Episodi

  • Is 17 cafes too many? | Axil's DAVE MAKIN!

    Is 17 cafes too many? | Axil's DAVE MAKIN!
    Oct 21 2026
    Does a second café really double your money? And what about the seventeenth? Following his Main episode, Dave Makin of Axil Coffee Roasters sits back down with Rohan and Ben for a Coffee Break on what it actually takes to run a multi-venue café group in 2026, and on building a brand-new venue in the middle of it all. Condesa Co.Lab also brings us the weekly green coffee market report. COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from barista tips and honest café conversations to the coffee knowledge people don’t always share. Want more coffee content? IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, café stories or hot takes. Proudly sponsored by: APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Thanks for listening! #CoffeeBreak #CafeBusiness #SpecialtyCoffee #DaveMakin #AxilCoffee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 min
  • WBC Panama - The Contenders & Predictions | w Axil’s DAVE MAKIN!

    WBC Panama - The Contenders & Predictions | w Axil’s DAVE MAKIN!
    Oct 19 2026
    Get excited, the World Barista Championship is almost upon us! And joining us to discuss the upcoming event is Founder and Managing Director of Axil Coffee Roasters, Dave Makin. We reminisce on Dave’s competition history, and reflect on how the competition shaped his coffee business. Then we look to the future: time, money, resources… What does it take to compete in 2026? What should viewers watch for in Panama? And how will this year differ from previous WBCs? From the investment behind Jack Simpson’s world title to the coffees, tools and competitors to keep an eye on, this is your pre-Panama briefing. Much to discuss! If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day — It's Just Coffee! CHAPTERS: 00:00 Dave Makin on the World Barista Championship 06:17 Dave’s 2008 WBC Near Miss 10:24 How Axil Builds World Champions 12:59 How Much Does It Cost to Compete? 21:23 Is Winning the WBC Worth It? 27:47 Jack Simpson’s Road to World Champion 34:37 Is Barista Competition Accessible? 40:35 WBC Panama Preview 42:00 APAX Lab 42:38 WBC History & Australia’s Success 49:38 WBC Rules & Equipment 52:30 Do You Need Panama Gesha to Win? 54:15 Coffee Tools: Competition to Cafe 59:31 WBC Competitors to Watch 1:05:04 WBC Predictions 1:07:49 Advice for New Competitors 1:08:52 Why Coffee Prices Are Rising 1:11:33 The Team Behind Axil Find Axil Coffee Roasters here: https://www.instagram.com/axilcoffeeroasters/ Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments. Proudly sponsored by: Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 ora e 14 min
  • What Makes a Great Café in 2026? | COFFEE BREAK!

    What Makes a Great Café in 2026? | COFFEE BREAK!
    Oct 14 2026
    Can a faster coffee machine make your café feel more human? Following their deep dive into matcha, Rohan and Jai Lott sit back down for a Coffee Break on where cafés are heading. They get into automation, pre-batched espresso and why getting your head up from behind the machine might be the best thing you can do for your customers. The conversation moves from Melbourne hospitality and remembering someone’s name to signature drinks, simpler menus and the equipment Jai would choose if he were opening a café today. Plus, the mistakes he keeps seeing in new businesses: too little money and beautiful spaces with terrible workflow. Condesa Co.Lab also brings us the weekly green coffee market report. COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from barista tips and honest café conversations to the coffee knowledge people don’t always share. CHAPTERS! 00:00 The Future of Cafés with Jai Lott 01:28 Café Automation and Hospitality 07:13 What Melbourne Gets Right 15:05 Signature Drinks and Simpler Menus 16:59 Jai’s Ideal Café Setup 19:25 Common Café Opening Mistakes 24:11 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report 26:36 Building a Café in France Find Jai at: https://www.instagram.com/coffeewithjai/ Kissako Matcha: https://www.instagram.com/kissakomatcha/ Want more coffee content? IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com with your questions, café stories or hot takes. Proudly sponsored by: APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Thanks for listening! #CoffeeBreak #CafeAutomation #SpecialtyCoffee #JaiLott Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 min
  • Can Matcha Save the Australian Café? | JAI LOTT!

    Can Matcha Save the Australian Café? | JAI LOTT!
    Oct 12 2026
    Jai Lott was the man behind iconic US coffee brands Bluestone Lane and Blank Street. Now he’s changed course, moving back home to Australia to start a matcha business! Join us as we discuss his incredible career, why he decided to make the switch, and what we should expect from his latest venture, Kissako Matcha. 00:00 Meet Jai Lott 02:15 From Bluestone Lane to Blank Street 07:02 Why matcha, and why now? 08:11 Matcha sourcing and transparency 10:52 Matcha culture in Japan 12:03 What matcha quality really means 16:44 APAX LAB sponsor message 17:23 How to taste and compare matcha 21:45 Should cafes batch matcha? 23:18 Batching methods and freshness 28:15 Matcha drinks beyond the latte 31:04 Simple ways for cafes to start serving matcha 33:17 Matcha pricing and cafe margins 34:39 Can matcha help cafes stay open longer? 37:07 Jai’s hot takes on batching and coffee 39:19 Shout-out to Project Zero 40:22 Closing thoughts and where to find Jai Thank-you Jai for joining the show! Find Jai at: https://www.instagram.com/coffeewithjai/ Kissako Matcha: https://www.instagram.com/kissakomatcha/ If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee! Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
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    43 min
  • Roasting Advice That Actually Changes Your Coffee | COFFEE BREAK!

