and
24:59
the logistics of that, plus the relationship part and you're
25:03
just adding another component. So I'm seeing you guys looking
25:07
at each other while you're talking and it's very sweet from
25:09
this end as well to say, oh yeah, they're not just saying
25:12
this for the tape. So It's very nice.
25:15
If anything, it's the patient's, you've I've learned over the
25:19
years. Developing, a great relationship
25:21
is probably going to help with the patient's.
25:23
I need to run a business. So if anything it's going to
25:27
it's going to help the business. Have you been preparing for when
25:32
you open for covid and how is covid you either impacted your
25:37
planning process or your vision for the future?
25:39
Because I think it's really unique that you have been
25:43
Earning your business. Now knowing that there's a world
25:46
where covid exists where if you had started a year before you
25:50
may have an entirely different business plan.
25:52
Yeah, absolutely. The, the entire business motto
25:59
for now as models and has been a small, easy takeaway coffee
26:06
shop. It's not the traditional Cafe,
26:08
it's not going to be like, I'm sorry to say it's not the place
26:12
to come, you know, sit and do. Homework all day.
26:14
It's it's going to be the place to walk in get a really great
26:20
cup of coffee. Hang out for a bit.
26:22
Maybe you know there's going to be some nice standing room but
26:25
but there's a huge park, right? Yeah.
26:27
Right. Outside our door.
26:29
Yeah. Come pick up a cup of coffee.
26:32
A quick bite and maybe go take a walk around the park.
26:36
Yeah. Like yeah, we kind of will have
26:38
the nicest largest patio in town but because old Poway Park Is
26:43
huge. There's endless parking.
26:45
There's endless seating, beautiful Tall Tree.
26:49
So it's to me, you wouldn't even want to sit in our place because
26:53
you'll want to grab a cup of coffee and go out and take a
26:55
walk through the park and especially on Saturdays with the
26:58
farmers market. So yeah, covid definitely
27:01
impacted us that way because you know, before covert.
27:03
Yeah, I would want that big spot.
27:05
I would want the tables, I wouldn't want.
27:07
You know? I I want to make, you know, wood
27:09
fired pizza and and you know, serve beer and all that.
27:12
But Now, it's looking like, it's just simple, simple easy.
27:18
Yeah, I'm just great. You mentioned that you were
27:22
working with Marc Wortman, former guest of the show for
27:25
make good coffee to develop some coffee unique for you guys, what
27:29
does that process been like and how did you kind of decide which
27:32
flavors you were looking for? And you know, how would you
27:34
describe that? Like the ethos of the coffee
27:37
coming out of your Cafe? yeah, before we even found our
27:41
spot, I Was just researching Roasters around town, who we
27:47
just always wanted like, our own house blend.
27:50
No matter who made it, or, or where it came from, or where I
27:55
roasted myself. Yeah, and I found Mark, and I
27:59
just liked his motto towards making coffee, I just like, it's
28:05
not, you know, I don't know how to put it, but I do like,
28:09
there's no air to him. Like, it's just, he makes great
28:13
coffee. Fee for like everyone for
28:17
everyone. You know it's not some
28:20
prestigious kind of nose in the air kind of thing that I think
28:24
sometimes, specialty coffee can have its coffee for everyone
28:29
that everyone is going to enjoy a nice solid cup.
28:32
And that's what really like first Drew us to him.
28:37
So so then I just asked him, like if he was interested in
28:41
developing a blend with us for our house, Um like our house
28:45
coffee and he was more than happy to and he's been nothing
28:49
but great and nothing but help sense.
28:51
And we went and did a couple couplings and took home a ton of
28:55
beans and we developed a really nice little house blend of it's
29:00
Peru and Ethiopia but it's kind of on more of the medium size
29:04
but it's getting all the fruitiness and it's getting all
29:06
the all the nice chocolate notes.
29:08
He get out of coffee and it's a really, really great cup of
29:11
coffee and I find myself Like always wanting it.
29:16
It, which is funny that we developed it because when we run
29:19
out of it, I'm like, man, I gotta go roast, get some more
29:22
roasted, you know, like we try to try a lot of coffee in town
29:27
but I always really want the blend.
29:30
We develop, which is good because I'm hoping everyone else
29:33
will really want the one. We do not look.
29:36
Well you just I usually end the show with this but I'm going to
29:38
bump up a question and just you just mentioned.
29:40
You go around. Trying other coffees.
29:41
What do you get when you guys are out exploring?
