The Folly Coffee Podcast
By Rob Bathe- Folly Coffee Roasters
The Folly Coffee PodcastFeb 13, 2022
Ep142 Category: Coffee/Business- Will Forsman, Owner Cafe Steam & Colorway Coffee Roasters
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Will Forsman, Owner of Cafe Steam and Colorway Coffee Roasters in Rochester, MN. Will launched Cafe Steam in 2015, and has since grown to three locations. In late 2021, he launched Colorway Coffee Roasters. They discuss the decision process to launch the coffee roasting business, the challenges of launching a new brand and roaster, and discuss the direction specialty coffee is headed. Enjoy!
@cafesteam
@colorwaycoffee
Ep141 Category: DTF! (Define the Food) w/ Chef Yia Vang, What is pizza
In another edition of DTF!, Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang to discuss, what is pizza? They run through the definition of pizza, the history of the classic dish, and attempt to clearly define what is and isn't a pizza. Enjoy!
@yiavang70
Ep 140 Category: People/Stories- Eric Pfaff, Food & Beverage Manager Hewing Hotel
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Eric Pfaff, the AM Food & Beverage Manager at Hewing Hotel in the North Loop of Minneapolis, MN. Eric is also the owner of Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast outside of Philadelphia, PA. Hear how he went from being a theater actor, getting a show cancelled after moving out east, and purchasing an historic bed & breakfast. His passion for hospitality and learning continues at the Hewing Hotel. They also discuss the challenges of small business ownership, balancing work and mental health, and mindset to creating building and maintaining a brand & reputation. Enjoy!
@the_young_innkeeper
Ep139 Category: People/Stories- Grant Nelson, Executive Chef W.A. Frost & Co
Ep138: Coffee- Predicting 2023 Coffee Trends
In this solo episode, Folly Rob is making predictions about 2023 coffee trends. This includes coffee trends in cafes & restaurants, grocery/retailers, online, and business. Enjoy!
@follycoffee
Ep137 Category: People/Stories- Sonny Side of the Best Ever Food Review Show
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Sonny Side of the Best Ever Food Review Show, the most watched travel food show on YouTube. Hear how he went from growing up in St. Cloud, MN, moving to South Korea, then Vietnam, and growing a YouTube channel with over 9.5 million subscribers since it's launch in 2015!
@besteverfoodreviewshow
Ep136 Category: DTF! (Define the Food) w/ Chef Yia Vang, What is a foodie?
Prepare yourself because this episode gets contentious! Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang to discuss a term that has become divisive in the food world, what is a foodie? They run through the history of the word, how it has changed, with some heated moments about what it has turned into. Enjoy!
Ep135 Category: People/Stories- Pedro Wolcott, Chef & Owner Guacaya Bistreaux
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Pedro Wolcott, Chef & Owner of the recently opened Guacaya Bistreaux in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis. Pedro was born in Panama and moved to New Orleans with his family when he was 17. After Hurricane Katrina, Pedro moved to Las Vegas which began the story of his wild culinary career. There are too many details and crazy stops along the way to summarize here! Hear his story that led him to Minneapolis and opening Guacaya Bistreaux. Enjoy!
@guacaya_tapas
Ep134 Category: DTF! (Define the Food) w/e Chef Yia Vang, What is sauce?
Welcome back to another edition of DTF! (Define the Food). In this ongoing series, Folly Rob and Chef Yia Vang select different food and drink topics and attempt to define them. In this episode, the question is "What is sauce?". They discuss consistency, ingredients, use, and more to clearly define what a sauce is. Is a dip a sauce? Is soup sauce? Can you eat sauce with a spoon? Enjoy!
@yiavang70
Ep133 Category: People/Stories- Graham Messenger, Executive Chef Pillbox Tavern
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Graham Messenger, Executive Chef at Pillbox Tavern in St. Paul, MN. Hear his story about starting in the industry washing dishes, and working his way up with many stops along the way. A great inside look into the life of a chef! Enjoy!
@thepillboxtavern
@thegmessenger
Ep132 Category: Business- Jake Haneman, Founder/Owner Bootlegger Brewing Kombucha
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jake Haneman, founder and owner of Bootlegger Brewing Kombucha in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Jake started brewing his own kombucha using a family SCOBY, and used this same SCOBY to launch Bootlegger Brewing in 2015. Hear how he went from a career in engineering to creating one of the best tasting kombuchas around available in 100s of stores across Minnesota and more. Enjoy!
