5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

In today’s episode, we're speaking with Trish Rothgeb, founder of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters in San Francisco.With over 30 years in the coffee industry, Trish was a true pioneer of the West Coast specialty coffee movement in the early 2000s and is widely credited with popularising the term “Third Wave Coffee.”In this conversation, we explore the evolution of specialty coffee culture and the major shifts in consumer behaviour over the last two decades. Trish also shares why she believes the next meaningful shift must focus on equity across the global supply chain, and why lasting change will only come when economic models work sustainably for producers, not just pleasing consumers.Subscribe to Trish's Substack and read her article on Third Wave Coffee hereTune in to Picture Day on YouTube for more coffee adventures with Trish Rothgeb and Jay LljewskiCredits music: "I'm Fine" by Bobbi Stella in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the showSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In today’s episode we’re exploring how climate change and deforestation are impacting global coffee production, with Dr. Aaron Davis, Senior Research Leader for Crops & Global Change at The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.Aaron has spent more than three decades researching coffee species and is a leading voice on climate resilience and future-proofing global coffee production. In this thought-provoking conversation, Aaron unpacks coffee farming’s complex relationship with deforestation and assesses its impact on forest ecosystems. He also highlights the rise of alternative coffee species, and why transparency and unlocking genetic diversity are key to our industry’s long-term survival.Credits music: "Natures Hands" by Flo Perlin association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the showSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In today’s episode, we're speaking Gabriel Shohet, Co-founder of of UK coffee trailblazer Black Sheep Coffee.Founded in 2013 with friend and business partner Eirik Holth, Black Sheep had a bold vision: to champion specialty-grade robusta at a time when the industry was almost entirely focused on arabica. Since then, the brand has achieved remarkable success, scaling to over 130 outlets across five markets and capturing the attention of a new generation of coffee drinkers along the way. In this conversation, Gabriel reflects on Black Sheep’s philosophy of challenging the status quo and choosing not to blindly follow industry trends. He also shares insight into the brand’s US expansion strategy – targeting Sunbelt states like Texas and Florida over more well-trodden markets such as New York and LA – to show the model resonates with a broader, more inclusive American audience.Credits music: "Shock Me" by Gina Zo in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the showSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Emi Fukahori and Mathieu Theis, Co-founders of Swiss specialty coffee business MAME.Multiple-time Swiss competition winners, Emi and Mathieu founded MAME in Zurich in 2016, driven by a shared passion for coffee tasting, sensory analysis and competition craft, combined with Japanese precision. Today, they operate eight coffee shops across Zurich and Geneva and, one most recently, Tokyo.In this conversation, Emi and Mathieu share their guiding principles for tailoring every guest experience and creating memorable coffee moments. They also discuss how they’ve drawn inspiration from Michelin-starred chefs to scale high-quality and maintain a strong brand identity as they grow internationally.Credits music: "Lay on Grass" by Sam Stokes in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the showSign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.comSubscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear