One of the things I'm currently working on is figuring out how to turn my love of baking into a practical food production process for a small café or diner. Right now, I'm experimenting with several sourdough bread recipes, trying to perfect not only the flavor, texture, and appearance but also the timing. Making one great loaf at home is one thing; producing several consistently while managing fermentation, proofing, and oven time is a completely different challenge. For example, today I'm baking just two loaves back-to-back to see how the timing works. Eventually, these breads would become the foundation of my sandwich menu. I'm trying to understand how much I can realistically produce without turning every baking day into a 12-hour marathon! My current menu concept is relatively simple: Sourdough breads and sandwiches: A small selection of homemade sourdough breads, including wheat, rye, and spelt, used for freshly made sandwiches. I'm also experimenting with different flavors and inclusions to make the breads interesting enough to stand on their own. Asian- and Hawaiian-inspired food: For lunch through the evening, I'd like to offer a small selection of wraps and bowls featuring Asian- and Hawaiian-inspired flavors. Initially, I think just two or three different flavor combinations would be more than enough to complement the sourdough sandwiches without making production unnecessarily complicated. Cakes and sweets: This is another area I really enjoy! I'd love to offer some of my favorites, including German apple cake, Maulwurfkuchen (mole cake, a German chocolate cake with a cream filling/topping), and perhaps a classic chocolate cake and/or sourdough brownies. I'm also experimenting with the idea of sourdough brioche pastries with different fillings, such as fruit, chocolate, or vanilla pudding. The next round of baking I would like to try sourdough cinnamon rolls. My goal is to integrate as many sourdough-based products as practical, making the most of the ingredients and preparation processes I'm already using.

ROASTERS 1989 began with a memory—and a desire to bring it back. I started drinking coffee at eight years old. In my Puerto Rican family, coffee was a tradition: a familiar aroma, a shared moment, and a taste of home. My mother comes from Yauco, Puerto Rico, a town with deep coffee roots. That heritage shaped my love for coffee long before I ever roasted a bean. Over the years, I felt that the fresh, personal experience I remembered was getting harder to find as big companies took a larger place in the island’s coffee industry. I wanted to return to coffee made with the care I grew up knowing. Eventually, I decided the way to bring that experience to myself—and to others—was to roast it myself. That’s the heart of ROASTERS 1989. Transparency is my mission. I want you to know what you’re buying, where your coffee comes from, and how I roast it. I’ll speak plainly, in my own voice, without making you learn a new vocabulary to enjoy a good cup. My promise is simple: care in the roasting, honesty in the process, and a commitment to making every cup a better experience. I don’t want you to get lost in the language. I want you to get lost in the taste.

Heads up: this week's call has moved ☕ The new time is Wednesday, October 14th, 7:30pm to 8:30pm Vienna time. The topic is simple and big: how to open a coffee shop!? Opening a cafe is exciting, but it is also full of expensive mistakes waiting to happen. I know, because I made a few of them myself. So in this live session we'll go through what you actually need to launch a coffee shop that works: - Concept - Location - Equipment - Workflow - Permits - Margins - Staffing - Suppliers - The numbers behind all of it Here is how to join and shape the session: 1. Save the new time in your calendar here: Wednesday, October 14th, 7:30pm Vienna time. 2. Join the live here 👉 https://www.skool.com/live/hPCj87t7PZH 3. Tell me in the comments what you most want covered, and I will make sure to include it. What is the one question about opening a cafe that keeps you up at night? Write it below, even if it feels small — chances are someone else is wondering the same thing. P.S. If you can't make it at the new time, still drop your question. I will keep it in mind when planning the session.

I talk to a lot of people who want to open a cafe, and almost none of them have this done. No full business case. No complete list of variable costs. No complete list of fixed costs — the stuff you pay even on the days you're closed. No real number for total investment needed before you open the door. And here's the part that actually worries me: more than 60% of coffee shops fail in year one, and more than 80% don't make it past year five. I used to think that was because people didn't try hard enough. I don't think that anymore. I think it's because people assume it's simple. Pick a nice space, get a good machine, make good coffee, done. It's the opposite of simple. The owners who make it are the ones who sat down early and got honest about the numbers — before the lease, before the buildout, before any of it. You don't need my template for this. Use whatever system works for you. But please, please do not sign anything until you've built these three lists yourself: 1. Every variable cost — what changes with how busy you are 2. Every fixed cost — what you pay whether you're open or not 3. Your full investment number — everything it takes to actually get the doors open If you want the breakdown I use with people going through this, comment "Lists" and I'll send it your way. ☕ P.S. This is for anyone who's serious about opening, even if it's a year or two out. If you're just daydreaming about it, that's fine too — just know these three lists are where the daydream turns into a real plan.

I don't usually do this, but I've got a discount I only send by DM. Not posted anywhere else, not in the community feed, not on the website. Here's why: I want it to go to people who are actually paying attention, not just scrolling past. So I'm keeping it small and personal, three quick steps. 1. Follow Coffee Shop Launchpad on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coffeeshoplaunchpad/ 2. Subscribe on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeShop-Launchpad 3. Comment LAUNCH below Once you've done all three, DM me and I'll send you the discount. No forms, no funnel, just me checking and hitting send : ) P.S. This is for people who are serious about opening a shop and want a real head start on the paid track, not for people collecting freebies. If that's you, comment "LAUNCH" and I'll be in your inbox. ☕