IT’S JUST COFFEE!

Gibrán Huerta, otherwise known as ‘G’, is the owner of Long Play, a cafe and record bar located in San Diego. We spoke with him about his unique approach to hospitality: He doesn’t serve espresso and there’s no wifi. Just vibes, music, and slow-paced service. G is a pioneer of this new style, encouraging customers to disconnect from the outside world and be present in their cafe experience. We weigh up Long Play against the fast-paced cafes of today, diving into the opportunities and challenges that arise when you decide to go against the grain and do things differently. 

00:00 Post-World Coffee Recap

01:00 Japan, Mexico & Hospitality Roots

05:05 Inside Long Play (Cafe + Record Bar)

09:32 Space, Design & No-Signage Philosophy

12:28 Coffee, Tea & “Weird” Menu Choices

16:47 Pricing, Time & The Experience Economy

18:05 The Challenge: Getting People to Slow Down

20:27 Making the Business Sustainable

23:27 Creating Value in Specialty Coffee

29:17 How to Build a Slow Bar

33:56 Hot Take: You Don’t Need Espresso

37:06 Where to Find Long Play

Thanks so much to G for joining the show and sharing your incredible insights! 

Long Play: https://www.instagram.com/longplay.hifi/ 

Gibrán Huerta: https://www.instagram.com/narbig/ 



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<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

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The Y2K vs 2026 Barista | COFFEE BREAK!

Working as a barista in the early 2000s looked different to barista jobs of today. From an influx of specialty coffee, to new equipment, automation, workflow changes and ever increasing expectations for great customer service, the 2026 barista is playing a completely different game. We discuss the evolving coffee industry, and what has changed for baristas since Y2K!

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

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Being a barista in 2026 means more than dialling in espresso.Dialing in from Canada, we’re joined by seasoned barista first, social media personality second - Emily Makes Coffee. With 40,000 followers, millions of views, and a lot of very honest takes about life behind the bar, Emily has become a refreshing voice in the coffee conversation. 

From burnout to opportunity, we explore what the job really demands today - and what needs to change for coffee careers to become truly sustainable in and out of the cafe.

FIND her @emily.makes.coffeehttps://emilymakescoffee.ca/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro

02:48 Being a Barista in 2026

09:16 The Skills Customers Don’t See

13:27 Burnout, Wages & Career Sustainability

18:10 Content Creation, Authenticity & Representation

29:31 New Opportunities for Baristas

38:20 Safety, Boundaries & Difficult Customers

46:14 What Makes a Great Barista

52:38 Great Customers, Bad Habits & Pet Peeves

1:00:12 What Makes a Great Café to Work In

1:02:58 Advice for Young Baristas

1:05:31 Hospo Horror Stories

1:11:13 Hot Takes + Final Shoutout

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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What does it actually take to turn a coffee idea into a real product?In this episode, we sit down with Dominic Symons, Founder of Subminimal and designer behind tools like the NanoFoamer and Subscale. We unpack what separates genuinely useful coffee equipment from the endless stream of gadgets hitting the market.From identifying real problems behind the bar to prototyping, manufacturing, patents, and raising over $1.5M through Kickstarter, Dominic shares what most people misunderstand about launching a product, and why simplicity is often the hardest design challenge.We also explore copycat culture, protecting ideas, and why many concepts should never make it past the sketch phase.If you’ve ever wondered how coffee tools actually come to life, this episode is for you.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!

https://subminimal.com

@subminimal

Products mentionedNanoFoamerNanoFoamer PROSubscaleFlick WDT Tool

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

00:24 Meet Dominic Symons (Subminimal)

02:04 Raising $1.5M on Kickstarter

03:01 Is Kickstarter Still Worth It?

04:33 Product Development Reality Check

09:15 Why Milk Frothing Needed Innovation

12:35 From Side Project to Global Product

14:09 What Makes a Great Coffee Tool?

15:41 Copycats, Patents & Protecting Ideas

18:22 Product Ideas That Didn’t Make It

23:25 How to Start Designing a Product

26:36 Finding Manufacturers & Production

28:08 Real Cost of Launching a Product

32:11 Filming the Kickstarter Campaign

34:17 Coffee Market Update

36:16 Brands Pushing Innovation

37:11 Coffee Trends That Might Be Overhyped

39:09 Where to Find Subminimal

40:01 Outro

Want more coffee content?

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch?

Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
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Edwin Noreña is a fourth-generation farmer and coffee innovator, leading Finca Campo Hermoso in Colombia. The farm is known for its experimental coffees, with Edwin himself developing a co-fermentation technique inspired by the craft beer industry. We caught him at MICE2026 to talk “co-fermented” vs “infused” coffee, as well as hops in coffee processing, and the complications that come with bringing co-ferments into the mainstream. 

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!

Campo Hermoso: https://www.instagram.com/campohermoso_coffeefarms/ 

CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction & Why Experimental Coffee is Trending

02:30 Campo Hermoso & The R&D Approach to Coffee

05:10 Co-Fermented vs Infused Coffee Explained

06:45 Multi-Stage Fermentation & Using Hops

10:40 Fermentation Science (Yeast, Anaerobic, Lactic)

12:00 Adding Value at Origin

14:00 Extreme Flavours & Market Trends

18:00 Quality vs Co-Fermented Coffee Debate

21:30 Consistency Challenges in Experimental Processing

25:30 Can Big Brands Scale Co-Fermented Coffee?

27:45 Future of Coffee Innovation

29:00 Final Thoughts & Where to Find Edwin’s Coffee

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!

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