Latest / Coffee People Podcast / Roast! - Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company

Transcript

Roast! - Tyler Whitehead, Ignite Coffee Company · Coffee People Podcast

0:00
Like, hey everyone, if you like the roast West Coast coffee
0:03
podcast, you might also appreciate the, I like, beer the
0:06
podcast, listening to these guys is like being a fly on the wall
0:10
of the pub with a few of your favorite mates.
0:11
Having a pint these professional beer appreciators, have plenty
0:15
of stories to share on everything from the mating
0:18
habits of penguins to there behind the scenes Brewery
0:21
experiences check out the, I like beer the podcast where
0:24
ever, you are listening to this show about coffee or head.
0:27
To, I like beer, the podcast.com Hey, good morning everyone.
0:45
Welcome back to the roast West Coast coffee podcast.
0:48
We are still in season 4 and this is episode 18.
0:52
I'm Ryan Walton. This is the show where I bring
0:54
you the stories of coffee professionals entrepreneurship
0:57
and coffee education. Today, I'm joined by Tyler
1:01
Whitehead, he is the founder and head roaster of ignite, coffee
1:05
company in Oceanside, California, you may have heard
1:08
me mentioning his company. As one of this shows, roast
1:10
industry, partners, Tyler and I recorded our first chat about a
1:14
month ago. It was his first appearance on
1:17
any podcast and he did pretty well.
1:19
It's always difficult to distill the effort and work that goes
1:22
into starting a business into bite-sized pieces.
1:26
After our official interview was over the tape kept rowing and
1:30
And with Tyler's permission, I'm going to share some of our post
1:32
interview conversation with you today as well for our younger
1:36
audience. Rolling tape is a reference to
1:38
an ancient form of audio recording, as you'll hear later
1:41
on. There, was some news about
1:43
Tyler's company that he didn't want to put out into the world
1:45
until it was official. So I made a point to check in
1:48
with him, periodically to see if we were ready to publish this
1:52
episode in what was a great example of the roller coaster
1:55
that entrepreneurs ride when starting a new business things
1:59
didn't go quite Quite as planned and our timelines got moved.
2:03
So, just a few days ago, Tyler and I connected again and we hit
2:07
record one more time so we could provide an update at the end of
2:11
this episode. I think that anyone who has
2:13
started a business will relate to the push and pull of emotion,
2:16
that Tyler has been on and anyone who hasn't will get a
2:20
chance to learn a little bit more about the side of the
2:22
business that you sometimes can't control.
2:26
If you've got a moment while listening today, I'd appreciate
2:29
it. If you'd had to roast
2:30
westcoast.com and subscribe to the newsletter, you'll find show
2:34
Recaps, More Coffee News, education and updates on what is
2:38
happening with guests and partners of the show.
2:41
The newsletter is always free. But we don't mind if you decide
2:45
to pay for a subscription. It's how they show gets made or
2:48
you could just buy us a cup of coffee or leave a tip, it all
2:51
goes back into the creation of this coffee podcast.
2:55
Speaking of coffee, it's time to go fill up your mug or refill,
2:59
it, or at least start the Brew, because it is time for not one.
3:03
But two, maybe two and a half conversations with Tyler
3:07
Whitehead, founder and head Coffee.
3:09
Roaster at ignite coffee company in Oceanside, California.
3:24
Welcome to the roast West Coast coffee podcast.
3:27
Tyler if you could just tell us your name, what your business is
3:30
and your job title there and man I've been asking people what
3:34
their favorite Ninja Turtle is but nobody seems to know what
3:36
the Ninja Turtles are anymore. So how about what was your
3:39
favorite cartoon growing up? So my name is Tyler Whitehead.
3:43
I'm a Loner roaster, for ignite Coffee Company.
3:48
I also helped run my dad's business in Oceanside California
3:51
as well is called ties Burger House.
3:53
So whenever my dad's not there I run it from.
3:57
So keep him busy. So I'm not going to lie, I had
3:59
to look at the Ninja Turtles and I would say the Leonardo would
4:02
be my favorite was the blue. But other cartoon that I like,
4:08
that's a good question. I'll I watch a lot of sponge
4:11
About growing up. So I would say spunky one.
4:14
I've never seen an episode of Spongebob Squarepants.
4:17
It's pretty know what it is from memes, but it just was never my
4:21
thing. So, we're from different
4:23
Generations, but that's okay. We still, we still like coffee.
4:27
Yeah, well, that's what we have in common, so, let's start
4:30
there. When, did coffee come into your
4:32
life? What is, what do you remember
4:34
about it? Coming into your life and was
4:36
there ever kind of a moment that, you know, really kind of
4:38
inspires you just to start digging into it further?
4:41
So tonight, it's funny. I never really drink coffee in
4:46
the early certain parts of my life.
4:47
I only started drinking coffee when I got into college and it
4:51
was just one of those things were I just needed stay up
4:54
longer and keep awake to study. So that's all what coffee kind
4:57
of did for me. Doing that me time.
4:59
So I was going to say any one state and I would always go to
5:03
most her coffee. That's what was like five
5:04
minutes away from me. And so there was a main
5:08
companies, one of the very first companies that kind of inspired
5:10
me that We start thinking about the possibility of coffee maybe
5:14
is because whenever I went there, everybody was there
5:17
around the same time and usually the same people trying to get
5:20
work done in a Baristas with know who I am.
5:22
Has any Tyler wanted this for this today?
5:25
And so, I don't know. I always thought that was just a
5:26
really special thing in the coffee industry and just it's a
5:30
community aspect which I really loved a lot.
5:33
And so I not only love the community aspect of it, but I'm
5:35
a business student and grew up from an entrepreneurial family
5:39
so always made me. Curious of how coffee is
5:44
distributed basically I didn't I mean I didn't know what it was
5:47
like back then. So I looked like farming a
5:50
harvesting how its Harvest shipping going through importer
5:55
going through a wholesale account.
5:56
Then finally gets the roasters hands to roast and then they
6:00
ship it off to the Barista to make.
6:01
And so there's so many different hands that it had to go through
6:04
before you. And I can drink that cup and
6:07
there's also a lot of different steps where that coffee can.
6:11
It ruined or whatever, there's a lot of opportunities for it, not
6:14
to get to the Final Destination. And so that always made me
6:18
really think how cool it is for us to just share this amazing
6:25
product around the world. Sure, I would like to point out
6:29
that your college coffee shop, has one coffee roaster of the
6:33
year and my college coffee shop is better known for pancakes.
