5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

In today's episode, we catch up with David Flynn, President and Co-founder of the iconic Belleville Brûlerie in Paris.

Founded in 2013, Belleville is a leading name in France's specialty coffee scene,  known for its exceptional coffees and distinctive bleu de travail worker's jackets – a celebration of French craftsmanship and artisan tradition.

In this conversation, David shares why France is becoming an increasingly interesting market for specialty coffee, and how the country's deep-rooted appreciation for food, flavour and gastronomy is helping to shape its coffee culture.

David also unpacks his decision to move away...

In today’s episode, we're catching up with Patrik Rolf, Founder and CEO of Copenhagen-based April Coffee Roasters and its sister project, SP Coffee Shop.

Founded in 2016, April is a super-premium specialty roastery and brewing equipment company, while SP Coffee takes a wider range of coffees from April’s partner farmers and offers a more accessible coffee shop experience.

In this conversation, Patrik discusses the power of community and slow growth, his relentless focus on quality, and how consistency and building a loyal customer base over time have been key...

In today’s episode, we’re exploring how technology and AI is transforming coffee operations, and the importance of creating connected tech ecosystems.

What are the commercial benefits of connected equipment and Internet of Things (IOTs)? How can data and telemetry help coffee businesses improve efficiency and reduce waste? And what role will AI play in shaping the future of coffee consumption?

We’ll hear from Scott Martin, Founder, Unity Coffee, Jochen Bauer, Head of Product Management Digital Solutions, Groupe SEB, and Raivis Vaitekūns, Global Partnership Manager, Vendon.

Coffee is facing a defining moment. Climate change, environmental degradation and growing pressure across the value chain are creating unprecedented risks for the future of our industry. 

Addressing these challenges will require collaboration and action from every corner of the coffee community. So in this episode, we’re exploring what sustainability really means for coffee and what needs to change to secure the future of the industry.

We'll hear from Vanúsia Nogueira, International Coffee Organization, Violeta Stevens, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, Kasper Hülsen and Sebastian Nielsen, Slow Forest, Konrad Brits, Falcon Coffe...

In today’s episode, we're speaking with Helen Russell, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Californian specialty coffee business Equator Coffees.

With more than 30 years in the coffee industry, Helen has been at the forefront of the US specialty coffee movement and launched Equator Coffees with her business and life partner Brooke McDonnell in 1995. What began as a small garage roastery in the Bay Area has grown into a thriving business with 12 retail locations and a successful wholesale operation.

In this conversation, Helen shares how she and Brooke built a company around the belief that passion an...

In today’s episode, we’re exploring how coffee businesses can better understand their customers – from purchasing behaviour and evolving preferences to anticipating future trends and demand.

How can coffee operator gather meaningful feedback and information on their customers purchase decisions? How do you turn that information into actionable insight? And for growing businesses, what are the ways to stay close to your guests and retain brand loyalty as you scale?

We’ll speak with Jonathan Rubinstein, Founder, Joe Coffee Company, Kallie Kocourek, Founder and Hospitality Consultant, GSD Collective, and Luci...

In today’s episode, we’re bringing you some highlights from the live conversations recorded at The Amsterdam Coffee Festival earlier this year – exploring the innovation and consumer trends shaping the European coffee market and beyond.

First up we unpack how Gen Z and younger consumers are reshaping expectations and driving demand for wellness, authenticity and in-store experience. With Ilya Aksamentov, The Miners, Bryan Serwatka, Minor Figures, and Kendra Kroon & Amijé van der Laan, SHOT Lifestyle & Coffee.

Next, we take a look at the latest beverage innovations redefining cafe experie...

In today’s episode, we speak with Afshin Roshanian, co-founder of Romania’s Slow Coffee Festival.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Slow Coffee Festival has become one of Eastern Europe’s flagship specialty coffee events, bringing together the people behind the region’s thriving coffee community. 

