James Freeman on Curating Coffee Flavors, Stepping Down as Blue Bottle CEO, Cafes in Japan, & More

Founded in Oakland, Blue Bottle Coffee is a world-renowned coffee chain with cafes in San Francisco, Kyoto, New York, and many more. Behind the ingenuity of Blue Bottle Coffee is one man: James Freeman. Join us in learning more about James’ career in the coffee industry, which all started from his desire to create the freshest cup of coffee. In this individual talk, James will discuss everything from how Blue Bottle Coffee succeeded by being radical, to his career change from being a professional clarinetist to founding one of the largest coffee chains in the world.

James Freeman founded Blue Bottle Coffee in the summer of 2002, after leaving his career as a freelance clarinetist. His first roastery was a 186-square-foot converted potting shed in Oakland, California. Blue Bottle Coffee, purchased by Nestle in 2017, has grown to a network of several roasteries and over 100 cafes, spanning the United States and Asia. Named “Coffee Professional of the Year” by Imbibe Magazine and one of Fast Company magazine’s 100 most creative people in business, James is also an author of The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee, published by Ten Speed Press. James has been featured in the national and international press including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wired, GQ, the Japan Times, and CBS This Morning. James lives in Ojai, California with his children Dashiell, Linden, and Monroe, and his wife Caitlin, whom he met while making coffee at the Berkeley Farmers Market.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Timestamps
(0:00) Customer value measurement
(1:45) E-commerce & subscription
(5:00) Cafe culture in Japan
(7:05) Pressure from Starbucks
(9:05) Curating flavors
(12:01) Berries in coffee?
(13:36) Stepping down as CEO
(15:32) Single-origin sourcing

Видео James Freeman on Curating Coffee Flavors, Stepping Down as Blue Bottle CEO, Cafes in Japan, & More канала The Berkeley Forum