6:38
So a little spoiled Yeah, that's that's very cool.
6:43
So you were going to school at SDSU and I don't know if you
6:45
mentioned it or if I just knew it.
6:47
But as a business student prior to deciding you were going to
6:50
open your own business, you're surrounded by an entrepreneurial
6:53
family. You said what kind of motivation
6:55
or inspiration did that have on you?
6:57
What were you doing before the coffee company?
7:00
Came along like that led you down this path they were a giant
7:04
support system and just overall encourager.
7:07
So going back to my great grandparents There are
7:11
entrepreneurs in my grandma and my grandpa were entrepreneurs
7:15
and then my dad and my aunt are entrepreneurs.
7:17
So from an early age, I knew right away, I wanted to start a
7:20
business. I just didn't exactly know what
7:22
business I wanted to own and so just kind of just going through
7:26
life maturing and just kind of figuring things out.
7:30
I went on coffee and happy, I chose it.
7:34
Not going to look back and just going to keep pressing forward.
7:38
So yeah, my family pet huge role in that.
7:40
And so, Really nice or just has been amazing opportunity to grow
7:44
up in an entrepreneurial family because I understood what it
7:48
took to make a business successful.
7:51
When my dad first, hardberger house for the first three or
7:54
four years, he was working seven days a week, all day, it's a
7:57
grind. So, I understand that got to put
8:00
a lot of time and effort into whatever business you decided to
8:04
start. And so, I also learned, I should
8:07
probably pick something that I actually do like a lot, and I
8:10
could see myself. Elf doing for many, many, many
8:12
years down the road, and I'm sorry I love coffee.
8:16
Roasting has been a complete joy and a lot of fun and I can
8:20
definitely see myself doing that long term.
8:22
And so, when I kind of put those two and two together, I was like
8:27
took that leap of faith and jumped and letting see where it
8:32
takes me. How did you start learning the
8:34
process of roasting? You jumped into roasting instead
8:37
of opening a coffee shop and buying someone else's beans.
8:40
What made you decide that? And then, how did you start
8:42
learning that the University of YouTube?
8:45
YouTube has been amazing Mill? City has a bunch of great
8:50
resources on YouTube that are totally free.
8:52
And I just heard watching those videos, I like, oh my gosh, this
8:55
is so cool. This is for free.
8:57
And so that's I ended up buying a middle City just because they
9:01
have so many great resources. And so when out probably got my
9:05
roaster, I would have YouTube right next door, a right next
9:08
sitting, next me, and while I'm roasting, I'm watching you too.
9:11
And for the first six or seven months, of after getting The
9:14
Roaster, I just roasted like, I just came out free coffee.
9:18
I just roasted for fun. And so, it was a great learning
9:22
experience. Was that part of your business
9:26
or part of your learning. Because I'm thinking about it,
9:28
like, I'm giving away free coffee, and I'm going to deduct
9:30
it on my taxes, but I'm wondering if for you at that
9:33
point, you had already made. You'd already past that point,
9:36
where you knew coffee was the thing you were going to go to.
9:38
Yeah, I definitely do. I was going to do coffee
9:40
roasting business. Business.
9:42
But I just want to make sure I'm going to put out a good product
9:44
before I launch and so I wanted to make sure I got everything
9:47
dialed, but looking back now it definitely improved a lot since
9:51
then and probably should have launched but it is what it is.
9:54
But so learning experience. And so yeah, I just had six to
9:57
seven months. I told myself I'm not going to
9:59
sell a single Bean, I'm just going to give it out to friends
10:02
and just tasted myself. And once I feel comfortable
10:07
launching something, that's what I'm I decided to Launch.
10:11
Sure that was spoken like a true entrepreneur.
10:13
Where you look back and think it wasn't good enough.
10:16
Yeah. Oh you know you always got to
10:18
prove to be one percent on every day.
10:21
Earlier you mentioned that you had besides your dad in the
10:24
Burger House. Other family though, I'm just
10:26
wondering if they were all in Hospitality or you had seen
10:29
people working in other Industries because hospitality
10:32
is unique in. Yeah, the type of Demands So, my
10:38
great grandfather, before he passed away, they moved.
10:41
Mexico to start a porta potty company in Mexico and got
10:44
contracted through the Olympics. They also had an oil company in
10:47
there as well and then my grandma at the same time start
10:50
of baby clothing line and move back to the States.
10:54
But so they came from more of a retail background in that sense
10:58
and my dad had zero experience in a restaurant.
11:00
He might have worked McDonald's in high school but that was the
11:04
extent of that and Cited. Well, take a shot at this burger
11:08
thing. See if it works out and 12 years
11:11
later, I would say it's been working out pretty well.
11:14
So once you decide to open the, the coffee roasting company, and
11:19
you've been working on your beans and I'm assuming you're
11:21
thinking about this the whole time kind of the first big thing
11:24
that people do is name their business or start making a list
11:27
of names. So I'm wondering about your
11:30
company, which is ignite Coffee Company, ignite Coffee Company
11:33
dot-coms where people can find it.
11:35
Where, did the name come? From what inspired it, what does
11:38
it mean to you? As a great question, slightly
11:42
embarrassing answer, but I will affect was incredibly bad at
11:48
figure out names for different things and I'll get to this
11:50
later. But even for my Blended took a
11:52
long time to figure out my blend name.
11:53
So I just had a list on my phone of different names I could
11:58
possibly use and so nothing was sticking.
12:03
It just wasn't quite there yet, but I remember exactly the
12:08
moment and where I was when I I realized ignite was going to be
12:11
my name. I was at San Diego State at the
12:14
gym. Working out after a long day of
12:16
studies, and I was listening to business podcast country
12:19
leadership and during the podcast for getting the guys
12:23
name. But anyways, he was talking
12:24
about how he needed, ignite your employees passions of and I
12:29
complete even tell you what he said.
12:30
After that, when he said night, I just knew right away, that's
12:34
it. I left the gym right away.
12:36
Went home, went to go, daddy looked up, ignite coffee
12:39
company.com. Double bought it.
12:41
And then I went straight to Instagram, Facebook, and
12:45
whatever else and it is all available.