29:44
Ring is another. Yeah, that is so funny because I
29:47
know we listened to your podcast and and so many people do say I
29:52
just get black coffee and that's us too.
29:56
It's there's nothing better. Yeah.
29:59
And I think there might be a shift in the world of coffee
30:02
right now. We're like like a couple years
30:04
ago, you go, and all they had was espresso.
30:06
And some places wouldn't even offer drip coffee.
30:08
And I think they're to me what I'm saying is that shift more
30:13
towards It's like that craft beer aspect of where people
30:17
really want to explore the flavors and aren't concerned
30:21
about the foam on a latte. And, you know, they want to
30:26
explore the world of coffee, they don't know where to start,
30:30
we're hoping to be a place where a lot of people can start that
30:33
Journey because that's what made me fall in love with when I
30:35
walked into the Dark Horse, almost almost 10 years ago,
30:39
eight years ago, Well, I think there's something interesting,
30:42
too about. You just mentioned the idea that
30:45
people are exploring flavors, and I just immediately started
30:47
thinking about Hops and how, you know, 20 years ago, nobody knew
30:51
the difference between Citra or mosaic or strata Hops and yeah,
30:55
you know, here in San Diego at least, especially almost
30:59
everyone at least can name one hop.
31:00
If not more than a few and it feels that coffee might be that
31:06
way as well. I think Ethiopia is getting a
31:09
better reputation for having. Your flavors, but we are still
31:12
at that beginning phase, which you mentioned.
31:15
I also get a black coffee, generally, and I usually order a
31:18
drip wherever I go. So, that's what I'll order with.
31:20
The first time I come to your shop.
31:21
Yah, yah, it's because I feel like, if you are a shop that is
31:27
making and I'm infusing. Some of my own attitude into the
31:31
show here, which I shouldn't do, but I'm going to do it anyway.
31:33
I feel like if you're taking the effort to make a really good
31:36
quality, drip coffee that, you know, is just the thing that
31:39
someone who doesn't care is gonna order.
31:42
That's that means that the rest of your lineup is going to be
31:44
just as good if not better and exactly.
31:47
It's a good place to kind of see where the whole place is that?
31:53
So I definitely understand what you're saying.
31:55
Do you guys have plans? I know you're working with Mark
31:58
now but you mentioned something a little bit about roasting.
32:01
Do you have plans to do your own roasting in the future?
32:03
Is that just sort of a future? Lucky coffee problem.
32:07
Yeah, I like, yeah. So with my, my Brewing
32:11
background that type of stuff is really exciting and interesting
32:15
to me, but the concentration of running the shop I think is the
32:21
most important right now. Yeah.
32:23
So I don't want to step away from that, but in the future,
32:27
definitely, I want to roast my own coffee and explore that
32:32
world. I just know, I couldn't give it
32:34
the attention, I want to, and I don't want to just Do it just
32:38
because it so it'll be it's cheaper when you roast your own
32:40
coffee. I'm if I'm going to do it, I
32:42
want to give it the attention and that's what we love about
32:45
working with Mark is there's someone given the attention and
32:49
it's a nice. It's a nice partnership, but
32:52
yeah, in the future for sure. We I mean we want to do all
32:54
sorts of things in the future. Yeah, we have a lot of like
32:58
Phase 2, hopes and dreams, you know, and a roasting.
33:02
Our own coffee is definitely a part of that.
33:05
Well, what are you doing between now and say June in What?
33:08
I don't know. Pre-phase pre-phase one, what
33:10
are the plans for developing the brand between now and then?
33:14
Well we use Instagram of course you know to try and get the word
33:19
out. But we really love doing just
33:22
pop ups around town. We we actually do like a regular
33:25
pop up with this group called Vans and coffee.
33:29
They're like a van in club that meet every second Sunday, like
33:33
different locations. We always try and be there
33:36
serving coffee selling bags, just being active.
33:40
That way, just talking we love going to Different coffee shops.
33:45
Especially when we know there are cart in a building to go
33:49
check it out and talk with five hours working and just explore,
33:53
explore coffee basically. Yeah, we're yeah, we're trying
33:57
to get out there and enjoy all the coffee shops before we're
34:00
only at our coffee shop every day for the rest for the next
34:03
five years. So between like drawing up the
34:08
plans, getting all the required, paperwork done.
34:11
And I'm just just doing like Like the field research that's
34:16
kind of like what's taking up our time right now?