@bootleggerbrewing
Ep131 Category: Business- Robyn Frank, Founder/Owner Thumbs Cookies
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Robyn Frank, owner and founder of Thumbs Cookies. Robyn launched Thumbs Cookies in 2012 using a recipe she would bake with her mom growing up in Minnesota. She moved back to Minnesota in 2014 and since then has grown the business from a farmer's market stand to grocery stores, an online shop, a cookiemobile, wholesale customers, and more! Hear her story here. Enjoy!
@thumbscookies
Ep130 Category: Coffee/Business- Alex French, Co-founder Bizzy Coffee
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down for the second time with Bizzy Coffee co-founder, Alex French. Bizzy Coffee makes RTD cold brew distributed to retailers throughout the country, steep and brew cold brew bags, and coffee beans/grounds for cold brew. Alex outlines the changes and challenges of the business since the last episode in August of 2020 including increased competition as the #1 cold brew coffee on Amazon, raising funds to continue to fuel their growth, and keeping up with an increased demand during COVID while retail competitors faced out of stocks. Enjoy!
@bizzycoffee
Ep129 Category: DTF! (Define the Food) w/ Chef Yia Vang, What is the difference between a restaurant and cafe?
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang for another edition of DTF! In Define the Food, Rob and Yia attempt to define different categories within food and beverage. In this episode the question is, what is the difference between a restaurant and a cafe? They explore the history of restaurants and cafes and ask the most important question...is McDonalds a cafe? Enjoy!
Ep128 Category: Business- Peter Bian, owner Saturday Dumpling Club
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Peter Bian, owner of Saturday Dumpling Club. Hear how Peter used a family recipe to begin selling dumplings through Instagram. What began posting on his personal account and selling out his garage through DMs has led to a full scale operation creating weekly dumpling pick-ups selling out nearly every week. If you're lucky enough to get ahold of some of their dumplings, you'll know why they've become so popular. Enjoy!
@saturdaydumplingclub
Ep127 Category: Business- Vince LaPelusa, owner Fresh Steeps Tea
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Vince LaPelusa, owner of Fresh Steeps tea. After developing an obsession with tea, Vince left his sales job to launch his own business focused on loose leaf teas, balancing flavor and functionality to create blends that taste great and provide positive physical benefits. Vince is also the host of the Opteamized podcast. Here his story here. Enjoy!
@freshsteeps
@opteamized
Ep126 Category: Coffee/Business- Ales Pospisil aka European Coffee Trip
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Ales Pospisil, one of the creators of European Coffee Trip. European Coffee Trip has amassed over 105k followers on Instagram and 229k subscribers on YouTube creating city guides, brew guides, and reviews of cafes, coffee, and coffee equipment. They are also the creators of the Aeropress Movie, a documentary about the popular brewing device. In town for Veecon all the way from the Czech Republic, they talk about how his passion for coffee culture began, launching and growing European Coffee Trip, and more. Enjoy!
@europeancoffeetrip
Ep125 Category: Coffee/Business- Tyler Liedman, Owner of Impossible Coffee
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Tyler Liedman, owner of Impossible Coffee. Tyler started Impossible Coffee with the goal of connecting under-served coffee businesses and professionals with the resources they need to grow and thrive including education, training, equipment sales and service. He has over 15 years in specialty coffee and is an SCA certified barista trainer. Hear his coffee story and what led to venturing out in starting his own business. Enjoy!
@coffeeimpossible
Ep124: DTF! Define the Food w/ Chef Yia Vang- Are Mashed Potatoes the Irish Version of Guacamole?
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down once again with Chef Yia Vang for another episode of DTF; Define the Food. In this rendition, they debate "Are mashed potatoes the Irish version of Guacamole"? This includes a deep dive into the history of mashed potatoes and guacamole including origins and a surprising historical link between the two. Enjoy!
Also, is batman a potato?
@yiavang70
Ep123 Category: Coffee- Barnaby Holmes, US Barista Championship Judge recapping 2022 competition
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with returning guest Barnaby Holmes. Barnaby was one of the judges in the 2022 US Barista Championship. Morgan Eckroth, of social media fame @morgandrinkscoffee, was the winner of the Barista Championship created an interesting conversation around the championship itself. We go deep into how fame, resources, and training factor into the Barista Championship. Enjoy!
