We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Mccoll and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We founded Our Spot Coffee & Goods for a few specific reasons:

1. We wanted to live a life of alignment – as close to 100% as we could get – and a business we could take pride in would be a foundational component for us to prepare for family and foster community
2. Our previous coffee business and partnership became very misaligned, and we knew we had all the skills and experience to do it on our own
3. Our potential for being and facilitating changes we wanted to see in the coffee industry couldn’t be fully realized unless we coud lead authentically

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
With Our Spot Coffee & Goods, we are seeking to fully establish ourselves as leaders in the 4th Wave of Coffee. Currently, there’s a ton of industry debate over whether this is necessary and what this fully encapsulates – and quite frankly, we’re trying to remain fluid in its full definition so that we leave no stone unturned.

The reality is that the industry is rife with burnout, there’s an abundance of unsustainable practices, transparency is largely lacking, and due to the mass amount of gatekeeping of knowledge and information – consistent and healthy standards/practices are largely missing.

As we build our business, we want to be as transparent as possible. Currently this has started with showcasing our investment into our coffee residency, how profitable it is, and how far away from our goal we are, but we expect this to evolve massively over time. In the future, we imagine full transparency over how much ownership is making (& why!), how much compensation employees receive and how satisfied they are with their work, how much we pay for coffee and where are we sourcing from, and so much more.

With this, we hope to establish new standards within the industry to eliminate predatory and unethical practices, as well as to provide tools and knowledge to up and coming thought-leaders in our industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Most of my close friends are foodies like me, so filling ourselves to the brim with the best food and drinks in the city would make up the majority of the itinerary.

On our first day, we’d have to do the tour: we’d have to enjoy breakfast at Alder & Sage, have a quick burger at The Window, and probably round out the night with drinks and dinner at Bar Becky. All caffeine needs would be satiated by Our Spot, naturally. Some other honorable mentions we’d visit would be Baby Gee’s for sensational cocktails, Marlena for pizza, and ISM for beers.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh, absolutely. In my journey within the coffee industry and as an entrepreneur, I have many thanks to give.

My first shout-out goes to Noah Poletiek of CoolRoastCurves. He has provided mentorship, always been willing to lend his palate for my bev curation, and has always helped me show up as a better professional within the industry that we both care so deeply for. As our coffee roaster for Our Spot Coffee & Goods, it goes without saying that he’s supplied me with a never-ending amount of superb coffee as I’ve pushed to get this business fully of the ground.

I also have to give a shout-out to Ryan Castelaz of Discourse. For quite some time in my coffee career, I felt alone in my pursuits of elevating (coffee/tea) beverages to where I am now. When I first stumbled on Ryan and eventually his book “The New Art of Coffee” I felt reinvigorated to continue pushing my craft, regardless of whether or not there others locally doing so. He’s an incredibly passionate and loveable human, and I look forward to collaborating with him in the future of Our Spot.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourspotcoffeeandgoods/?hl=en

Image Credits
@thereintime // @marissavickers_

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