Mike Shipley

Male

NW Suburbs of Chicago

United States

Profile Information:

What is your position in the coffee industry?
barista, manager, coffee shop owner, barista trainer, coffee roaster, industry professional
Where are you located? ( City and Country )
Crystal Lake, IL. NW Chicago Suburb
How many years have you been in the industry?
2
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've been truly passionate about coffee for a couple of years now...

It started when my father read an article in Smithsonian Magazine about sustainable coffee farms and their affects on communities and primarily ecosystems.
My parents had wanted to invest in a family business for some time and were long time coffee geeks... so coffee it is.
I jumped on board the summer of 05 and we opened Conscious Cup Coffee in January of 06.
I'm a managing partner and run the shop along with my brother Jason. I act as Service Manager, Roaster and Barista.
What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?
I would love to get involved at origin. As a roaster and coffee buyer it's my ultimate goal to know all of my coffees and their growers intimately. So... let's go to Guatemala!
About Me:
My BA is English with an emphasis on Education. My original plans right out of college were to take a year off (waiting tables) then begin teaching. Plans changed when I jumped on board the coffee shop.
I'm passionate about coffee and in particular the promise of good coffee as an agent of social and environmental change.
About My Company:
Conscious Cup Coffee is an independent, family owned and operated roastery and cafe in Crystal Lake IL. We specialize but aren't limited to Fair Trade and Organic Coffees. We wholesale and fundraise in addition to our retail shop. At two years old our future is bright and we've got a ten year lease so we're not going anywhere.
Website:
http://consciouscup.com

Comment Wall:

  • Wilson Hines

    Hey Mike,
    I checked your shop's site, real nice. You have some items of interest, to say the least! :) I didn't even know Napal was a coffee growing region!

    Dec 30, 2007

  • Wilson Hines

    That is neat! Especially since the wife and I have been watching "Everest: Beyond the Limit." In fact, we saw the last episode last night off of the DVR.

    Dec 31, 2007

  • Ryan Knapp

    Thanks, our new site just went up last week. The new shopping cart wont be up for a couple days tho yet, but it should be pretty cool...i'll let you know when it's complete.

    Just looked at your web page. Looks like a pretty cool place, I'll try to make it up there sometime.

    Dec 31, 2007

  • jessica.

    thanks, yeah im a nerd for coffee and metal so the video and song sums it up pretty well, aside from duncan hills part. i work at the java house in iowa city.

    what suburb are you in?

    Jan 1, 2008

  • Dex

    The biz is going well working on lots these days. How is everything with you and hell yea a trip is always welcome!

    Jan 2, 2008

  • jessica.

    yeah iowa city is home of the university of iowa so we get thousands of students.. but yes we also have many locals that are all for 'shop local'.. not a bad thing. so is your brother a student?

    Jan 2, 2008

  • Jason Haeger

    Hi Mike,

    It's been going slow and steady. Just as planned. I'm not going to really push it for another year. Thanks for the add!

    Jan 2, 2008

  • dave devyak

    wow a site fo coffee freaks i love it mike

    Jan 2, 2008

  • Amy Enrico

    Look forward to the visit, Mike. We would love to try a sample of your coffee too.

    Jan 2, 2008

  • Sarah Dooley

    I agree. It's a great alternative to the standards at weddings and corporate events...plus I know my cuppa joe is probably going to blow there socks off.
    Thanks for the comments, I look forward to more with you.

    Jan 3, 2008

  • Steve Lanphier

    I just showed that picture of Lake Shore Dr in Chicago to my wife. I wanted her to see what I grew up in...brrrrr. Native Oregonians can hardly believe what you have to wear to survive the Chicago winters.
    Most winter days here you can get by with a sweater.

    Jan 4, 2008

  • David Darga

    You Got it I ahve a PRI 20 and LOVE it!

    Jan 4, 2008

  • anders aasen

    that is a seriously cool picture!

    Jan 5, 2008

  • Jason Dominy

    Hey man. I hope things are well in the Windy City. Looks like it's cold, and that's always good news for us coffee peeps. It's going to be 70 here in NC this week. Crazy. Maybe Al Gore ain't all that far off.

    Jan 6, 2008

  • Pablo Castaneda

    Welcome to barista man.

    hope we can be coffee friends.

    take care bro

    Pablo

    Jan 6, 2008

  • JON

    Hey, next time I'm in Crystal Lake I will stop in for sure. Do you sell beans?