34:19
Has there been anything? That's kind of surprised you
34:20
along this journey or that you've learned that seemed,
34:23
especially just you weren't expecting it as you were going
34:26
through the process. You know, it's a we've had so
34:31
much help from like Chris from coffee cycle, like we're saying
34:36
and just other little coffee shop owners in town have just
34:41
like been such a Guiding Light for us.
34:43
I don't think like I really haven't had any huge like
34:48
hurdles well, like that's crazy. Kind of thing really.
34:52
I've I've seen what to expect and nothing has really caught me
34:57
off guard. Which is great like thank God or
35:01
we're lucky that way. Yeah, you mentioned that you
35:06
grew up in San Diego and in Poway in particular.
35:08
How does it feel to be at a point now as adults where you're
35:11
opening a business there? It's amazing.
35:16
Yeah, I mean again, we're so lucky I think that is so cool.
35:20
How is really like emerging place and I think that it's
35:24
going to be great that we're going to be kind of a part of
35:27
that. Coming in with the more like
35:30
Kraft focused coffee shop. You know, it's not just a Coffee
35:35
Bean or a Starbucks. I think it's going to be so much
35:38
fun and to bring that to my hometown, you know.
35:41
Yeah. And just provide our community.
35:44
I just I love the community there.
35:46
I mean, we've known it. Yeah.
35:47
All our friends and family are here and it's just I like I said
35:51
I play in a church down the street and just the community
35:56
there, you know, bugging us every week.
35:58
Are we going to open it? It's just, it's his very
36:01
exciting. Everyone's, everyone's excited
36:03
about it. Everyone we talked to just
36:05
random people we meet in the grocery store or whatever, like
36:09
everyone is just so excited. And so I'm excited to bring this
36:13
back home, basically. And then you combine that
36:16
feeling with running into people, you haven't seen in 20
36:18
years and that. So it's a, it's a whole
36:21
Whirlwind of feelings. Yeah, definitely.
36:25
Well, your enthusiasm is clearly coming through and Someone
36:28
infectious. I'm excited to go out and start
36:30
a business. This afternoon myself, I don't
36:32
know what it'll be, but I'm sure that I will.
36:35
Is there anything that we didn't talk about today?
36:37
That you want people to know about yourselves or about lucky
36:40
coffee or just about your plans. Let's see.
36:44
That's a tough one. That's probably the one we
36:46
should have had in our. Well, I just want to let people
36:53
know how excited we are. I think, bro.
36:57
Great honest people. And we're going to bring a great
36:59
honest product to the world to San Diego.
37:04
We're going to be focused on high-quality like you're saying
37:08
a cup made just for you. We're running with a pour-over
37:11
concept so it's going to be espresso less shop and we're
37:16
going to be focusing, really, really on that roast profile and
37:22
different Origins. And really having a A place
37:26
where newbies can come in. I really want it to be a place
37:29
that isn't intimidating for the, you know.
37:35
Less inclined coffee drinker to come in and kind of understand
37:39
what is a pour-over. Like, why is coffee this coffee
37:43
different from this one. And not be afraid to come in and
37:45
ask those questions. I think it's going to be really
37:49
fun to bring that to Poway where maybe people think that, that
37:54
people just want Starbucks or whatever here, but I don't think
37:57
that's true. And we're just excited all
37:59
around people have always liked coffee and if you just make a
38:04
better, Cup of coffee. I think it will come.
38:07
Yeah, you mentioned that you were doing pop-ups.
38:10
What's the best way for people to follow along and find out
38:12
when you are doing a pop-up? If they can't wait until, you
38:15
know, summer of 2022, currently. It's just the Instagram where we
38:20
had a website up for a little. We weren't thrilled with it.
38:23
So we're in the middle of redoing it getting it ready for
38:27
for a professional setting. Hopefully by the time this airs.
38:31
Yeah, that's true. Yeah, our Instagram is just at
38:34
lucky With an ie coffee and that's where we would just do
38:38
our updates, you know, keep it casual just on Instagram.
38:42
Yeah, I think that's kind of how a lot of people, you know, get
38:45
their news these days. So it is pretty amazing how that
38:49
is used almost as a website. You really if you weren't
38:52
selling something you really could live without a website as
38:55
a business now. Yeah, it is new.
38:57
I do have to know who is snoring in the background there.
39:01
Oh is it coming through? That's our little puppy.
39:06
He looks like he is going to be the Workhorse of the group.