12:48
This is this is what it is. And so I just took a name, it
12:54
does get hard to find aims that haven't been taken and not just
12:57
for the domain, but for the social media because you don't
13:01
want even not that to businesses, can have similar
13:03
names, especially the areas, but online is so prevalent that you
13:07
have to kind of be aware of what else is out there.
13:10
Yeah, especially if you put any sort of like, special characters
13:14
in your username at Gordy's can throw people off a little bit
13:18
and then the logo is a lion. How does that relate to the
13:22
name? So, I come from a Christian
13:25
background and I'm pretty involved with my church.
13:27
And with Ignite, I want to ignite people's passions in
13:31
life. And what the lion represents to
13:35
me is how God wants us to be as children of God, where he wants
13:39
us to be bold. So courageous and just be an
13:42
overall leader of our community. And so that's what the lion kind
13:47
of represents to me of what we should embody our day-to-day
13:51
basis. Interesting.
13:53
What the lion logo that is on the bags, which is really well
13:57
done. Was that a design that you came
14:00
up with on your own or that you hired at someone out?
14:03
I mean and the reason I ask is because I think especially
14:06
starting out a lot of entrepreneurs try to do
14:08
everything themselves. Yeah.
14:11
Yeah, I definitely have that tendency as well, but I listen
14:14
to a lot of enough podcast in family pouring in where you
14:18
can't do it by yourself, you have to surround yourself with
14:20
good people and at the time, I went up the street from Burger
14:24
House ties, Burger House in Oceanside, where they do logo
14:27
designs, that sort of thing. Initially, I went there and they
14:30
gave me a good framework. And then, when I moved down to
14:34
San Diego State, my roommate is a world-class graphic artist and
14:40
He was like, let me just mess around with it.
14:42
If you don't like it, don't use it.
14:44
But if you like it, I'll send you the files.
14:46
And he is what he made it in today, and I couldn't thank him
14:50
enough. He's just a master at what he
14:52
does. Let's talk a little bit more
14:54
about starting the business. Are you graduated from San Diego
14:58
State? Are you still in school?
15:00
Yeah, no. I graduated in 2020.
15:03
So my last last half a semester at San Diego State was when
15:07
covid shut this entire world down went online.
15:10
And then graduated that following May.
15:13
So it's been out for a little while but I had to put ignite on
15:16
the back burner for a little bit because of covid and I hope my
15:19
dad just run the restaurant while we're trying to maneuver
15:23
through covid. And we only had a dad myself and
15:26
then two cooks for the whole time.
15:28
So I just had to put ignite on the back burner for a little bit
15:31
Thai till we kind of got our feet under ourselves during the
15:36
pandemic. And then I ironically reignited
15:40
night. That is, it's part of that being
15:44
part of a family business is. Yeah.
15:46
Stepping in, when people need you total, I have a very clear
15:50
recollection of being about 14 and quitting on a Friday night
15:54
in my family restaurant and my dad coming home and asking what
15:59
I was doing, you know, playing video games.
16:01
And I said I, you know, I quit, I don't want to do this, you
16:04
know, something. I don't want to come back to the
16:06
restaurant and he just kind of needed to get didn't get mad at
16:09
all. He just Relativity said okay,
16:11
that's fine too goes. But now you work for free
16:13
because your family he goes you can quit your job but now you're
16:17
just helping your dad because we need to always some tribal
16:19
matter. What so that was roughly 1993.
16:25
So I think things have changed a bit.
16:27
I hope but maybe not even before, my dad opened the
16:30
restaurant, my Grandma had a clothing store here at the same
16:34
establishment and I was like 12 13 and I was to work.
16:40
I was working. I was pushing little buttons on
16:41
the cash register. So, so, so it's always funny
16:44
when you have family working with each other, to get started
16:47
young. It's a good.
16:48
You probably learned things that you shouldn't learn early, but
16:51
you also, you see, you see that Foundation of what it takes to
16:54
work hard. I want to ask you a little bit
16:57
about your coffee sourcing. Since you mentioned that, you
17:00
did a bunch of research when you were looking into coffee in the
17:03
first place. What does it mean to you to have
17:06
ethically, sourced coffee and how do you implement that into
17:09
your business? It's huge.
17:11
Why was I just got? So I didn't know where to go
17:14
when I first are looking for sourcing greens and I think it's
17:19
partially because I just didn't know exactly how to look it up
17:21
properly. So I didn't know the terminology
17:23
back then but I was watching a show called The Prophet and it
17:28
was a guy named Marcus Lemonis. He owns Camping World and have
17:31
this show and he had an episode on a green coffee wholesaler and
17:37
Orange County. And I was watching, I'm like, oh
17:39
my gosh. Is so cool.
17:40
This is exactly what I need right now.
17:42
And so from that whole show, I looked them up and they pay it
17:50
more of a premium to their Farmers, to have a higher
17:53
quality of life. And that was really big for me
17:56
and obviously you can find cheaper coffees somewhere else
18:00
at the end. I mean people do it which I mean
18:02
it is what it is. But I wanted to make sure that
18:06
we're on buy my coffee from was there again, a good end of the
18:09
deal. Well, I don't want to cut them
18:12
part of the deal where I'm making more money on my end.
18:16
I want to make sure that they have a good quality of life and
18:18
they will support their families.
18:19
They have have to support their family as well.
18:21
And so, I just want to make sure that I found a place that had
18:25
the same vision as me. Have you had the opportunity to
18:28
do any traveling to places where they make coffee?
18:31
Not yet. But I would love to covid.
18:33
Definitely slowed things down and that sense.
18:35
But I'm getting married in about a year and a half.
18:40
And I half jokingly told to my fiance, hey, let's go to Costa
18:43
Rica for our honeymoon, so I can go to coffee farms and she was
18:48
like, oh my gosh, I love that. And so you might got my go to
18:51
Costa Rica for a honeymoon, so I can go to coffee Farms, not only
18:55
for coffee Farms, but he looks well.
18:58
So, it might be my first plant origin trip.
19:01
My honeymoon. Hey, are you gonna combine those
19:03
things? You know, you, when you own a
19:05
business it's your whole life, everyone's involved.
19:08
So that's something. Show you.
19:10
That hasn't come up a lot on the show, but being an entrepreneur
19:13
or starting your own business is something that you make a choice
19:17
for not just yourself, but for whoever is part of your life
19:20
because you will have days or nights or weekends or moments
19:25
that are impacted by that, that's true of any job but maybe
19:28
less. So 1925 skewed have less.
