Coffee & Community: Why Both Matter for a Successful Cafe

In Episode 26, What does it really take to run a successful specialty coffee shop? Spoiler alert: it's not just about having the best coffee. We explore the crucial balance between serving exceptional coffee and creating genuine community, sharing lessons we've learned over the years at Mundos Coffee and why both elements are essential for greatness.

This conversation was inspired by a clip from Cat and Cloud featuring Chris Baca's answer about communicating higher coffee prices, which really wasn't about pricing at all, but about community. We realized this topic deserved a full episode because it's easy to get so focused on coffee quality that you neglect the people, or vice versa. The truth is, if you want to be great at what you do, you need both.

We're drink a tasty Colombia Aponte, a honey processed coffee from Mundos Coffee. This coffee has been a favorite for a while, featuring bright, tart acidity that's uncommon for a honey process. The tasting notes include pink lemonade, sourdough, and blackberry. 

We discuss the profound impact of reading "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara, which catalyzed a major shift in how Mundos approaches service. The book helped us realize that in our pursuit of coffee perfection, we had sometimes created unnecessary barriers that didn't serve our guests well. We share some of our old policies that we're not particularly proud of—like refusing to serve espresso to-go or only offering whole milk and oat milk—and how we've evolved to love people better while maintaining our commitment to quality.

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0:00 Intro

2:59 What We're Drinking

13:47 Why Community Matters in Coffee

18:07 Balancing Quality Coffee with Quality Hospitality

23:32 Customers Who Don't Understand Specialty Coffee

28:15 Unreasonable Hospitality

32:56 COVID

36:00 Auditing Your Business

40:15 Reaching Beyond Your Cafe Walls

43:37 Outro