S9:E7
Guest: Luke Hales
Role: Co-founder of Hacea Coffee Source
Based: Anaheim, CA
Online: www.haceacoffee.com • @haceacoffee
What they order: Batch brew or Americano
Hacea Coffee Source is a family business. I learned from Luke that it started as family first, not necessarily coffee first. They were developing business plans without even knowing what the company would be! They created a pod long before it became cool (and necessary) during the early days of the coronavirus.
It was a scary time for anyone starting a business. Still, Luke was willing to put in the sweat equity to make Hacea work, not only because he could see the potential for scaling but also because he believed in himself and his co-founders.
He also believes in the quality of the product Hacea Coffee Source brings into the country. Green coffee importers qualify the product through sample cuppings and building trust (over time) with the vendors at origin, but at the end of the day, the coffee has to stand on its own.
Luke and Hacea are passionate about the home-roasting community. That is the corner of the market that inspired them, but to stay in business, they needed to be able to scale. Adding wholesale and larger clients enables them to provide affordable opportunities for small roasters to give them a try.
Meg Le Vue (BLK City Roasting) mentioned that in the first podcast of season 9. Her trust in the team and their willingness to recognize her needs as a small roaster made them the perfect partner. In the pod, Luke stresses that it is easier to make a client happy when you are nimble.
I learned a lot today. I relearned a lot. Luke has a really commonsense, effortless sensibility about him that makes complex business ideas easier to understand. Check out the pod, and if you’re interested in roasting some green coffee, connect with Hacea Coffee Source.
FROM THE SHOW
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