In this conversation, we explore the extraordinary rise of Romania as Europe’s fastest-growing coffee market. We also discuss how Slow Coffee Festival has evolved from a consumer-focused event into an international business platform, and the role that community plays in driving the industry’s growth.

Sign...

Today we’re diving into the exciting world of tea innovation with Emilie Holmes, Founder of Good & Proper Tea.

Historically a challenging category for coffee operators, tea has seen a real surge in recent years, largely driven by the meteoric rise of matcha and growing consumer demand for wellness and iced formats.

In this conversation, we explore the latest trends in tea innovation, from cold brews and concentrates to premium teas like hojicha, maojian and sencha. Emilie also shares why tea should be treated with the same care and st...

In today’s episode, we catch up with Jack Simpson of Axil Coffee Roasters in Melbourne and the reigning World Barista Champion.

After taking the Australian Barista Championship title three years in a row, Jack claimed the world crown in Milan in November, 2025.

In this conversation, Jack reflects on the experience of winning on the biggest coffee stage in the world, the pressure and opportunities that followed, and what comes next. We also discuss sustainability in coffee, and why, for Jack, it’s ultimately about relationships, respect and long-term support for coffee producers, to ensu...

Today, we’re bringing you two standout conversations recorded live on the 5THWAVE stage at The Amsterdam Coffee Festival 2026.

First up, we're joined by Menno Simons, Founder of Bocca Coffee and a pioneer of the Dutch specialty coffee scene. In this thought-provoking conversation, Menno reflects on 25 years of Bocca, the evolution and longevity of specialty coffee, and why even the most established brands must continue to adapt and innovate.

We then speak with Paul Sharo, Founder of Man Met Bril Koffie – the Rotterdam-based coffee hotel and roastery. In this conversation we discuss how...

In today’s episode, we’re bringing you highlights from a series of live conversations recorded at Le Paris Café Festival earlier this year, exploring the future of France’s burgeoning specialty coffee market.

In the first conversation we speak Sandra Bouckenooghe, La Marzocco France, Christophe Servell, Terres De Café and Julie Duval at Oatly France, to  discuss the evolution of the French coffee market and the shift towards more structured business models.

We then take a deep dive into the beverage innovations reshaping coffee shop menus in France with Hippolyte Courty, L'Arbre à Café, Ryan Milstein,La...

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the fast-moving world of beverage innovation.

Everyone wants to know what the next big beverage trend will be – the next iced matcha, mushroom latte or ube cold foam moment. But true beverage innovation is more than chasing trends. It’s about understanding what consumers value, recognising emerging opportunities, and delivering products in ways that feel relevant, distinctive and authentic to your brand.

So in this episode, we’re asking – how can operators build an innovative beverage programme? Which flavours, formats and signature drinks are genuinely resonating with consumers to...

This year’s London Coffee Festival is fast approaching – once again bringing together thousands of coffee professionals and enthusiasts for four days of conversation, innovation, and endless tastings in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic coffee cities.

Since launching in 2011, the festival has become far more than a celebration of coffee culture. It’s a key moment for the industry to connect, spotlight innovation, and stay ahead of the trends shaping coffee’s future.

In this episode we catch up with both new and familiar faces from the festival community to hear what’...

In today’s episode, we're speaking with Lisa Lawson, founder of Scotland’s Dear Green Coffee Roasters.

Lisa started in the coffee industry working alongside Toby Smith in the early days of creating Toby’s Estate in Sydney, and went on to launch Dear Green in Glasgow in 2011, with a mission to bring sustainably sourced coffees to her local community.  Since then, Dear Green has become a cornerstone of the Scottish specialty coffee scene – not only producing the Glasgow Coffee Festival, but also setting the benchmark for what a responsible coffee business should look like.

In this i...

In today’s episode, we’re exploring the rise of coffee shop concepts within boutique retail spaces, and speaking with Marcus Sanders, Vice President of Global Food and Beverage at luxury fashion brand Coach.

