In this Episode, a follow up to my conversation with Frank Elias, the tables turn.

What begins as a continuation of our earlier discussion becomes something else entirely — a fun, reflective, and I promise, completely unscripted conversation about transition, identity, and what comes after building a brand and letting go of it. Frank presses pause on the telling of his own story and asks me to talk honestly about mine: leaving the Farm table Eatery we founded inn Utica after 15 years, closing that defining chapter, and stepping into something new.
We talk about why The Hospitalitarian Podcast exists—not so much as a media project, but as an extension of the same work I’ve always cared so deeply about: strengthening local food systems, amplifying the stories of our producers, and building economic resilience through relationships. I share how “farm to table” evolved for me from a cooking and sourcing philosophy into a community and an economic framework—one that includes farmers, distributors, chefs, winemakers, and everyone in between. You can tell that Frank and I, along with our pal and producer Ryan Miller are having a good time, and honestly, it was easy. I hope it makes you smile, and laugh, and I really appreciate you tuning in for this fun and personal Bonus Episode of The Hospitalitarian.

So check it out – here is episode ONE, point five.

Frank Elias is the founder of Utica Coffee roasting company, and for more than 20 years, he's been building one of the most dynamic beverage businesses in the Mohawk Valley.

What began as a small Saturday only coffee shop has grown into a regional roaster shipping hundreds of thousands of pounds of coffee each year while staying deeply rooted in their community. So in this conversation we're gonna talk about growth, about staying inspired decades into a business's evolution and about what it means to operate locally in a global system.

We dig into coffee culture in Europe, supply chains, climate change, talent and labor, and why consistency and curiosity still matter. This episode sets the tone for the hospitalitarian, thoughtful, grounded conversations about food Place and the people building what comes next. Here's my conversation with Frank Elias of Utica Coffee Roasting Company.

Introducing The Hospitalitarian Podcast

Tim and Melissa chat about the mission of this podcast and how this concept came to be, what to expect in future episodes, the history of where we’ve been and a glimpse of where we’re going.

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