One of the world’s most compelling cafes is also run by one of the world most iconic and trusted espresso machine companies. Located in the lobby of KEXP, the La Marzocco Cafein Seattle, WA has been operating for almost 4 years. Every 4-6 weeks the cafe is taken over by different world-renowned roasting companies who design a full experience that represents their brand to the guests visiting the shop.
La Marzocco Cafe staff and management are not only tasked with representing the coffee well in each residency, learning new workflows, and information – but they must also be able to communicate the ethos and vision of the resident roaster to the customers who come to experience what that particular roaster has has to offer.
When you are essentially opening a new cafe every month you need systems, communication, and the right people to work in this environment of constant change.
This is what we will be discussing today with the two people who head up this mammoth effort, Program Director, Amy Hattemerand Cafe Manager, Carolyn Reddy. Between the two of them we get an inside look at how the cafe came to be and how it operates such an amazing concept so successfully.
In this conversation you will learn about:
- The genesis of the La Marzocco Cafe
- Their hiring and training process
- Operation of a residency
- The values that drive the cafe
- The importance of feedback
- Managing change seamlessly
Links:
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Related Episode:
089 : Andrew Daday, GM of La Marzocco USA : Leadership, Innovation, Service, Heritage
163 : Lessons from Crush the Rush w/ Josh Littlefield
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Amy Hattemer started working in coffee 10 years ago for Joe Coffee in NYC, where she ran the Grand Central Terminal location for 3 years before relocating to Philadelphia to oversee the buildout for Joe’s first ever shops outside of NY. It was while working as Director of Joe Philadelphia, that Amy met the La Marzocco team, when she came to Seattle for a tech training on the La Marzocco Strada EP. She met another Joe in Seattle, former President of La Marzocco Joe Monaghan, who approached her about a new and exciting project he was cooking up in his mind: a future La Marzocco consumer-facing cultural center in collaboration with the KEXP Radio Station. Amy joined La Marzocco in 2014 to begin work on this project and to launch the La Marzocco Café and Showroom. Amy continues to oversee the La Marzocco Experience Team, welcoming a new Roaster in Residence every 5 weeks.
Carolyn was born and raised in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, calls Chicago her second home, and has spent the last 12 years making a home in Seattle. Her first barista job at 15 followed a childhood love of making coffee at home with her dad. She continued working as a barista throughout her studies, graduating with a BFA in Painting and a minor in Museum Studies from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Before pursuing a career in coffee, Carolyn facilitated guest interaction within galleries and study rooms at The Art Institute of Chicago and the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. Soon after moving to Seattle, she joined Stumptown Coffee Roasters where she spent 7 years working in retail and wholesale, most recently in barista education. It was a dream come true for Carolyn to join the team at La Marzocco in 2015. She is currently the Lead Experience Coordinator for the the La Marzocco Café and Showroom, where she delights in the collaborative process of developing each Residence and in facilitating the continued growth of the Experience Team.
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