To hear all the details on judging and the US Barista Championship, head to episode 10 (whoa) with Barnaby to hear all about it.
@askbarn
Ep122 Category: People- Jonahan Janssen, Sales Manager Brother Justus Whiskey
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jonathan Janssen, Sales Manager at Brother Justus Whiskey. J Starting as a server at Upton 43, Jonathan has served in many roles including in the restaurant industry and is an advocate for mental health and change. Hear his story here. Enjoy!
Ep121 Category: Coffee/Business- Dan McLaughlin aka @softpourn on Tik Tok, owner Golden Triangle Coffee
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down virtually with Tik Tok coffee creator and owner of Golden Triangle Coffee Dan McLaughlin, aka @softpourn. With just under a million followers and over 19 million likes, they talk about how he achieved his growth on Tik Tok and strategies for new or small creators. They also talk about how he got his start in the coffee industry and launching his own roasting business, Golden Triangle Coffee. This one is full of amazing insights! Enjoy!
@softpourn
@goldentrianglecoffee
Ep120 Category: Coffee- CJ Director of Coffee at The Get Down Coffee Co.
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with CJ, Director of Coffee at The Get Down Coffee Co. in Minneapolis. Hear about his transition from Head Roaster at Spyhouse Coffee to the new Get Down Coffee Co. Also included are a game of "Is it Coffee?" and "Overrated/Underrated". Enjoy!
Ep119 Category: People/Business- Ali Kaplan, Editor in Chief Twin Cities Business
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Ali Kaplan, Editor in Chief of Twin Cities Business, VP of Content at MSP Communications, radio host of Shop Girls on myTalk 107.1 and more. Ali covers her career from her major in journalism at Wisconsin Madison all the way to her role as Editor in Chief. Along the way she picked up valuable experience and insights into the media industry she shares. Some of these include best practices for getting media coverage for small businesses, how they decide what to cover, and more. Enjoy!
@alishops
@tcbmag
Ep118 Category: People/Business- Chef Yia Vang on James Beard Award nominations
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down once again with Chef Yia Vang fresh off his James Beard AWard nominations for Best Chef Midwest and Best New Restaurant Midwest for Union Hmong Kitchen. The conversation leads to a discussion of award, classifications for awards (specifically restaurants and what that means), and the feedback received from the nominations. Enjoy!
@yiavang70
@unionhmongkitchen
Ep117 Category: Business/People- Brian Ingram Purpose Driven Restaurants
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Brian Ingram, chef & owner of Purpose Driven Restaurants (Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome Craft Pub, Apostle's Supper Club) to talk down about the ins and outs of owning and expanding restaurant ownership. They dive into how leasing has changed since COVID, strategy and decision making in business focus, and more! Enjoy!
@chefbrianingram
Ep116 Category: Coffee/Business- Folly Rob on Owning/Operating a coffee business
In this solo episode, Folly Rob reflects on four years in business and covers a range of topics including the pros/cons of sales channels (retail, cafe/restaurant, online), assumptions before launching to the reality now, shifting strategies with growth, and more. Enjoy!
@follycoffee
Ep115- Category: DTF (Define the Food)- What is soup? w/ bonus cold brew maker review
Happy 2022! And what better way to start the new with than with DTF.
Yia is back! In another edition of DTF (Define the Food), Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang to discuss...what is soup? Is cereal soup? Is stew soup? What makes a soup a soup?
Also included in this episode is a review of the Cuisinart DCB-10 Automatic Cold Brew Coffeemaker, a home coffee brewer that claims to make cold brew in 25 minutes. Is it legit? Listen here to find out all your soup and cold brew maker answers. Enjoy!
@yiavang70
Ep114 Category: Coffee/Business- Sam Kjellberg, Owner SK Coffee Co.
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Sam Kjellberg, owner of St. Paul, MN based coffee shop and roaster SK Coffee Co. Here how his career in music in Boston led to a coffee roasting business. What started as an online subscription based service led to a full roastery and shop in St. Paul. Here his story here! Enjoy!