19:30
So a nine-to-five you mentioned earlier, your you kind of your
19:34
coffee blend, which you did send to me, which I really appreciate
19:37
called, nifty 50. I also So tried your Sumatra and
19:41
I sent you a message afterwards and this is just me being an ass
19:45
and arrogant by like I was like, okay, new roaster, you know, who
19:49
knows if it'll be good or not? But at the end of the day, I had
19:52
like eight different companies to sample on my counter and I
19:56
really I sent you a message saying that day.
19:59
Like, this is my favorite of the batch.
20:02
Like of all the ones that I'm trying today, I was really
20:04
impressed. I appreciate it.
20:06
Yeah, you're welcome. And I don't say that lightly
20:09
because this show doesn't do. User anything like that but it
20:12
was really good and the coffee named nifty 50 is named after
20:16
Something That We're mutually passionate about which is
20:18
photography. Tell me how photography fits
20:21
into your life and where that name comes from and how it's
20:24
going to stay incorporated into your world.
20:28
After you start the business or get the business really up and
20:30
running Toda side. Photography has been in my life
20:33
for the past 13. 14 years, my very first shoot that I did was
20:38
on film taking photos. Those of my friends surfing in
20:41
Solana Beach, and ever since then, it's just been uphill from
20:46
there. And when I first started doing
20:48
photography, I start training for surfing companies, and
20:51
that's where I met my mentor and still is to a stay, and he just
20:55
showed me the ropes. I took one photography class in
20:57
school and that was it. But my mentor taught me,
21:00
everything else that I know about photography and it's just
21:03
been such a cool Avenue to just not only express myself but just
21:07
to capture going back to my Christian Roots, but just God's
21:11
creation and like I love going to Yosemite and Joshua tree and
21:15
just be able to capture those magnificant places just like
21:19
places that just doesn't even make sense.
21:20
That is there. And so that's been a really cool
21:23
opportunity and just being able to take photos of really special
21:26
moments that we can relive later.
21:30
With that going with my coffee company.
21:31
It just selfishly, I'm glad I'm in photography because my save
21:35
me a lot of money in the long run.
21:37
If I had a higher Out, friends, taking As for all my posts would
21:40
be very expensive, so incredibly grateful that I have
21:45
photography. My back pocket that I can
21:47
utilize. I just hired a friend of mine
21:50
that she's going to be doing a lot.
21:51
More of a content for me for ignite moving forward, which I'm
21:53
really happy about. She's an amazing creative,
21:57
amazing photographers. He did a shoot the other day, it
22:00
looked like maybe a cover magazine of time or Vogue, it
22:04
was just unreal. So I'm really excited to bring
22:06
her on board. Bummed I won't be doing.
22:09
As much content but as a business owner, you have to make
22:12
sacrifices and putting it where somebody else is better at than
22:16
you are or just have maybe a little bit more time to do that
22:20
for you. Sure that value add for the time
22:23
is a big one. Yeah, you know social media
22:26
takes up a lot of time and energy to do well on a time I
22:30
always worry that it takes up more time than I get in return
22:33
from it. So you're always making those
22:35
balancing acts across your business.
22:37
Yeah, no. Absolutely.
22:39
We've talked a little bit, you talked a little bit so far about
22:42
the impact of religion and Christianity on your life.
22:46
And on this business, how do you think that will benefit you
22:50
going forward? I have a bit of a religious
22:53
background, although I wouldn't consider myself religious now.
22:56
So I'm wondering for you. What does it mean to have that?
22:59
And does it impact you as an entrepreneur?
23:02
I'm not shouldn't assume that it does.
23:04
Yeah, absolutely. And one thing that I've learned
23:06
from my dad is As on Snores. We get an opportunity to give
23:11
back and my Dad gives back to his church.
23:14
A lot, and there's a church, right?
23:15
A cop or on the street but right.
23:17
Sorry, excuse me right around the corner from Burger house and
23:20
they do a monthly Men's breakfast the first Saturday of
23:25
every month I believe. And so I stuff like that.
23:28
It's just a really cool opportunity to have where you
23:31
can either donate your time space or just financials to get
23:36
back to the church. And so that's one thing that I'm
23:37
really excited about Is to not only get back to my church but
23:41
to give back to the community of Oceanside because I was just, I
23:43
just I'm in love with it's just a great Community to be part of.
23:47
So it's just a great opportunity to just kind of meet people
23:51
where they are and just help where you can.
23:54
Sure Oceanside is your home. I believe there is a potential
24:00
Cafe in the works for you. Yes.
24:03
Will that be in Oceanside and as you know, what are what are the
24:07
plans that you can share right now?
24:09
Now. Yeah, so I'm really it's my
24:10
business took a complete 180 in the last two and a half weeks.
24:15
Originally, I was going down the Wholesale route where I was
24:19
looking at a warehouse between Oceanside Escondido to set up.
24:23
My roaster set up my production area and just roast for coffee
24:26
shops and different wholesale accounts, and that was a plan
24:30
and kind of going back to what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
24:33
And especially getting married and having a family.
24:36
First, I didn't wanna open a Because of the time that
24:40
requires from people, because of hospitality with any
24:43
Hospitality, it requires seven days a week for the most part
24:46
and takes a large portion of your life.
24:49
And so I knew that was a struggle that I didn't really
24:55
want to do, but I didn't totally close the door not because I
25:00
just never think it's a good idea to have be super close
25:02
minded on anything in life. And so I always cannot kept that
25:05
door a little cracked for the possibility.
25:08
So, So that being said about a week and a half ago, I dropped
25:11
off coffee to one of my wholesale accounts was a pastor
25:14
of another local church actually and we just kind of sat down and
25:17
he talked to me what my vision is for ignite.
25:20
And what I want to be doing in the next five years and that
25:22
sort of thing, which I do appreciate a lot.
25:24
And one thing kind of led to another and that conversation, I
25:27
went back to my dad saying that he's like maybe just think about
25:31
opening a shop and Oceanside and there's a spot that recently
25:36
closed me about a month or so ago and my I went up there
25:39
called the number and about a week.
25:41
Later, the property manager called said this is your spot
25:45
and super exciting, the more and more I sit on the idea.
