What is your position in the coffee industry?

barista, manager, coffee shop owner, barista trainer, coffee roaster, home barista, coffee enthusiast, industry professional, consultant, entrepreneur

Where are you located? ( City and Country )

Westfield, NJ

How many years have you been in the industry?

21 years!

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

no

Tell us more about your coffee shop or barista skills.

My shop is located in beautiful downtown Westfield, NJ, about 30 miles west of New York City. Westfield is an affluent community and my customers demand excellence. The store is small and is strictly retail -- the focus is the sale of fresh-roasted coffee beans, though I also have a coffee bar. My roasting operation is about a mile away in an industrial space.

What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?

Germany, Austria, England and Hungary.

About Me:

I grew up in Summit, NJ, and graduated high school in '78. I went to college on the west coast and finished with a degree in Political Science at the University of California, Santa Cru, in '84. After graduation, I moved to Berkeley (CA) where I discovered Peets Coffee & Tea. After many years of standing in line (at Peets) to pick up my weekly pound of coffee, I decided to apply for a job there ('86) and learn what I could about the coffee business, to eventually move back to NJ and open my own Coffee Roastery.

About My Company:

I moved back to NJ just in time for my 10-year high school reunion, in November of '88, and signed the lease on my first store in July of '89. My first store opened in Cranford, NJ, on February 3rd,1990 -- my 30th birthday!

What is your favorite thing about the coffee industry?

I enjoy selling a product that is associated with "community" "good times" and "heightened awareness!"

Website:

http://www.ahrre.com