@s.k.coffee
Ep113 Category: People- Pip Hanson, Food & Bev Director Keeper's Heart Whiskey
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Pip Hanson, Food & Beverage Director of Keeper's Heart Whiskey, made by O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. in Minneapolis. Pip has been in the beverage industry for 25+ years including time in the Twin Cities, Tokyo, and London. Once named "one of America's best bartenders" by Esquire Magazine, Pip has spent time creating the beverage program for Marvel Bar in Minneapolis and as head bartender at London's Artesian bar, named four times "Best Bar in the World". Hear his story here!
@mfpip
@osdistillingco
Ep112 Category: Coffee/People- Austin Demeter, owner Epiphany Coffee
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down virtually with Austin Demeter, owner of Epiphany Coffee in Boise, Idaho. Austin started his coffee career roasting at Dunn Bros, later with Bootstrap Coffee in St. Paul, spent a year in Wisconsin, and moved to Boise where is career continued leading to starting his own wholesale roasting business, Epiphany Coffee. Hear his story here!
@austindebrewer
@epiphanycoffee.co
Ep111 Category: Business/People- Jordan Carr, Co-founder Winnow MN coffee subscription
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jordan Carr, co-founder of Winnow MN. Winnow MN is an online based coffee subscription service, offering customers a different Minnesota coffee roaster each and every month. Launched during the pandemic, the business quickly picked up traction and has been featured in many publications including the Star Tribune and Artful Living Magazine. Hear his story here! Enjoy
@winnow.mn
Ep110 Category: People/Business- Mike Hidalgo, K'ooben and Sonora Grill
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Mike Hidalgo, one of the creators of K'ooben and beverage director at Sonora Grill. Mike combines a knowledge and passion for Mexican food and agave spirits in K'ooben, a pop up focused around Mexican cuisine. Upon creating the concept with a group of local chefs, they have sold out every event. Mike is also the beverage director at Sonora Grill, where he uses a selection of over 100 agave based spirits for a cocktail menu unlike anything in the Twin Cities. Hear his story of working in the Twin Cities food/bev scene and the lessons he learned along the way. Enjoy!
@koobenmpls
@blank_slatte
Ep109 Category: People- Matthew Gundrum owner Gleam Tower Media on Podcasting, Niver Niver Land and more
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Matthew Gundrum. You may know him from the Food Under Fire Podcast, which ended in 2021. Since then, Matthew has shifted to podcast production and has an exciting project in the works called Niver Niver Land, with restauranteur Tim Niver. Hear all about it here!
@niverniverland
@mattjgundrum
@gleamtower
Ep108 Category: People/Business- Nick Kosevich, Food/Bev Entrepreneur, Drinks Apothecary, Bittercube, Mr. Paul's Supper Club & More
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Nick Kosevich, who can only be described as a food & beverage entrepreneur because he is involved in so many different things! Nick was the co-founder of Bittercube, the consulting and bitters company. He has since launched Drinks Apothecary, an elixr, syrup, and cocktail mix business while consulting for bars/restaurants across the country. He is a partner at Mr. Paul's Supper Club opening in Edina in November. Hear his story here. Enjoy!
@drinksapothecary
@mrpaulssupperclub
@earlgilesmpls
Ep107 Category: Coffee/Business- Ian Davis, Owner Blip Coffee Roasters, KC
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Ian David, owner of Blip Coffee Roasters in Kansas City. Launched as a coffee roaster 7 years ago doing pop-up pourovers on a custom welded motorcycle, Blip has grown in a unique way, creating a community behind the motorcycle and coffee culture of KC. Operating in West Bottoms, Ian has navigated a lot of moves, including his first cafe setting on fire to quickly moving out of a space during COVID into a 19,000 square foot facility. Hear the Blip story here. Enjoy!
@bliproasters
Ep106 Category: DTF (Define the Food) w/ Yia Vang- What is the difference between a burrito and a wrap?
Yia is back! In another edition of DTF (Define the Food), Folly Rob sits down with Yia Vang to discuss the difference between a burrito and a wrap. Is it the type of filling? Is it the temperature? Is it the size of the food? Listen to find out. Enjoy!
Ep105 Category: Business- Katy Gerdes owner of Angel Food Bakery
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down once again with Katy Gerdes, owner of Angel Food Bakery. The last episode was recorded in summer of 2020, in the midst of pandemic closures and lockdowns. Hear how Katy worked through the challenges of 2020 and towards opening a second location in St. Louis Park including the first brick & mortar launch of her frozen treats business, Frio Frio. Enjoy!