25:49
The more excited I get about it and the different ideas that I
25:51
have for it and kind of going back to the community aspect
25:54
because I want to incorporate Oceanside as much as I can with
25:58
in my shop. And so, with wholesale business,
26:01
you couldn't totally do that. You'd still, you could get, so
26:04
possibly do it, but just be a little more challenging to do.
26:07
But with a shop, you have a lot more.
26:09
Unity's to be able to cater towards the community and having
26:12
like special events fundraisers and all that sort of thing.
26:16
So and also it's not exactly cheap living here for like in a
26:19
bed of for like a one bedroom apartment notion size like two
26:22
thousand dollars. It's just a wall away from being
26:25
a studio and and I obviously want to have kids with my future
26:30
life and so that's gonna be expensive as well.
26:32
So I just want to make sure that we never have to totally stress
26:36
about affording things like Like last-minute things popping up
26:40
where we need to pay for something for kids.
26:42
So I don't want to be in a position where we're stretching,
26:44
like, I don't know how we're gonna pay for this and so I just
26:46
wanted to make sure that it did something that put a roof over
26:49
your head food on the table. And so that's really excited
26:53
about a coffee shop. Now, I'm laughing to myself
26:56
because to here, I'm where I want to make sure that we're
27:00
making money. We have a roof over our heads.
27:02
I'm only laughing not, not try to laugh at you but you're like,
27:05
so I'm going to take this huge risk and Challenge and start my
27:07
own business. That's the type of Personality
27:13
that entrepreneurs have, which means figure is fascinating.
27:16
Yeah, I think if my dad were listening, but she might be, you
27:20
would say, you know, kids are small, they'll fit in that one
27:22
bedroom for a while. At least it's just she, you
27:26
know, there's always a corner somewhere that we can dedicate.
27:29
So that's what your kind of your near future is.
27:31
Is there a timeline for that for when you get the keys for when
27:35
you start going to work? Hoping to get the keys sometime.
27:39
I'm next week which is the goal and then we're shooting
27:44
tentatively for June 20 pin the doors.
27:47
That's if everything goes well and there's already a couple
27:50
like the Special Machine I'm looking at has like a
27:53
three-and-a-half monthly time, the Brewers are looking at has
27:56
about a month and a half lead time and who knows what the wait
28:00
times are for like materials, like tables, countertops on that
28:04
sort of thing. So we're hoping to open the
28:07
doors NGO. So that's the goal.
28:09
Are there any other big plans for the future for ignite coffee
28:13
company or for what you have kind of in your in your pocket?
28:17
Yeah. So depending on how this first
28:20
shopping first, Cop Shop goes left, open more.
28:23
But if this one's enough where I don't feel like opening other
28:26
one then that's that's what it will be.
28:28
But opening a second location would be pretty cool.
28:32
Maybe he did incorporate like a drive-through sit in type of
28:35
shop would be really neat. Yeah I mean that's kind of odd.
28:38
It is for right now, at least just trying to open a coffee
28:41
shop as quickly as we can so trying to get wholesale accounts
28:44
as well. So I'm just going to be a
28:45
two-on-one type of place where I'm still gonna have wholesale
28:48
accounts and then my retail aspect in front.
28:51
So take up a good amount of my time.
28:54
Let's go back to the coffee. Just for a minute here.
28:57
What would you say is kind of your attitude towards roasting
29:00
coffee and what is it that you're looking for when you're
29:03
sourcing those coffees? So as a roast are always trying
29:06
to improve, I know, I'm still pretty early to the game for a
29:10
coffee roasting. So I'm just trying to educate
29:13
myself the most when I'm buying greens.
29:16
What kind of flavors I want to pull out when I'm roasting it.
29:20
I've been pretty lucky at the coffee's that I bought in so far
29:23
of, like, everything that I'm kind of looking for in a coffee.
29:26
You have your coffee, is that most people in drink and then I
29:29
have some coffees that are more floral and notes that people can
29:32
enjoy. So I kind of want to try and
29:35
meet most people's needs. Obviously, we'll be able to meet
29:38
everybody's needs, but I would say most coffee drinkers,
29:40
Nate's, my dad for example, used to drink Folgers before and when
29:45
I started roasting coffee, he was like I can't drink holders
29:48
84 and so he's He's not like the big, I mean, he's a coffee
29:51
drinker, but that's about it. And so if I could get somebody
29:54
like my dad to drink my coffee at waiting, Is there anything we
29:59
didn't cover today that you want people to know about you about
30:02
the company about what you have planned.
30:05
I would say, maybe it's kind of keep your eyes out.
30:08
Obviously, I all fully admit that I'm not the greatest at
30:12
posting on Instagram right now. Just I try I really try not to
30:15
use as an excuse but I just I think your last post is of Santa
30:19
Claus so yeah I'd say yeah and that's my is fine.
30:24
I was my future brother-in-law he's like 65 and Think pounds
30:29
just a massive human being. He's a strong man and I bought
30:32
this super small Santa Claus costume.
30:35
I'm like fit in it and so he was a trooper.
30:38
He took one for the team which I very much appreciate.
30:42
So he's a fantastic model, can Santa Claus for me.
30:45
So with my friend coming on board, I'm really hoping it'd be
30:49
more active on Instagram and I'll take full responsibility of
30:52
me not doing a good job with it. So I definitely need to be
30:55
better about that. So I kind of just say, just kind
30:58
of Keep your eyes open for launch date will have a soft
31:01
opening for the shop where people kind of give feedback,
31:04
what I can improve or kind of keep going along the same lines
31:07
with. And then once we kind of get
31:09
that squared away, we'll have an actual launch of actual coffee
31:13
shop. Very cool.
31:15
Until then, if you're out and about in Oceanside or else we're
31:18
getting a coffee, what is it that you like to drink?
31:21
I love steady state, steady States.
31:23
My favorite coffee shop. There are cold, brew, and drip
31:27
are amazing. But Only them.
31:29
But whenever I else goes home or another coffee shop that I want
31:31
to try and go to and drip or cold, Bruce's, the way to go.
31:36
So finish by just saying, you know, I really appreciate that.
31:39
You came and spent some time with us.
31:40
I'm excited to see where you guys go with the new shop.
31:43
And yeah, no matter what directing people yeah, to pay
31:47
attention. Yeah, no.
31:49
And again, I appreciate you taking the time out of your day
31:51
to talk to me. It's very much appreciated.
31:54
So a lot of fun you made the super easy and I was right.