    Roasting Advice That Actually Changes Your Coffee | COFFEE BREAK!
    Oct 7 2026
    What actually helps you become a better coffee roaster? We asked experienced people across the coffee world for the one skill, tool or habit that made the biggest difference. Rohan and Ben unpack their answers: tracking time through a roast, measuring bean colour, matching the roast to the way a coffee will be brewed, and trusting what’s in the cup over a perfect looking curve. They add a few tips of their own on sensory calibration, roaster maintenance and sharing knowledge with other roasters. Plus, Condesa Co.Lab brings us the weekly green coffee market report. COFFEE BREAK! is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from barista tips and honest café conversations to the coffee knowledge people don’t always share. CHAPTERS!00:00 What Makes a Better Coffee Roaster?00:58 Track Time Through the Roast04:18 Why Roasters Measure Coffee Colour09:12 Match Your Roast to the Brew13:15 Condesa Co.Lab Market Report15:25 Taste the Coffee, Not the Curve18:28 Calibrate Your Cupping20:10 Keep Your Roaster Clean21:31 Share What You Know23:11 Colin Harmon’s Coffee Business Books Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Got a roasting tip we missed? Send it to hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com. Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Thanks for listening! #CoffeeBreak #CoffeeRoasting #SpecialtyCoffee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    25 min
  • An Astrophysicist Explains Your Coffee Grinder | JONATHAN GAGNÉ!

    An Astrophysicist Explains Your Coffee Grinder | JONATHAN GAGNÉ!
    Oct 5 2026
    Do bigger burrs make better coffee? Are flat burrs cleaner than conical burrs? And why can two grinds that look the same brew completely differently? Astrophysicist and Coffee Ad Astra author Jonathan Gagné joins Rohan and Ben to unpack what grinders actually do to coffee. They get into particle size distributions, fines, burr seasoning, freezing beans and espresso flow, then tackle the coffee claims that sound certain even when the science isn’t. If you’re new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we’ll always remind ourselves that at the end of the day, it’s just coffee! CHAPTERS!00:00 Why grinders became coffee’s big obsession02:04 Meet Jonathan Gagné03:11 APAX LAB03:53 From astrophysics to Coffee Ad Astra07:22 Are bigger burrs actually better?12:08 Burr heat, extraction and grinder myths16:24 Flat, conical and burr seasoning17:45 Static, freezing beans and keeping coffee fresh23:20 What particle size distribution really means32:04 Why some coffees produce more fines37:00 Should you grind coarser for filter coffee?43:11 What the 300 grind tests revealed48:49 How water moves through an espresso puck58:34 Filter coffee claims that don’t hold up1:01:58 Tamp pressure and puck preparation1:06:53 Does “high clarity” mean better flavour?1:13:23 What we still don’t know about coffee and water1:18:43 How to question confident coffee claims1:21:49 Where to find Jonathan Explore Jonathan’s work: https://coffeeadastra.com/Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgagneastrocoffee/ Want more coffee content?IT’S JUST COFFEE!: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments. Proudly sponsored by:APAX LAB: https://apaxlab.com/ Thanks for listening! #ItsJustCoffee #JonathanGagné #CoffeeAdAstra #CoffeeGrinders #CoffeeScience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 ora e 24 min
  • Our Coffee Highlights of 2026 | International Coffee Day

    Our Coffee Highlights of 2026 | International Coffee Day
    Sep 30 2026
    In the past year of coffee: What are our favourite coffees, cafes, podcast episodes, and coffee culture moments? We also unpack our mixed experiences with pre-batched vs fresh espressos, and discuss the fermentation process by Lohas Beans that challenged us on what fermentation can be! If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee! Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
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    36 min
  • The Book Every Café Owner Should Read Before Expanding | COLIN HARMON!

    The Book Every Café Owner Should Read Before Expanding | COLIN HARMON!
    Sep 28 2026
    What do you know about growing a coffee business? Not much? Well Colin Harmon knows a bit, in fact he’s written another book about it! The 3fe Founder shares a taste of the stories and lessons you’ll find in his book: like the scoop mix-up that wiped out a cafe's profit, why he turned down a half-million-euro deal, and how potato bags changed his roastery. Plus! Colin runs us through real numbers on what scaling costs, the second-shop trap, and why growth might just mean more time with your family. 00:00 Is Growth Actually the Goal? 04:37 What Does Growth Really Mean? 06:52 Should You Open a Second Cafe? 10:35 The Problem With Scaling 14:24 Business FOMO 18:25 What Makes a Good Leader? 22:59 You’re Not a Bank 25:55 Outthink, Don’t Outspend 32:28 Getting More From a Small Cafe 36:58 Does Staying Small Work? 43:16 Keeping Personality as You Scale 50:10 When Is Enough, Enough? 53:20 Fixing Barista Competitions 58:16 Where to Get Colin’s Books Massive thank-you to Colin for joining the podcast. Make sure you check out his book at https://3fe.com/products/what-i-know-about-growing-a-coffee-business/ Connect with Colin here: https://www.instagram.com/colinharmon/ 3fe Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/3fecoffee/ If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee! Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share
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    1 ora e 2 min