While best known for its designer handbags, Coach launched The Coach Coffee Shop in 2024 as a way to expand the brand beyond traditional retail. The concept has since grown to more than 20 locations globally and is set for rapid expansion.

In this conversation, we unpack the strategic thinking behind retail cafés, driven by shifting consu...

In today’s episode, we're speaking with Trish Rothgeb, founder of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters in San Francisco.

With over 30 years in the coffee industry, Trish was a true pioneer of the West Coast specialty coffee movement in the early 2000s and is widely credited with popularising the term “Third Wave Coffee.”

In this conversation, we explore the evolution of specialty coffee culture and the major shifts in consumer behaviour over the last two decades. Trish also shares why she believes the next meaningful shift must focus on equity across...

In today’s episode we’re exploring how climate change and deforestation are impacting global coffee production, with Dr. Aaron Davis, Senior Research Leader for Crops & Global Change at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.

Aaron has spent more than three decades researching coffee species and is a leading voice on climate resilience and future-proofing global coffee production. 

In this thought-provoking conversation, Aaron unpacks coffee farming’s complex relationship with deforestation and assesses its impact on forest ecosystems. He also highlights the rise of alternative coffee species, and why transpa...

In today’s episode, we're speaking Gabriel Shohet, Co-founder of of UK coffee trailblazer Black Sheep Coffee.

Founded in 2013 with friend and business partner Eirik Holth, Black Sheep had a bold vision: to champion specialty-grade robusta at a time when the industry was almost entirely focused on arabica. Since then, the brand has achieved remarkable success, scaling to over 130 outlets across five markets and capturing the attention of a new generation of coffee drinkers along the way. 

In this conversation, Gabriel reflects on Black Sheep’s philosophy of challenging the status quo and c...

In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Emi Fukahori and Mathieu Theis, Co-founders of Swiss specialty coffee business MAME.

Multiple-time Swiss competition winners, Emi and Mathieu founded MAME in Zurich in 2016, driven by a shared passion for coffee tasting, sensory analysis and competition craft, combined with Japanese precision. Today, they operate eight coffee shops across Zurich and Geneva and, one most recently, Tokyo.

In this conversation, Emi and Mathieu share their guiding principles for tailoring every guest experience and creating memorable coffee moments. They also discuss how they’ve dra...

In today’s episode, we explore Vienna’s fascinating and distinct coffee culture – from the grand 19th-century coffee houses that shaped the city’s intellectual life to the specialty scene redefining coffee today.

What is the lasting legacy of Vienna’s historic coffee houses? How do heritage and modernity coexist in Vienna? And how has specialty coffee carved out its place within the city's deeply rooted café tradition?

We’ll hear from Art Historian Jamie Reurs, Johanna Parker (née Wechselberger), Founder of The Vienna School of Coffee and Philip Feyer Founder, of Jonas Reind...

In today’s episode, we’re sharing two standout conversations recorded live on stage at the European Coffee Symposium last year, featuring Brazil’s The Coffee and Germany’s Lap Coffee – two highly ambitious, scalable brands built for the modern consumer.

First, Frank Maeda, Head of Europe at The Coffee, explores the brand’s rapid global expansion, shaped by Japanese minimalism, high-tech efficiency and a digital-first approach.

Then, Tonalli Arreola, Co-Founder of Lap Coffee, shares how automation and digitisation streamline operations, freeing up baristas to focus on what matters most – the hospitality experience.

Credits mus...

In today’s episode, we welcome back to the studio Edwin Harrison, Co-founder of London’s Artisan and Curious Roo Coffee Roasters.

Founded in 2011 by Edwin and his wife Magda, Artisan is a pioneering and influential voice in London’s specialty coffee scene. Edwin and Magda also run the Artisan Coffee School, where they share their expertise and work to elevate standards across the industry.

