The Folly Coffee Podcast

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!