39:09
I can tell. She's 15 years old and still a
39:17
little shocked. I want to say.
39:19
Congratulations to you guys for one.
39:22
Having an idea in deciding to follow it through, I wish you
39:26
the best as you go through this process, and I'm excited to see
39:29
what comes out of it. And Poway will give me a reason
39:31
to like, go over to Poway and go for a hike and get a coffee.
39:34
Exactly. Yeah.
39:35
We're, there's a so much, great hiking up there.
39:38
And there's, there's a, there's a lot to do on this side of
39:40
town. I think it's going to be really
39:41
fun. Not just for locals of Poway but
39:44
for a lot of San diegoans, you know, it's going to be a really
39:48
and see the city in the country. Yeah.
39:50
Is the cylinder. That's that's Powers motto, or
39:54
like, slogan is sitting in the country.
39:56
So I think that's just so cute. Yeah, thank you so much.
40:00
I appreciate your well, wishes. And this is Ben's like such a
40:03
nice conversation. I really enjoyed listening to
40:14
Katie and Tom tell their story, not just because it was
40:17
interesting. But because they radiate
40:19
positivity, I can be a pretty cynical human being, but an hour
40:23
with those two and I wanted to spend more time focusing on all
40:27
the ways that I too am. Lucky, and life, Katie, and Tom
40:30
being Partners in life and in business is an intriguing
40:33
variable in their story. The sitcom stereotype is that
40:37
people go to work to get away from their partners.
40:40
But more and more, I find that for some people, it just works
40:44
after our official show recording ended Tom and Katie.
40:47
And I spent about another half an hour chatting about being a
40:49
family in a business and about coffee and about Poway
40:53
California. The tape was still rolling.
40:56
So with their permission here are a few selected excerpts from
40:59
that part of our conversation, post-interview.
41:02
Here's clip one. The more I talk to people in
41:06
business owners and people doing cool stuff, no one.
41:10
So they're doing they just say this is what I did and it just
41:14
happened to work, you know. So I think that's kind of been
41:18
inspiring for me because it's not so daunting, like oh I'm not
41:22
a part of this like Business Club and I don't know what the
41:25
heck I'm doing. It's made it like more fun and
41:29
more DIY, which I mean we love. So that's like another way we're
41:35
going about lucky. It's just really trying to make
41:37
it all DIY. We do everything.
41:40
Nothing. And just learning from that.
41:42
I think is so fun. And here's Clip 2.
41:48
We've lived in some interesting situations.
41:50
We've lived on sailboats. We've lived in Vans travel in
41:54
the country and we hit those points where we had no money,
41:58
and we were still having a great time and then you, and then it
42:02
makes when you have money like, oh, things aren't that bad.
42:06
I feel like this should be part of the show.
42:08
I'll share some of this with you.
42:10
I'll cut it and share it with you.
42:12
And if you give me permission, I will, but I want to hear more
42:15
about this sailboat situation. But the idea that we would, we
42:22
spent a lot of our twenties, not being very smart about money
42:24
either, but we traveled a lot. And those experiences have come
42:28
back to benefit us in so many ways.
42:31
And there is the alternative of that where you just go and work
42:34
and you work real hard and have a bunch of money up front but
42:36
then you don't get those experiences either, right?
42:39
Yeah. So was It was not being so smart
42:41
with your money early on was it actually smart as you gained all
42:46
those life, you know, experiences and I mean that that
42:50
is priceless, right? Right.
42:52
I mean I do, I agree with you and it's it was a good reminder,
42:56
good lesson to learn to not necessarily judge the
42:58
intelligence of your actions in the moment.
43:01
You don't know what the Fallout is until later.
43:04
Yeah. Exactly.
43:05
And now that we haven't traveled, it's certainly
43:07
appreciate that. We did at least at some point.
43:10
Yeah. Yes, especially here with the
43:11
pandemic, but even even all that traveling you done, if it just
43:16
makes like when you're just hanging out in your hometown,
43:18
you're like very content. You're like I love it here
43:21
because when you do travel, you realize how much you miss it at
43:24
home. Yeah.
43:26
Another thing coming back to Paula is, you know, we have we
43:30
like live down by the beach now and it's just coming back to our
43:34
hometown. You really see it with fresh
43:36
eyes and you really have more of an appreciation for your Like,
43:41
where you've come from, you know.