In this conversation, Edwin shares the very ambitious project he’s about to undertake with his family: An extraordinary 20,000 kilometre coffee journey over land and sea...

Today, we’re bringing you two live recordings from last year’s European Coffee Symposium, featuring conversations with Joe & The Juice and Hagen. While both are Danish-inspired concepts, each offers a distinct perspective on growth and the customer experience.

Thomas Nørøxe, CEO of Joe & The Juice, shares how the business has built a high-performance culture rooted in energy, ambition and personal development. He also explains how innovation across the brand is guided by four core pillars: health, experience, convenience and sustainability.

Tim Schroeder, CEO and Founder of boutique specialty coffee chain Hagen, shares his ph...

Today, we’re bringing you two live recordings from last year’s European Coffee Symposium, featuring conversations with Joe & The Juice and Hagen. While both are Danish-inspired concepts, each offers a distinct perspective on growth and the customer experience.

Thomas Nørøxe, CEO of Joe & The Juice, shares how the business has built a high-performance culture rooted in energy, ambition and personal development. He also explains how innovation across the brand is guided by four core pillars: health, experience, convenience and sustainability.

Tim Schroeder, CEO and Founder of boutique specialty coffee chain Hagen, shares his ph...

Today we’re bringing you a special episode in collaboration with the London Coffee Guide and Podcast, and republishing an insightful conversation with Nick Mabey and Michael Cleland, co-founders of London’s Assembly Coffee.

Founded in 2015, Assembly Coffee is an innovative specialty coffee roastery known for its commitment to sustainability and excellence. In this conversation, Nick and Michael discuss what it means to define your own version of success, and how to scale a business with sustainability at its heart.

For more on London’s specialty scene and interviews with the likes...

Today we’re bringing you another session recorded live at the European Coffee Symposium + COHO. Taking to the stage is Gerd Müller-Pfeiffer, Founder of International Coffee Consulting.

In this session, Gerd explores the key trends shaping the DACH coffee shop market and how consumers are continuing to trade up and seek premium experiences despite ongoing inflation pressures. He also highlights how the bakery segment has quietly become a critical engine of out-of-home coffee growth across Germany.

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As we take a short break over the New Year period we’re bringing you a couple of our favourite conversations from the past year. We start with Christophe Servell, Founder of Terres de Café - a trailblazing Paris-based specialty roaster and café group.

In this conversation, Christophe discusses the evolution of the specialty coffee landscape in Paris as well as the challenges and future opportunities for coffee across France.

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As a special Christmas bonus episode we're bringing you a playlist of some of our favourite The Coffee Music Project tracks featured on the podcast this year - including a few special Festive numbers from our talented artists.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all those celebrating. We wish everyone a warm and peaceful end to the year, and a happy start to 2026.

Tracklist:

In this episode, we continue the conversation around technology, automation and the future of coffee with an expert panel discussion recorded at the COHO Business Insight Summit.

In this session we're joined by Scott Martin, CEO, Unity Coffee, Miranda Caldwell, Marketing Director, Eversys, and Boris Zwick, CEO, Übermilk, to explore the latest advancements in technology and how automation helps baristas deliver quality and consistency at scale.

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We continue our European Coffee Symposium + COHO series with a keynote from Scott Martin, founder of Unity Coffee and the mastermind behind Coffee Nation and Costa Express.

In this fascinating session, Scott explores the impact of technology and automation on our industry, arguing that robust infrastructure will outlast flashy innovation. He also shares why the future of coffee will not be defined by “human vs. machine” but a seamless combination of both.

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Continuing our series of unfiltered discussions from The European Coffee Symposium, we are at the COHO Head of Coffee Summit, led by James Hennebry, Co-founder of Rosslyn Coffee. 

James is joined by an exceptional panel of leaders: Agnes Potter, Managing Director, Allpress UK, Josh Brown, Commercial Director. WatchHouse, Julian Weresch, Head of Coffee UK&I, Sodexo and Travis Wilson, Head of Coffee, La Maison.

