What is your position in the coffee industry?

barista, barista trainer

Where are you located? ( City and Country )

Portland, USA

How many years have you been in the industry?

8

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 currently work at Common Grounds Coffee House at 4321 SE Hawthorne Blvd. in Portland, OR. It's a great cafe and it's one of the only shops that is open late (10pm). So if you're in Southeast and are looking for that last cup of coffee or latte then stop on by!

I previously worked at Coffee By Design in Portland, ME. They are a micro-roastery that produce coffee for wholesale customers (cafes, restaurants, businesses and now the University of Southern Maine). They also own and operate four coffee shops.

I've been trained on everything from manual lever machines to fully automatic machines. I've been learning the nuances of pour-over coffee as we offer that as well as our standard offerings. I'm currently learning and practicing latte art. I participate in a monthly latte art competition in order to push myself further.

I regularly assist customers in specialty coffee selection and drink selection. Customer interaction/education is one of my favorite parts of the job. When a customer gives me feedback on something they like or didn't like, I learn as well. I love any chance to take the time to talk coffee with someone who is willing to learn!

What cities or countries are you interested in traveling to?

Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Antarctica

About Me:

Favorite coffee (currently): Organic Bali Kintamani Blue Moon Co-Op

I grew up in Sandwich, MA. It's a quaint little town that felt far too small as I got older. I went to college at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, thinking that the big city life would be a good change. I spent two years studying Mechanical Engineering and ended up hating it. I switched into Music Industry and graduated in 2004.

Since then I've been trying to figure it out. The first paragraph doesn't say much about me because I didn't know much about myself until the last five years or so. I've grown to know a bit more about who I am and what I want. Those two things are always in flux, but one thing that is a concrete goal is to eventually teach high school mathematics (algebra and calculus).

In the meantime I've spent the better part of the last eight years working in coffee. I worked for Starbucks for five years and by the end I'd burned out in that environment. I switched over to an independently owned shop called Coffee By Design in August of 2007. I learned much more about the coffee industry and myself thanks to this shop.

As for hobbies, I dabble in photography and I play bass guitar. I enjoy board games and logic puzzles. I'm a bit of a nerd and I'm okay with it.

About My Company:

Coffee By Design started 15 years ago in the West End in Portland, ME. Since the beginning the goal has been to educate customers on what specialty coffee is and for the owners to share their enthusiasm for great coffee with Portland. We are constantly learning more and evolving every day. We always try to bring a consistently great cup of coffee to our customers while offering the chance for someone to try something they might have never tried otherwise.

What is your favorite thing about the coffee industry?

Education, conversation, inspiration, art, music and life all intersect with coffee.

Website:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Alex-Helfen/1077956952