43:42
And so I found that really great and such a benefit of travel
43:46
come back to San Diego. And you're like, wow, this truly
43:48
is America's Finest. During today's interview, Katie
43:56
mentioned that, one of the first shops you worked in, had a la
43:59
marzocco in the corner. If you weren't sure from Context
44:02
or you haven't heard of them, she was referring to the LA
44:05
marzocco branded espresso machines.
44:08
The Italy based company has been in business since 1927 first
44:13
making coffee machines and then high-end espresso machine since
44:16
the 1940s, they continually have been fronting the wave of coffee
44:20
and espresso machine technology. Katie, and Tom are less than 90
44:25
days away from getting the keys to their new coffee shop home.
44:28
I'll be watching their Instagram at lucky coffee for updates.
44:32
So I can travel down to experience their Hospitality
44:34
firsthand for your reference. The lucky unlucky coffee is
44:39
spelled l. UC K.
44:41
IE. I want to thank you for
44:43
listening to the show today. We've had a pretty awesome
44:46
season four so far and have some great interviews and coffee
44:49
smarter episodes on deck for the second half of the season.
44:53
Including conversations with big J, Friedman of Campo coffee,
44:57
Tyler, Whitehead of ignite, coffee company and Jared Hills
45:00
of Hosea, coffee Source, in Anaheim Jared.
45:03
Let me know that he has a few last-minute openings in his
45:06
coffee, education classes, this weekend and I'll link to those
45:09
in the newsletter if you're interested.
45:12
If you find yourself appreciating this show, or
45:15
appreciating your coffee experiences more because of it
45:18
and you decide to sign up for a paid subscription to the roast,
45:22
West Coast, coffee newsletter. I'll donate 100% of the proceeds
45:26
to a humanitarian Aid group, supporting Ukrainian refugees
45:29
for the rest of the month. There are links on roast
45:32
westcoast.com to, some of those groups if you're interested in
45:35
doing so yourself. If you know of other ways to
45:38
support or groups that you think do good work in the world, feel
45:42
free to shoot me a message on Instagram at Rose to West Coast
45:46
before we go. Today I have some news from our
45:48
industry, partner Camp coffee, they've added hours and will be
45:51
open till 6:00 p.m. most nights. Which is pretty cool because
45:54
they're also going to be hosting more events.
45:57
They're kicking things off tomorrow.
45:58
Thursday March 10th, with a little happy hour event with
46:02
live music artists, creating new work on site and they're giving
46:06
everyone who mentions the the secret code sentence.
46:08
Quote, I'm here to jam with Cam and Sam end quote, add the
46:13
register 20% off from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. also.
46:17
If you know, Oceanside California at all, you know
46:20
there's Sunset Farmers Market on Thursday nights is a scene and
46:23
Camp coffee company is only a block away.
46:26
I also want to thank industry partners for their support Cafe
46:30
litter. Most, your coffee company, leap,
46:32
coffee, Maria, coffee steady-state, coffee, roasting
46:36
coffee. Go roasting, Cape Horn.
46:39
Coffee importers first, light whiskey and zoom bar coffee and
46:42
tea, I'll be at the zoom bar Cardiff, Auntie location in
46:46
Cardiff, on Friday, morning from 9 to 11 a.m.
46:50
I'll have the microphone set up and be ready to chat with you on
46:53
the record about coffee. Your favorite type of coffee
46:56
drinks. And obviously why you love this
46:58
podcast? If you're looking for a job in
47:01
coffee, we've started a coffee jobs, thread on the website,
47:04
Rose to westcoast.com, and if you're a coffee business with
47:08
open jobs, please take us on Instagram at roast West Coast
47:12
and we'll get those added to the thread.
47:14
Thank you to everyone for subscribing and listening series
47:17
simran Khalsa, the executive director of lofty coffee is back
47:21
for the next coffee. Smarter episode tomorrow.
47:24
We discuss the finer points to Coffee tasting.
47:27
This episode of the roast West Coast coffee podcast is was has
47:31
been written produced and recorded by me Ryan Walt.
47:35
I hope this show is found you happy.
47:37
Healthy and with at least enough sanity and coffee to make it
47:41
through the day. And please always tip your
47:44
Baristas a burned it and be sure to drink good coffee.
48:23
Hey, everyone, if you liked this episode of the roast West Coast
48:27
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48:30
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48:43
coffee content, for you all day every day.
48:46
Subscriptions are a great way to show appreciation.
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For this podcast, just head to roast westcoast.com to subscribe
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or bye. Is that cup of coffee?
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Thanks for listening everyone.