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 --- Send in a voice...

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/follycoffeepodcast/support

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...

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Grant Nelson, Executive Chef at W.A. Frost & Co in St. Paul, MN. In a full circle moment, Grant was a line cook at W.A. Frost & Co nearly a decade ago. Since then, he has worked in many of the Twin Cities best kitchens. Hear his approach to building a new menu, and building skills as a chef to get where he is today. Enjoy! @chef_pony --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this...

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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....

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this...

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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 --- Send in a voice message:...

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 Website --- Send in a voice message:...

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...

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast:...

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 --- Send in a voice message:...

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...

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....

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 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast:...

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...

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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!...

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/follycoffeepodcast/support

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...