@angelfoodmn
@friofriomn
Ep104: Category People/Business- Ben and Gabriella of Bebezito Ice Cream
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Ben and Gabriella, owners of Bebezito Ice Cream in Minneapolis. Named best ice cream in Minnesota by Food & Wine Magazine, hear their story of starting with pop ups to opening one of the most popular ice cream shops as well as a second location at Malcolm Yards. Enjoy!
@bebe.zito
Ep103 Category: Coffee- Kenny Ntwali of Higa Coffee (Importer)
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Kenny Ntwali of Higa Coffee. Kenny splits his time between the US and Rwanda, importing high end specialty coffees. Hear all about how he got into importing and the challenges of launching a new importing program. Enjoy!
@higacoffeeco
Ep105 Category: People/Business- Jeremy Ely, CEO Nordic Waffles
This episode is being posted out of order because IT IS THE WEEK OF THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR! In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jeremy Ely, CEO of Nordic Waffles. Originally founded in Norway by Stine Aasland, Jeremy joined the team in 2017 to launch and grow the business in the US. Hear how he started as a barista and worked his way up at Caribou Coffee, eventually making the switch to Nordic Waffles to create explosive growth with creative sales and marketing methods including the MN State Fair. Be sure to grab a cup of Folly Coffee and a Nordic Waffle when you go
@nordicwaffles
Ep102 Category: Business- Bradley Taylor, owner The Donut Trap
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down again with Bradley Taylor, owner of The Donut Trap (formerly Sssdude-Nutz) to talk about how he navigated business through 2020, using the donut truck vs. farmer's markets, how he manages his time, and diversifying his financials. Enjoy!
Ep101 Category: Business- Solo episode on managing growth, customer service, cash flow, sales, and SEO
@follycoffee
www.follycoffee.com
Ep100 Category: Business- The Salsa Collaborative owners Brian and Nikki
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Brian and Nikki, owners of The Salsa Collaborative. Hear how a life-altering event changed their mindset and led to the launch of The Salsa Collaborative. TSC is a St. Paul based business making delicious salsas and hot sauces from scratch launched in late 2019. Enjoy!
@thesalsacollaborative
Ep99 Category: Business/People- Zen Box Izakaya owners Lina Goh and John Ng
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with the founders and owners of Zen Box Izakaya, Lina Goh and John Ng. Hear their story how they met from across the world in San Francisco and New Zealand in an online chat room to starting one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in the Twin Cities, famous for their ramen. A great discussion about a variety of topics in and out of the food world. Enjoy!
@zenboxizakaya
Ep98 Category: Business- Small Business woes w/ Yia Vang
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang with the intention of discussing the perils of running a small business, then ranking the best candies. In typical small business fashion, the conversation careened out of control and it ended up being copletely about small business woes. Enjoy!
@yiavang70
Ep97 Category: People- Jason DeRusha, News Anchor & Food Editor/Restaurant Critic
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jason DeRusha. Jason is a morning news anchor at WCCO, food editor and restaurant critic for MN Monthly Magazine, part time host on WCCO radio show, has won 9 Emmy awards, is a James Beard Nominee, and was named one of the Most Influential People- Twin Cities. He also has a large engaged following on Instagram and Twitter. Hear his story here. Enjoy!
@derushaj
Ep96 Category: Coffee- Predicting Specialty Coffee Trends with Joe Marrocco aka Roaster Joe
@roasterjoe
Ep95 Category: Coffee/Business- @coffeefanatics Ryan Gawlik
In this virtual episode, Folly Rob sits down with Ryan Gawlik, aka Coffeefanatics to chat about his rise on Tik Tok, currently over 828k followers. Ryan is a seasoned barista and used his platform to launch a new line of coffee syrups, but with major challenges! Listen to hear his story. Enjoy!
Tik Tok: @coffeefanatics
Instagram: @coffeefanaticz
Ep94 Category: Business/People- Gustavo Romero owner Nixta
In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Gustavo Romero, owner and proprietor of Nixta in Minnneapolis. Born in Mexico and moving to the US, Gustavo moved around the country working his way up through a number of jobs in the food and beverage industry (more than maybe any other guest in the past!). Hear his story how these jobs led to him opening Nixta, a tortilleria and Mexican takeout restaurant. Enjoy!