IT’S JUST COFFEE!

We discuss if Gen Z is actually ‘too anxious’ for cafés, why matcha and iced signatures are exploding, and how specialty shops can embrace customisation without selling their soul. Plus: book raves, barista phobia memes, and two unapologetic uncs trying (and failing) to speak fluent Gen Z.

Also, Condesa Co.Lab joins us with the weekly green coffee market report.

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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Today we're joined by the incredible Alicia Feng.

She owns Calēre in Fitzroy, co-founded Chiaki in Collingwood, which just won Age Good Food Guide's Cafe of the Year, and now runs Atelier Enso in Carlton, which has been described as a boundary pushing cafe - even Broadsheet posed the question, is Atelier Enso the future of Melbourne coffee shops? Join us as we discuss all the buzz, especially around how Atelier Enso has transformed the role of barista.

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Alicia Feng: https://www.instagram.com/alicia.meow/

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why does one cafe boom while another goes bust?

We asked some of the top cafe operators (Hugh Kelly, Beta Coffee, Onyx Coffee Lab, and Carlos Escobar) to reveal the hidden levers that quietly make or break a business. Join us as we unpack some of the biggest silent killers of cafes, and share the practical strategies you can use to avoid them.

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Thanks to:

Hugh Kelly: https://www.instagram.com/hugh_t_kelly/

Beta Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/beta_coffee/

Onyx Coffee Lab: https://www.instagram.com/onyxcoffeelab/

Carlos Escobar: https://www.instagram.com/carlos.esco.bar/

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What actually makes coffee “specialty”?

Is it an 80+ cup score? A traceable farm? The flavour, the barista, the ethics, the hospitality, or is it all just vibes?

In this episode, Rohan and Ben open one enormous can of worms and ask whether “specialty coffee” still means what we think it means. They trace the term from its original definition through the coffee-price crisis, fair trade, direct trade and the rise of third-wave coffee.

Then things get messy.

Can Starbucks technically be specialty coffee? Does pre-batched espresso count? If an automated machine makes a more consistent drink, is that less specialty than something made by hand? And when someone pays $6 for a latte, what are they actually paying for?

There’s no neat manifesto at the end of this one. Just a much bigger conversation about quality, craft, traceability, flavour and what we want specialty coffee to stand for now.

If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day: It’s Just Coffee!

CHAPTERS!

00:00 What the Hell Is Specialty Coffee?

03:16 Meet Rohan, Ben and Liam

03:38 APAX LAB

04:17 The Technical Definition of Specialty Coffee

08:27 The SCA’s New Definition

11:50 Why This Conversation Matters Now

14:21 Coffee Prices and Shrinking Café Margins

17:52 Where “Specialty Coffee” Came From

19:08 The Coffee Crisis That Changed Everything

21:59 Fair Trade vs Direct Trade

26:13 Cup of Excellence and Third-Wave Coffee

28:21 Is Starbucks Specialty Coffee?

31:54 Specialty Coffee Was Never Just One Thing

32:59 What Specialty Means Across the Supply Chain

37:31 What Does It Mean to the Customer?

39:56 Automation, Pre-Batching and the Future of Craft

43:39 Does the “Specialty” Label Still Work?

45:05 What Are You Actually Paying $6 For?

47:30 What Specialty Coffee Means to Us

50:46 Does the Definition Survive 2026?

53:27 Where Does Specialty Coffee Go Next?

55:57 Final Thoughts

Want more coffee content?

IT’S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, hot takes or guest suggestions.

Proudly sponsored by:

APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can cafes generate additional revenue beyond selling coffee? We discuss leveraging existing assets like knowledge and physical space to offer products, educational workshops and events. Plus we outline the importance of curating retail that feels authentic and relevant to your business. Expand on what a cafe can be in meaningful and practical ways. Tune in!

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices