Rich Futrell

Profile Information:

What is your position in the coffee industry?

industry professional

Where are you located? ( City and Country )

Durham, North Carolina

How many years have you been in the industry?

16

If you are a barista or shop, are you interested in a barista exchange with another coffee shop/barista?

yes

What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?

Ethiopia

About Me:

I got my start in coffeehouses as a kid that you'd most likely not want to come around your place too much these days. This was in Chicago back in the late 80's and early 90's. There were some fantastic old school places around back then like No Exit Cafe (established in 1959) and a place whose name I can't remember that used single cup brew rails since the late 60's. In college I really got into espresso at a place that had a 4 group lever machine and played Tom Waits non-stop. I moved to North Carolina and opened a coffeehouse called The Third Place in 1994. We offered single origin coffees in french presses, which was pretty unique at the time. The 90's were an awesome time in 5 points in Raleigh...my partner Ty, B-lud and I lived in a house down the street from our roaster and less than a mile from the coffeehouse. After 10 years and a ton of good times behind the bar, I sold the shop to a friend, customer and neighbor and moved to Morocco as a small business advisor for the Peace Corps, where I pulled a few guest barista spots on a - you guessed it - old lever machine. I then lived in Japan for a year before joining the production crew at Counter Culture in Durham in late 2005. My current position at CCC is Sales and Customer Relations Manager.

About My Company:

Counter Culture Coffee

Website:

http://www.counterculturecoffee.com/

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