206 | Winning World Latte Art Championships & Starting Cafes with Nicolas and Kenji Tanaka

It's becoming more and more popular for coffee shops to have food programs and there are good reasons for it. You can increase your average order value, appeal to more guests, and grow your overall business. On the other hand, having a food program comes with many challenges that might make you second think its benefits.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

The Best of Panama 2025 champion scored a wild 98 points and sold for $30,000/kg. Both the score and final price set new records. In this episode, we get to talk to Cole Torode who was one of the judges at Best of Panama coffee, tasted the winning cup, and got a front row seat to a historic event. Here's what went down behind closed doors and why we've entered a new era of luxury coffee.Forward Coffee: https://forward.coffee/passwordForward Coffee IG: https://www.instagram.com/fwdcoffee/Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

If you’re thinking about starting your mobile coffee cart to cater weddings and events, you’ll find tons of helpful advice on tackling events in this episode. We just catered a wedding with our mobile setup and share all the details from our experience. We cover everything from gear, workflow, ways to deal with disruptions, and how to serve guests quickly and efficiently. This episode is packed with tips and tricks!Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

What does it take to start cafes and win world latte art championships? We sit down with two brothers, Nicolas and Kenji Tanaka who have been crushing it in the industry, both as competitors and in their daily work in coffee. This coffee podcast episode is about their life, what has lead them to where they're at now, and what it takes to execute at such a high caliber in coffee.Nicolas' IG: https://www.instagram.com/aloha.tanaka/?hl=enKenji's IG: https://www.instagram.com/kenjii.tanaka/?hl=enKohiko Coffee House: https://www.instagram.com/kohikocoffeehouse/?hl=enPick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

Most people choose coffee by development level whether that's light, medium, or dark roast. This is because each roast development comes with a general flavor profile, but it's not as simple as that. There are other variables at play that can create more nuance to flavor profiles ranging from ultralight to dark roast.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

As coffee drinkers and enthusiasts, we oftentimes stick to a few coffee roasters that we become attached to and for very good reasons. What about discovering new roasters and coffees? It's usually uncomfortable, comes with uncertainty, and feels like a gamble. In this episode, we talk about how to discover new roasters and coffees that you'll love to drink!

Everyone who has worked in coffee for some time has horror stories to share. We've all had customer service experiences going wrong, equipment breaking during rushes, and dealing with the unexpected. It's part of the fun of working in coffee that keeps you on edge! We share our experiences and horror stories from our time in the industry.

When it comes to brewing coffee, rules are extremely helpful. Especially when you're just getting into coffee, they create the boundaries and guidance you need to achieve great results. On the other hand, some rules are meant to be broken and sometimes that leads to new discoveries. This podcast episode is all about learning to break rules and the traditional approaches to making coffee.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

There are many pour over drippers on the market and so many variations of both flat bottom and cone shaped drippers. Although, it is a little over saturated and one does not need to own all of them, they do come with their unique differences and flavor experiences. In this episode, we talk about what we've noticed brewing with several flat bottom drippers and cone shaped drippers and how they change the flavor experience.Pick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA

This past year, the coffee industry was hit with some unexpected challenges. Doubling c-market prices, tariffs, and inflation hit coffee businesses which have made an already difficult job even more difficult. Maxwell Mooney is a coffee consult that helps people build healthy coffee businesses. In this episode, he offers a few practical steps for coffee shop owners can take to start moving in the right direction.Find Maxwell on IG: https://www.instagram.com/maxwellthreadbare/?hl=enPick up our coffee here: https://mirrorcoffeeroasters.com/Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirrorcoffeeroasters/Mirror Coffee Roasters is a specialty coffee roaster located in Bellingham, WA