John assumed his position as torchbearer at an early age with a grace and imaginative and prescient that has positioned Mr. Espresso as an everlasting business anomaly in the perfect means—a espresso roaster that has defied espresso “waves.” John was solely 11 years previous when our father began importing espresso machines from Italy, but it surely was clear that espresso was in his DNA. John faithfully rode with our father on machine restore calls and tinkered with any he might at house. After John graduated from UC Berkeley with a level in Structure, it was not lengthy earlier than he returned to his ardour, the espresso roastery.

After I joined the household enterprise in 2001, John had already moved from roastmaster to Director of Espresso, the place looking back he was bridging the hole between the second wave of commodity espresso and the third wave of latest, knowledgeable values round espresso, from farm to cup. John was uniquely discovering the place that honored our father’s Italian custom of handcrafted, wood-roasted espresso, whereas embracing newer values that honored these on the coronary heart of what we do, our espresso producers at origin.

John’s growing philosophy knowledgeable the espresso program he constructed based mostly on these values. Recognizing the duality of sustainability extends to pure sources and human sources, John was instrumental in advancing the Licensed Natural espresso program as an early adopter in 1992, and the Honest Commerce USA designation in 1999, one of many first U.S. espresso roasters to take action.

Most lately, John, our sister Laura, and I opened Mr. Espresso’s first retail outlet, The Caffè by Mr. Espresso. With The Caffè, we pay homage to our household’s espresso legacy within the Italian espresso, wooden roasting custom. The area has been acknowledged for its simplistic, up to date magnificence, with distinguished wooden options, a 17-foot-wide oak slab bar and hanging artwork set up, subtly remind us of the wooden roast. The award-winning ceramic cupware was designed for an optimum temperature whereas consuming. Past the up to date aesthetic, are delicate nods to the Italian espresso bar expertise, together with no queue for ordering. Simply discover a spot on the bar. John tapped into his inside architect to advise on lots of the key components. And, he’s behind the espresso, in fact.

After working side-by-side for greater than 20 years, John continues to encourage me together with his timeless ardour for his craft, his boundless dedication to the worldwide espresso neighborhood, and his fearlessness to do all of it his means. I’m sharing his story with the hope that others in our business may be impressed to do espresso their means.”

Learn Luigi’s nomination and the Sprudge Twenty interview with John right here.