This candid and inspiring session brought together some of the most experienced minds in specialty coffee to explore what truly moves the dial when scaling a...

Next in our series of unfiltered talks from the European Coffee Symposium + COHO stages, we turn our attention to the future of the UK coffee shop market with a panel of seasoned leaders in specialty coffee.

We’re joined by Marta Pogroszewska, Non-Executive Director, Bread Holdings, Paul Kelly, Global Marketing Director, La Marzocco, and Caroline Ottoy, Managing Director, WatchHouse.

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Next up in our European Coffee Symposium Live series, is a talk from Egor Kolpakov, Founder & CEO of The Miners – an unconventional specialty coffee chain from Prague that’s expanding at remarkable pace across Europe.

In this session, Egor shares his vision to inject the energy of New York’s coffee scene into Eastern Europe, and discusses how The Miners’ fast-paced, movement-driven service model is designed for efficiency, connection and contemporary active lifestyle.

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Last month saw the return of the European Coffee Symposium (ECS) + COHO in Berlin. Across three days, we welcomed 50 influential speakers from around the world to share their insights, inspiration, and bold ideas shaping the future of coffee and hospitality.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll bring you a collection of these unfiltered conversations, panel discussions and keynote sessions – direct from the ECS + COHO stages. We start with a talk by Matt Chitharanjan, Co-founder & CEO of Blue Tokai – a coffee shop chain and specialty coffee roastery in India. 

In this se...

Last week saw the return of the European Coffee Symposium (ECS) + COHO in Berlin. Across three days, we welcomed 50 influential speakers from around the world to share their insights, inspiration, and bold ideas shaping the future of coffee and hospitality.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll bring you a collection of these unfiltered conversations, panel discussions and keynote sessions – direct from the ECS + COHO stages. And what better place to begin, than with a talk from James Hoffmann – a pioneer of specialty coffee and one of the most respected thinkers in our industry.

...

In today’s episode, we're joined by Sarina Prabasi, Co-founder of Buunni Coffee – a business of two community-driven cafés and a wholesale roastery based in New York City.

Sarina has had a remarkable journey from her native Nepal via Ethiopia to New York City. She’s also had impressive career in social justice and sustainability, especially in her role as CEO of WaterAid USA.

She founded Buunni Coffee in 2011 with her partner, Elias Gurmu, Their vision was to share exceptional Ethiopian coffee and hospitality with New Yorkers, while creatin...

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the dos and don’ts of signing a retail property lease – from due diligence and heads of terms to rent reviews and exit strategies.

We'll speak with a leading broker and two real estate lawyers in London and New York to uncover how operators can navigate the small print, negotiate a fair deal, and protect themselves from personal exposure.

Our guests are Russel Helbling, Managing Director, Katz & Associates, Jason Dunietz, Real Estate Group Chair, Helbraun & Levey, Ian Leigh, Partner, CBG.

Credits music: "Talk About A Movie" b...

In today’s episode we're delighted to be speaking with Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Specialty Coffee Association.

First established in the 1980s, the SCA is the largest coffee trade body globally and represents thousands of coffee professionals – from producers to baristas – all over the world.

In this conversation, Yannis discusses the evolution of the SCA and its ongoing efforts to make coffee more sustainable, equitable, and resilient, through research, standards, and education. He also shares his perspectives on the key challenges and opportunities in the industry, from climate change and sustainability to nav...

Today’s episode is the second instalment in our two-part feature exploring the opportunity for Australian-grown coffee.

In part one, we looked back at the history, commercial viability, and sustainability potential of Australian coffee farming. In this episode, we’re turning our attention to what lies ahead and the developments that are shaping the next chapter for Australian coffee.

We’ll hear from scientist Tobias Kretzschmar about new coffee varietals being developed with Southern Cross University, and David Kennedy, Founder of Bun Coffee about how Australia’s specialty scene is embra...