Larry Bourgeois

Profile Information:

What is your position in the coffee industry?

industry professional, consultant, supplier

Where are you located? ( City and Country )

Cincinnati, Ohio

How many years have you been in the industry?

30

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

yes

Tell us more about your coffee shop or barista skills.

I have been in the espresso industry for 30 years. I founded the Espresso Guild. I have worked with leading espresso equipment and coffee suppliers over the years and still do, but my main focus is on "third place". I have become a kind of "third place specialist/guru" in the industry. I am fortunate to have relationships with the finest professionals in the industry and to do what I am passionate about and what I think makes a difference. In the 70's and 80's I founded some espresso bars and coffeehouses that won regional awards for "best espresso/best coffeehouse"and "best community center,music/arts venue" etc. I have helped found dozens of wonderful neighborhood coffeehouses over they years that have depth of passion and soul and transform their local neighborhoods. I will try to find time to post some of those links when I more fully transition to the new "social software" community.

What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?

I have travelled to Italy and throughout Europe many times and visited espresso equipment factories. I plan to attend the next Host show in Italy in 2009 and go with some baristas who are creative at imagining what coffeehouses might become as community centers and spiritual centers.

About Me:

I am 56 years old. I spent much of my life in the San Francisco area, have lived in Cincinnati for the past 15 years. Some people in the espresso industry know of my "third place" work and the chapter I wrote on Pilgrim Places (a coffeehouse/bookstore community project) in a former cathedral and monastery in Cincinnati. I have spent a lot of time over the past 30 years on road trips and flying around the country visiting coffeehouses and specialized third places, getting ideas to share with others who are passionate about coffeehouse culture and the what the next generation of coffeehouses might become. I would like for that to be my legacy... connecting others with a passion for founding classic coffeehouses with a heart for community and spiritual renewal.

About My Company:

The Espresso Guild is a reseller of the finest espresso equipment in the industry. We have among the best collections of semi-professional espresso machines in the industry, and we are leaders in the movement towards "not for profit community coffeehouses". I am currently writing an article that will share our vision for that.

Website:

http://www.espressoguild.org

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