In this special episode of The DCR Coffee Podcast, Co-Host Dave Rand takes the opportunity to sit down with two of the guys running one of the biggest brands in the industry: Nuovo Simonelli.  Julian Torres, VP of Sales & Marketing, and Ryan Klineman, Service Engineer, stopped by the DCR headquarters to show us the latest in their line up: Prima from Victoria Arduino.

This new machine is a show-stopper. And the best part?  It bridges the gap between smaller cafes and the home aficionado.  It is built to the exacting standards of excellence Nuova Simonelli and Victoria Arduino has defined for decades.  It has sleek, modern styling that sits nicely on any counter-top: home, office, or café.  The DCR Coffee team loved getting a personal tour of what’s up next for a brand we’ve relied on since our company’s launch back in 1992.

Enjoy a short chat with Julian, Ryan, and Dave about a brief history of the Nuova Simonelli brand, how to get the best quality espresso out of any machine, and how their brand is representing sophisticated home brewing in their future equipment designs and innovations.

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Find more information about Nuova Simonelli and the new Prima by Victoria Arduino at SimonelliUSA.com

Today’s interview is with Phil Beattie, Director of Coffee for Dillanos Coffee Roasters.  He’s a Professional Q Grader, former chair of the Coffee Roasters Guild, private coach to no less than two US Barista Champions in the last five years, and has invested the last 20 years of his career into the award-winning Dillanos coffee program. 

The DCR Coffee Mission Statement is unique for a coffee roaster: Help People. Make Friends. Have Fun!  But it makes sense when you think about it… As Phil explains, this philosophy is the heart and soul of how they’ve cultivated authentic relationships around the globe.  He even credits it as the defining factor in Dillanos’s ability to provide a wide spectrum of coffees to both retail and wholesale customers without interruption during last year’s supply chain road blocks.

Hosts David J. Morris and Dave Rand discuss challenges the coffee industry as a whole is currently faced with and how Dillanos’s proactive approach to green coffee management has preserved them through the crisis. “Right now, we’re leaning heavy on that relationship capital we’ve built up with our supply chain in order to get what we need” he shares.  Dillanos hasn’t skipped a beat—something Phil’s proud of because of what it means to the cafes, restaurants, and home coffee drinkers Dillanos serves. In a season of immense stress for many, DCR customers had one less thing to worry about.

Interested in a peek behind the curtain of the coffee world? Tune into Episode 16 of The DCR Coffee Podcast for a must-listen interview.  Phil, David, and Dave cover what it takes to maintain relationships with farmers and producers all over the world, anticipate fluctuations in the market, and select coffees for the Dillanos Limited line from thousands of samples, all while still taking time to raise up the next generation of professional coffee roasters.

Coffee Fest is back for 2021 and we are stoked to chat with Erika Lowery, Portfolio Director for the event, on this week’s episode of The DCR Coffee Podcast! 

Attendees are in for a treat with live events returning.  Classes and workshops have a huge emphasis on COVID recovery for businesses, including how to plan for the future and shift business models.  They’re putting a lot of focus on how to incorporate the highly sought after mobile ordering.  Mobile ordering is in demand and Coffee Fest has all the tools you’ll need to implement it into your operations.

Coffee Fest will also be launching their 365 digital platform this year.  With live events suspended in 2020, Erika saw an opportunity to invest time into developing a fully online resource tool for the Coffee Fest community.  Within the coming weeks, they’ll be rolling out this exciting resource of trusted partners that will benefit everyone in the industry, A to Z!

“People want to be heard and they want solutions” says Erika. “If I don’t have it, I guarantee that within two phone calls I can find someone you can help.”  This spirit of service, community, and access drives Erika’s ongoing commitment to meeting exhibitors’ and attendees’ evolving needs.  And that’s exactly what anyone participating in either the live events or Coffee Fest 365 will get to experience this year.

Find more information about how you can participate in Coffee Fest 2021.  They will be hosting live events in four locations around the country and are excited to showcase all new workshops, classes, and products to the coffee community.  Listen to her interview for more information on all that’s to come this year: The DCR Coffee Podcast, No. 15: Erika Lowery.

We’re kicking off season two of The DCR Coffee Podcast with a behind the scenes look at Barista 22, the only product line created by baristas for baristas.  Tune into for an energetic conversation with Anna Gutierrez, Director of Brand Development. 

This season Co-Hosts David J. Morris and Dave Rand will continue talking with business owners serving Dillanos coffee in their shops and cafes.  In addition to inspiring stories from entrepreneurs we admire, look for conversations with Dillanos employees and even a few vendors that help us keep our customers at the front of the industry.

And the brand that’ll keep your shop at the top of the drink ingredient game?  Barista 22.  Here’s why it matters that these products are created by baristas: most syrups on the market were originally designed for cocktails. They don’t always taste right when mixed with coffee, milk, or in higher volume beverages, like a 24 oz iced latte.  Barista 22 is the only brand whose products were specifically crafted to complement the strong and variable flavors of coffee and espresso, distribute consistently throughout creamy milk beverages, and yet still taste great with just club soda.  These products won’t curdle in milk either—a notorious concern for baristas during spring and summer when fruit syrup flavors are in demand.

Anna describes what it’s like to don a lab coat and craft a product from scratch—something unique to Barista 22’s product research and development process. She also shares stories from her 20 years in the industry, including one time when her day started with a routine trade show and ended with a jam session in Kid Rock’s living room.  

Ready for a taste test of your own?  Head to Barista22.com! Contact Anna with your questions or to request products to sample. Anna is hoping to meet lots of listeners!

If you’ve been enjoying our podcast, please leave a 5-star review wherever you’re listening! It will help others like you find us and our guests.

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Resources from this episode:

Book: The Aladdin Factor

Web: Barista22.com

Instagram: @BaristaTwentyTwo

Facebook: @BaristaTwentyTwo

Email Barista 22: CONTACT FORM