S5:EP11 - EPISODE 100
Guest: David Foster, Co-Founder of Kiln Coffee Bar
Where: Grand Junction, CO
Instagram: @KilnCoffeeBar
Website: https://www.kilncoffeebar.com/
It is fitting that the 100th episode features a roaster that I’ve been visiting for quite a bit longer than I’ve been doing this show. Kiln Coffee Bar is a destination stop for me and my Wife during our holiday travels. We plan our drive so that we can wake up and go to Kiln for our morning coffee.
Kiln Coffee Bar is a de facto community hub in downtown Grand Junction, a community that has been growing and evolving over the past decade. The coffee roaster has been growing and evolving too.
Early on, David says something—almost under his breath—that stuck with me as being true for all entrepreneurial efforts. When I ask about his role at the company he owns with his twin brother, he replies that the roles are constantly shifting.
One of the reasons I’ve always found myself back in the hospitality world, be it as a barista, bartender, or general manager, is because every day brings a new challenge that demands a different skill. If I already had that skill, I would get to teach one of my team members. If I didn’t, then we would get to learn something new together. Eventually, the team supported me as much as I was supporting them.
“We care about the product, and we care about them as humans.”
David Foster, Co-Owner of Kiln Coffee
David and his brother Jonathan Foster started Kiln together. According to David, being an entrepreneur and starting a business isn’t something that he might have initially decided to do despite always having the dream of opening a coffee shop. Having the support of his brother made everything easier.
Running a business means having your attention pulled in a million different directions at once. By pooling their efforts, David primarily works in the coffee shop, and Jonathan runs the roaster and does the books. The Foster brothers have been able to take more time to pay attention to the little things. In turn, everything else in the shop shines a little bit brighter.
THANK YOU
You have been foundational to the success of this podcast and are a major reason I’ve been able to produce 100 episodes. It is a milestone that I can’t way to look back on fondly. Those of you who listen to the podcast and subscribe to the newsletter has provided me with emotional boosts that feel kind of like hitting a home run in Little League. When I meet random listeners in a cafe or see a barista with one of my stickers on their water jug, I’m filled with gratitude and pride and inspired to push forward.
Thank you all for listening, for supporting this show, and this shows sponsors, reading the newsletter, and caring, even a little bit about the entrepreneurial journey of others and about your morning cup of coffee. That simple cup connects you to an entire network of coffee professionals around the world.
It is a pretty awesome and fairly delicious power that you wield. Use it wisely.
If you’ve been enjoying the podcast and newsletter, please consider signing up for a paid subscription. In honor of the 100th episode, you can subscribe for 50% off for as long as you decide to subscribe. Subscriptions go directly to supporting the creation of this podcast and newsletter, enabling the show to continue growing. Thank you for your support.
COFFEE FUELED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Tea was the drink of the masses, but after the Boston Tea Party drinking coffee became a show of patriotism in America. At the Green Dragon Tavern—deemed “The Headquarters of the Revolution”—in Boston, coffee was served alongside alcoholic beverages. This was common throughout the colonies, where those planning the revolution would meet for the coffee and stay to plot the future of America. Read more about coffee-fueled revolutions on History.com.
FROM THE SHOW
I take baseball fandom very, very seriously. For the record, I cheer for the Milwaukee Brewers, and listen to almost every game on the radio. Announcer Bob Uecker is a national treasure.
David Foster co-hosts a podcast primarily about disc golf and sometimes about coffee, called The Grind: A disc golf podcast. Listen on Spotify.
The craft coffee businesses David shouted out on the show:
City Brew, 31 locations throughout Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming
Pachamama Coffee Collective - Sacramento, Davis, and Placerville, CA
Best Slope Coffee Co., Fruita, CO
Dark Heart Coffee Bar, Loveland CO
Cimarron Coffee Roasters, Montrose, CO
Cat & Cloud, Santa Cruz, CA
Merit Coffee Co., Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, TX
NOT FROM THE SHOW
Workers at Intelligentsia stores in Chicago are following Starbucks employees lead, and filing to unionize. This marks the first time one of the big craft brands has had a union effort brought forth. Read about it on Sprudge.com.
R!WC Industry Partners
Ignite Coffee Company’s official opening day has been shifted to August 2022…ish.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea is where I had my first ever French press coffee. I regularly buy their Hummingbird Blend to make my own at home.
Click these R!WC Industry Partners links. Drink their coffees and whiskeys. Visit their cafes. Support local coffee shops. You won’t be disappointed.
Zumbar Coffee & Tea • First Light Coffee Whiskey • Steady State Roasting • CAFÉ LaTERRE • Mostra Coffee • Coffee Cycle • Camp Coffee Company • Ignite Coffee Company • Ascend Coffee Roasters • Marea Coffee • Cape Horn Coffee Roasters
LISTEN TO ROAST! WEST COAST ON THESE PLATFORMS
APPLE PODCASTS • SPOTIFY • ANCHOR.FM • GOOGLE PODCASTS • AMAZON MUSIC • THE COAST NEWS • TUNEIN RADIO • I HEART RADIO • POCKETCASTS • BREAKER • RADIO PUBLIC • OVERCAST • STITCHER
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Roast! - David Foster, Kiln Coffee Bar