The External Focus: How Coffee Retail Businesses Exist in Communities | Coffee Retail Summit
Coffee Retail Businesses have always been central to community activities, whether its the meeting place for community organizers to kick off their projects and activities or the place to celebrate group accomplishments.
Special Thanks to Our Coffee Retail Summit Partners
Coffee Retail Summit wouldn’t be possible without our generous partners, including our title partner, Pacific Barista Series. Learn more about how all our partners are supporting coffee retail businesses.
The pandemic may have managed to limit the community gatherings, but it did not crush coffee's participation in community led efforts. We'll discuss and learn how three businesses prioritized community service through the pandemic and how those efforts will continue into the future.
About the Panelists
Andrew Gough, Owner & Founder
Reverie Coffee Roasters
Andrew Gough co-found Reverie Coffee Roasters in 2013 while continuing to work as an educator in the financial services industry. His curiosity for continued learning drove him to start a specialty coffee business. In just a few years, Reverie grew from a small coffee roaster concept into an award-winning coffee wholesaler, two busy retail cafes, a full-scale artisan bakery and caterer, and a coffee equipment service provider. Today, Andrew leads a team of 35 coffee professionals determined to revitalize the communities they serve through the process of making coffee better. Andrew is married to Katie, and together, they have two boys, Weston (age 9) and Sullivan (age 6).
Debra Kaminski, Director of Foodservice Marketing
Pacific Foods
Deb Kaminski is a marketer and innovator who has collaborated with baristas and other coffee professionals to create the Pacific Barista Series line of plant-based beverages. Deb took a non-traditional path to her current career in foodservice marketing. Starting in the hospitality industry, she returned to school to become a registered dietitian/nutritionist and managed a wellness center before being recruited to work in food marketing. A consistent theme throughout Deb’s time at Pacific has been her passion to support the growth, development and well-being of baristas and others in the coffee community.
Sarina Prabasi, Co-Founder
Buunni Coffee
Sarina Prabasi is Co-Founder of Buunni Coffee, author of the memoir, The Coffeehouse Resistance (2019) and a member of the SCA Board of Directors. Her career in international development included positions as the CEO of WaterAid America, Deputy Chief of Programs for Orbis International, and Deputy Country Representative for Pact, Inc. Sarina was born in the Netherlands, raised in India, China and Nepal, and has spent formative years in the United States and Ethiopia. On Twitter she’s @SPrabasi
Moderator
Mansi Chokshi, Regional Community Director Specialty Coffee Association
Find all of the presentations from this event in the freely available Coffee Retail Summit Resource Library or learn more about our upcoming Coffee Retail Summits at retail.sca.coffee.