32:01
And after some logistical, talk about the podcast being
32:04
released, our conversation picked up again.
32:07
After the official interview was over with Tyler being
32:10
charmingly, humble about his own coffee skills.
32:13
Well, uplifting other Roasters as he talked about the
32:15
aspirational aspect of being inspired by other coffee
32:18
entrepreneurs, before getting into the community impact that
32:22
he hopes his Coffee Company can create.
32:27
Sighs mostra, Black Rifle coffee company was a big part of
32:31
pushing me to start, but it kind of transition throughout the
32:34
time of like different Roasters and currently in the stage of my
32:39
career, I guess you could say, steady state is my absolute
32:43
dream. I would love to even if I could
32:46
be like, a quarter of what steady state is, I'd be so
32:50
ecstatic. I'm part of their coffee club,
32:52
and I look forward to being coffee every third Friday of the
32:56
month is They just know exactly what they're doing and they just
33:00
nail it every single time. And one thing that I appreciate
33:03
my coffee palette is in the greatest, by any means.
33:06
I'll be upfront with them trying to get better about a cup
33:08
weekly. And for somebody like me, I can
33:11
still post, I can still pull their coffee notes, out of their
33:14
coffees, and for somebody like me, I can pull out.
33:16
Note, still is just unbelievable.
33:20
And I just strive to be like that.
33:22
We strive to make you a little bit about from them, so there
33:26
are A huge inspiration. Elliott's great.
33:28
He lives right by me. And so he comes from Hospitality
33:31
background as well, obviously. And so just a great due to be
33:35
around trying to be knowledgeable and he owns
33:38
California collective in San, Marco Square.
33:40
I roast. And that was one of the main
33:42
things I love about roasting out.
33:44
There is, there's so many talented Roasters in there, and
33:49
I can kind of just not only build relationships from with
33:53
them, but to kind of just pick the brains and just see How they
33:57
do things and how they got to that same conclusion versus
34:00
another way of doing things. And even though I graduate from
34:03
sending a seat roughly two years, almost two years ago, I
34:07
always my motto in life is Skyview, lifelong student.
34:10
And when you're just a Sitting Duck, you're not progressing in
34:14
in life and I don't mean that to be mean, but we just my motto of
34:18
like always trying to be a lifelong student, just be one
34:21
percent better every day and a place like Collective allows me
34:24
to do that if just being continuous to Didn't of a craft
34:28
of roasting. And so, I'm just incredibly
34:30
grateful that I get to be surrounded by so many amazing
34:33
Roasters and this is another thing that I have to love about
34:36
the coffee industry is coming from a restaurant background.
34:40
It can be pretty Cutthroat of just restaurants, not looking
34:44
out for each other and just doing their own thing.
34:47
And one thing I can really appreciate for the coffee
34:49
industry is that most of them are pretty.
34:52
Collaborated with one another. And like for example, James
34:55
coffee will post Is of other coffee shops at the go to during
34:59
the month and I just think that's so cool.
35:02
What a cool operator mean, the whole industry itself is just
35:05
one big community, and I love that.
35:07
And we're just trying to push each other in a positive
35:11
reaction and just making the craft Coffee in San Diego.
35:15
A lot better each year and when you have people supporting each
35:18
other and encouraging, one another you'll just help uplift
35:22
everybody. And just uplift, the coffee
35:24
industry in San Diego as a whole as well.
35:25
And so, I think you just explain to kind of the goal of this
35:29
show. Oh, good.
35:31
Good. Yeah.
35:32
And I, yeah, I don't know, it's just the cool thing.
35:34
There's so many great opportunities so many great
35:37
memories that are made out of coffee.
35:38
And having these sort of conversations over a cup of
35:42
coffee is fantastic. And I mean, I've had friends
35:44
where we go to coffee shops and we have deep life conversations
35:49
about stuff. We're just the kind of
35:51
accountability Partners or and it's over shared cup of coffee
35:55
and it just coffee just makes people just feel safe and more
35:59
vulnerable, I guess. Sorry.
36:02
No, it's just that. I hate.
36:03
I love it. We're not made to do life alone.
36:06
Always got to find community no matter where, what stage in life
36:09
yet, you're in whether that be in a Hospitality Church.
36:12
Wherever else, it's We're relational beings that we always
36:16
have to be. That was one thing that was
36:17
challenging during covid for me because I love being
36:21
face-to-face. I mean this is totally fine too.
36:22
I mean I get to talk to you and see you but as a hard thing for
36:26
me because we didn't know what was happening and everage like
36:29
well just going to stay home for now and that was a hard thing
36:32
for not being with hail friends talk with him face-to-face.
36:36
So it really made me appreciate community and I how much I took
36:42
it for granted before. Covid.
36:44
And so, I really don't take it as lightly anymore because we
36:48
just hope this doesn't happen again, with another 20.0.
36:52
And that's one thing that I've learned from my dad, will one of
36:55
many things I should say. It's like it just one of many
36:58
things that I learned with Burger houses.
37:01
My MBA people ask, how are you gonna go back to the gym?
37:04
Be a no Burger House is my MBA, and there's so many different
37:08
things that I've learned. And one thing that I have
37:11
learned is that there is always something.
37:14
And you always have to just be on your toes and just being able
37:18
to just be flexible and if you have to Pivot you have to Pivot
37:22
but it just happened. You just have to kind of be
37:24
somewhat fluid with things. Sure you have to earn.
37:28
You have to have a lot of different skills.
37:29
You know, there's many different caps.
37:32
Yeah. Running a restaurant or a coffee
37:34
shop or anything means that you are a service person.
37:37
You are manufacturing person. You are a logistics and
37:41
operations person's. You're probably going to be
37:43
fixing equipment. It meant regularly.
37:45
Yeah you are. The person that gets called when
37:48
the toilet breaks I mean there's no everything.
37:51
There's no ending inside And this is where our conversation
37:57
turned back to those Logistics of releasing the episode.
38:00
At this moment, Tyler is waiting on the lease agreement so he can
38:03
sign and get to work in his future Cafe space.
38:06
But as we mentioned, things did not go quite to plan.
38:09
Tyler and I recently connected again about the journey.
38:12
He's been on since our first conversation, you're back on the
38:16
roast West Coast coffee podcast. We haven't even aired, the
38:19
interview that we did already. We're touching base again for a
38:23
very specific reason. And the last time that you were
38:28
here, you were excited about your brand.