    Jan 6, 2008

  • michael Phillips

    yes indeedy sir. I'm excited to see how those Altera kids set things up, should be pretty sweet. how about yourself? You folks had a few baristas in last year did you not?are you gonna make the drive up to milwaukee for this one? I would love to see the great lakes fill up for the first time.

    Jan 7, 2008

  • michael Phillips

    yeah, competition can be nerve wracking, I was lucky to be around folks who had been in the thick of it a few times already. look forward to seeing your crew.

    Jan 8, 2008

  • Sarah Allen

    thanks for the kind words about the mag, mike! best to you!

    Jan 9, 2008

  • jessica.

    doubt it, but that would be awesome!

    Jan 10, 2008

  • Joe Stormer

    hey mike, if you want to play with profit margins with the clover, they have a profit calculator on their site: http://cloverequipment.com/whyclover/profit_calculator.aspx

    Jan 12, 2008

  • Jenna

    you commented me at 2 42pm i'm commenting you at 2 42am. And yes I am addicted!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Jan 15, 2008

  • Jason Dominy

    How did I know you would be an Umphrey's fan? ;-)

    Jan 15, 2008

  • Dylan Cumming

    Hey Mike
    I saw your post on Greenies Group. If you keen to travel to Africa let me know. I'm a coffee farmer in South Africa, and have contacts in Zambia, Malawi and Kenya. We have everything from crop to cup on our estate. 50 acres Arabica, processing, roaster and cafe. Check out our website.

    Jan 15, 2008

  • Tim

    Howdy! Thanks for the feedback on my public tastings discussion. Your "Coffee 101" class that you were talking about sounds as close to what I'm envisioning as I've heard. Did you stop that because you didn't notice an impact on your clientelle or it wasn't worth it financially or something else? I know of course that public cuppings are the way to go, but no one in this area does anything like this, so while cuppings are where I would like to end up, i feel I need to start with something even more introductory. Keep on Java Jivin'!
    ~tim

    Jan 15, 2008

  • Jan Wardeska

    Yes Mike, I agree with you, the people make the coffee even richer! :) Keep brewing!

    Jan 18, 2008

  • Tim

    Thanks for the support on the whole consumer education thing. I know its more than a "thing" but I appreciate the feedback! One Umphrey's fan to another =)

    Jan 19, 2008

  • Brian Bergman

    p.s. now that I've seen your profile, I realize that I HAVE in fact been into your coffee shop! Small world.

    Jan 22, 2008

  • Brian Bergman

    It WAS a good experience, actually. The barista and I talked about matté and shot the breeze a bit in the midst of the mid-afternoon doldrums. Lots of things about my visit that I enjoyed. Hope to make a return sometime when I come to town. Hope to shake your hand and exchange reading lists...lol

    Jan 22, 2008

  • Sasha King

    I will be in Chicago between 4pm on the 25 and , well I need to look at my schedule. I just realized that I only have two full days in New York. but regardless I'll be in Chicago somewhere between the 24th and the 25th and 26th. I'll keep you updated.

    Jan 22, 2008

  • Trevor

    Thanks Mike.

    Jan 23, 2008

  • James Spano

    Thanks for the friend add. Checked out your site, looks pretty cool. Coming to Guatemala?

    Jan 30, 2008

  • James Spano

    Hi from Guatemala, saw in your info you wanted to come down. You should, I'm having a blast!

    Feb 9, 2008

  • James Spano

    I'm in Panajachel on lake Atitlan doing a roasting/barista/business apprenticeship. Opening a shop is in the future for me, but I might need to save up some dough first. Looking for a roaster willing to go to origin to get a good bean (shameless plug)
    ?

    Feb 10, 2008

  • Trevor

    Mike, did you register for the great lakes comp yet? There's a thread on Barista Guild's forum about the companies that are competing.

    Mar 7, 2008

  • Robert Cheng

    www.hyco.cn
    we produce all-in-one automatic bean-to-cup drip style coffee maker.
    we like to cooperate with you.
    Please visit our website for our products details or send email directly to cd@hyco.cn attn Robert Cheng
    Thank you.

    Jul 21, 2008

  • mike cubbage

    awesome sounds like your doing a great thing.

    Sep 18, 2008