38:31
You're excited about a new brick, and mortar location that
38:33
you were looking at an ocean side.
38:35
You had kind of a verbal agreement on the space and we
38:38
have decided, let's wait a week or so to make it official before
38:41
we put this podcast out in the world.
38:43
Yeah. Wife seemed pretty good.
38:45
Yeah. And then some paperwork came
38:48
through the lease terms were not as anticipated, the deal starts
38:53
to potentially fall apart and this Is this brick and mortar
38:56
location that you weren't even originally planning on having,
39:00
but all of a sudden you had gotten excited about starts to
39:03
slip away. Yeah.
39:04
What is the emotion of that moment?
39:06
And what was that experience? Like going through that back and
39:09
forth. Gosh, it's a great question and
39:13
I appreciate you having me, come back, there's nothing up and
39:15
down experience because going back I mean my biz did a 180 and
39:21
I had no idea that I was going to have a coffee shop.
39:25
Then the more I sat on the idea of having coffee shop and how it
39:29
will just help me support my family more, I got more and more
39:33
excited about it and then had all these different ideas and
39:37
Visions for the shop and how incorporate the community with
39:41
the shop and got me really, really excited.
39:44
And the each day went by and my dad's getting more excited.
39:48
So it was just a really positive time.
39:52
But then He started sending over the different leases that were
39:57
didn't quite anticipate getting. And we're a little confused and
40:01
put back on the terms that you sent us and then we went back
40:06
and forth to different proposals and then we finally agreed on
40:10
terms that I'm really excited about.
40:12
But it was a great Opera learning opportunity because
40:16
I've never really been a part of negotiations, very much in my
40:19
life. And so there's a great
40:21
opportunity for my negotiations. Skills to kind of form for later
40:26
Endeavors, but it was a process, it was up and down feelings.
40:30
I was getting a little discouraged towards the tail end
40:33
because I just thought maybe this was just going to fall
40:36
through and I have to go find a different location, which I
40:40
would have done. But this location that I'm at
40:43
now or I will be at is, it's not, I love it.
40:49
It's perfect because it's only about a half a block up for my
40:51
dad's restaurants in downtown ocean.
40:53
I on Mission Avenue 605 Mission Avenue.
40:57
It's it couldn't ask for a better spot during that process
41:03
when you're going back and forth.
41:04
We messaged a little bit and you weren't sure that it was going
41:07
to work out. Yeah.
41:09
You just said something. I thought was interesting which
41:11
was that you would have looked for another spot.
41:14
Yeah. When we first talked, that part
41:16
of the our conversation, when we first met was that not having a
41:21
coffee shop? Like was kind of your Original
41:23
plan to be wholesale, and yeah, online and subscriptions, and
41:27
that sort of things. So, even if this fell through,
41:30
you're saying, you would have gone through with this idea of,
41:33
having a shop, you've committed to that idea.
41:35
Yeah, totally. Yeah.
41:37
I mean, I'm still going to keep the wholesale business on for a
41:39
night. So I'm going to have a wholesale
41:42
business and my retail business Under One Roof at my shop.
41:46
But yeah, I would have definitely gone to look, it's
41:49
funny. I was actually on loopnet
41:52
looking for different. Tell spots in Oceanside and I
41:55
did find one. That was pretty close to where
41:57
I'm going to be. I don't know.
41:59
I mean, I'm pretty sure it's public knowledge but handles is
42:03
coming into Oceanside. And there was a spot right next
42:06
door to where handles will be going in that's available for
42:09
rent. And I called the real estate guy
42:15
and asked if we could go to her it but luckily he never called
42:18
us back. So and it worked out that he
42:22
sent us to a good lease back and he's signed the dotted line.
42:27
So it all worked out in the end. I saw a photo of you kind of
42:32
with your handle on the door to the space or a space.
42:35
Yeah. And but then a picture of the of
42:37
you inside or of the inside of your new space and it's empty
42:41
and cleared out and concrete floor.
42:43
Yeah. And just, you know, a lot of
42:45
potential. What did it feel like to you to
42:47
go into that space after you knew this was done, this is an
42:50
official deal. It was having a real moment
42:53
because cuz I didn't expect all this to happen so quickly as it
42:58
did and just being in a space where I know people come in,
43:03
hang out, drink coffee with her. Friends is kind of a surreal
43:07
moment. Something that I'm really
43:08
looking forward to kind of gives me goosebumps just thinking
43:11
about it. I don't know, I don't think
43:12
there's any right words to describe the moment, because it
43:15
just was so incredible. So now that you you're there,
43:21
you're working. You're trying to figure this
43:23
out. What is the time line?
43:24
When can people expect the doors at 6:05 Mission ahead?
43:30
And we'll keep saying the address for you.
43:32
Appreciate it. We're hoping we're June.
43:36
July is kind of a timeline of where we kind of want to open.
43:41
Our original plan was to open in June but since the negotiations
43:46
went back and forth for about a month, Kind of delayed are
43:50
opening a little bit. The good thing is, our architect
43:53
has a great relationship with the city Oceanside and the
43:56
health department, sir, hoping that the process will go by a
44:01
little bit quicker because he has such a great relationship
44:04
with both the city. And the health department, the
44:06
asshole for between somewhere June, July.
44:09
And actually, we're all ordered our equipment today are my
44:11
espresso machine, the drip, and all the other stuff.
44:15
The tap will have tap cold through.
44:18
Today so hopefully will kind of start get the ball rolling on
44:22
that too since you've been working on this part of your
44:25
business, how are you had to adapt?
44:29
What you were already doing, which was roasting also working
44:32
a job while you're going through this process.
44:34
Yeah, you know and offering your online services.
44:37
Have you been able to like handle it all?
44:39
Yeah, well the try my best, just take it day by day when I do get
44:45
my shop at my schedule is going to be even more wild than what
44:50
it is now. So it's I've been practicing
44:53
going to bed earlier, because I'm such a night out, I love
44:55
staying up. And so I've been practicing
44:57
going to bed earlier, and waking up early because I love working
45:02
out in the morning and making breakfast.
45:04
So I've been trying to kind of weird, but I've been trying to
45:08
practice waking up earlier so I can kind of get into the new
45:10
routine of having a shop because I'll be working in the shop.
45:14
I'll close and then I'll come back to my dad's restaurant and
45:17
work the evening shift. It's so trying to be prepared
45:21
for my body, just to be moving all day long.
45:23
It's kind of what I'm doing now to be prepared for it.
45:27
It's very gross. But man, I do not miss this at
45:30
all. I'm happy for you, but I'm so
45:33
glad it's you. Yeah, I hope so too.
45:37
Lots of coffee. Thank goodness.
45:38
I'll be over and only a coffee shop, because I'm just going to
45:41
be drinking a lot of it. Very cool.
45:45
Tyler, I appreciate you coming back to give us that update.
45:48
I'm excited to share this this show.
45:50
I think having that first part of our show and and now this
45:54
kind of recap will be really interesting for people and I
45:56
think I think a lot of things but I think that the roller
46:00
coaster of this process is something that most people don't
46:03
experience when they have like a nine-to-five or I don't want a
46:06
regular job but just a little Anon Hospitality not an
46:10
entrepreneurial job and so I'm sure they'll be a few more.
46:14
Roller coasters, as you go and hope we get a chance to hear
46:17
about. Yeah.
46:18
Absolutely. Always often planted that X
46:20
unexpected. Congratulations, and definitely
46:24
looking forward to the opening. Yeah, thanks man.
46:26
Thanks again for inviting me back.
46:27
Hope to do this again with you to recap.
46:33
Tyler's goal as a person as a coffee roaster and an
46:36
entrepreneur is to try to be one percent better every single day.
46:41
That is an admirable trait but it is more difficult to achieve
46:45
than you. Might think when you are working
46:47
and striving towards something especially starting a business.
46:51
There are often long plateaus even times when you take a step
46:55
backward and being able to manage those moments, both
46:58
mentally and emotionally to continue working with
47:01
intentionality is often an indicator of success.
47:05
Tyler has some built-in foundational support in the form
47:08
of his family. Who were his first examples of
47:10
Entrepreneurship. Then they became teachers and
47:13
then colleagues and now supporters of his own coffee
47:16
company and he's staying flexible from an online sales
47:20
and wholesale business to a brick and mortar location.
47:23
He's making the most of the opportunities as they come soon.
47:27
He'll be open and roasting coffee on one of the main drags
47:30
in his home town of Oceanside. California.
47:33
And who knows what will come next?
47:36
And finally, I have never seen an episode of Spongebob
47:39
Squarepants. That is true.
47:42
If you want updates on the new ignite Coffee Company, shop
47:45
follow at ignite Coffee Company on Instagram.
47:48
Tyler is promised me that he'll get better about putting news
47:51
out. And if you want to try some of
47:53
his coffee before the shop opens, had to ignite coffee
47:56
company.com. Now, for a bit of a disclosure
48:00
on the show today, I complimented Tyler's coffee
48:03
specifically the Nifty Fifty House Blend and his Sumatra
48:06
ignite coffee company is also a supporter of the show which
48:10
could certainly lead you to wonder.
48:12
Or how honest I'm being and that's fair, I would do the same
48:15
thing. It's the reason the show doesn't
48:17
actively do reviews. I can tell you that I'm being
48:20
honest when I say I like a coffee or commend another
48:23
company for their batch Brew which I've done quite a few
48:26
times on the show, but the other reason I don't do official
48:29
reviews, is that what you like? And what I like is subjective.
48:33
It is based on our experiences, our taste buds have developed
48:37
and what we've learned to be good or not good over time.
48:41
We learned in a recent coffee smarter episode with the
48:44
executive director of coffee at lofty, coffee series, simran,
48:47
Khalsa, that's something Roasters and roaster
48:50
apprentices. Have to do is to calibrate their
48:53
tastes to make sure they're having the same flavor,
48:56
takeaways from the cupping table.
48:59
So while I can say that I have some experience with coffee
49:02
tasting. I like what I like and I think I
49:04
can identify quality even if it isn't for me, but unless your
49:08
tastes have been calibrated to mine, Whether or not we'll both
49:12
enjoy the same cup of coffee is up in the air.
49:15
That said, I really did enjoy those coffees from ignite and
49:18
I'm really looking forward to trying more at some point in the
49:22
near future. Tyler were probably need to hire
49:24
some employees. If you are looking for a job in
49:27
coffee, please check out the coffee jobs.
49:29
Thread on roast westcoast.com. It is still very, very new but
49:33
it is growing. You can also follow at roast
49:36
West Coast on Instagram. I'm sharing new jobs in the
49:40
stories with the #Coffee jobs as I come across them.
49:44
Thank you for listening today, I'll be back with another coffee
49:47
smarter session. Our first with Jared Hales of
49:50
his Saya coffee Source in Anaheim.
49:52
He was a guest on the show earlier this season and now he's
49:55
joining us as an expert from the coffee broker.
49:58
Buyer side of the industry on his first coffee, smarter
50:01
episode. We jump into green coffee,
50:04
buying for beginners. I also want to thank this shows.
50:07
Other coffee industry, Partners Cafe litter who just opened
50:11
their second location. In Encinitas, California, most,
50:15
your coffee company. Leap coffee, Maria coffee
50:18
steady-state, coffee roasting coffee cycle, roasting Camp,
50:22
Coffee Company, Cape Horn coffee, importers first, light
50:26
whiskey and zoom bar, Coffee and Tea.
50:31
That's all for today's show. This episode of the roast West
50:34
Coast coffee podcast is was has been written produced and
50:38
recorded by me Ryan Walter. I hope this podcast is found you
50:43
happy healthy and with at least enough sanity and coffee to make
50:46
it through the day. And please always tip your
50:49
Baristas and be sure to drink good coffee.
51:18
Okay there. Thank you for listening all the
51:19
way to the end. You are the best.
51:21
If you liked this episode of the roast West Coast coffee podcast
51:26
and you want us to produce more of this coffee content, I would
51:29
really appreciate It. If you would consider buying us
51:31
a cup of coffee or signing up for that monthly paid,
51:34
subscription to the roast West Coast coffee newsletter.
51:37
I know you can get it for free, but subscriptions is how we
51:40
generate Revenue to keep the show going.
51:43
And with enough subscribers, we'd be able to focus on
51:45
creating coffee content for you all day every day.
51:49
It's a great way to show appreciation.
51:51
For this show, just head to roast westcoast.com to subscribe
51:55
or leave a tip. Thank you for listening
51:58
everyone.