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Publisher Kenneth R. Olson Editor Sarah Allen Art Direction Demitri Fregosi Powers Copy Editors Erin Meister, Chris Ryan Photographer Max Rockatansky Business Manager Cheryl Lueder Advertising Sales Sarah Allen 800.296.9108 Contributors Tracy Allen Nora Burkey Elise Linscott Erin Meister Diana Mnatsakanyan Gareth Patterson Jack Pollock Jon Shadel Joshua Vasko Daniel Vitiello Brandon Von Damitz Brandon Warman Editorial Advisory Board Christopher Nicely Abel Alameda, Menotti's Coffee Shop Joshua Boyt, Metronome Coffee Lemuel Butler, Counter Culture Coffee Trevor Corlett, Madcap Coffee Company Roukiat Delrue, World Coffee Events Sonja Grant, World Coffee Events Gerra Harrigan, InterAmerican Coffee Heath Henley, Dose Coffee & Tea Jannicke M. Johansen, 3FE Rita Kaminsky, Linea Caffe Troels Poulsen, Kontra Coffee Daniel Streetman, Irving Farm Coffee Colin Whitcomb, Madcap Coffee Company Barista Magazine 4345 NE 72nd Ave. Portland, OR 97218 phone: 800.296.9108 fax: 971.223.3659 email: info@baristamagazine.com www.baristamagazine.com Barista Magazine is published bimonthly by Ollen Media, LLC. Subscriptions are $30 in the United States, $45 USD in Canada, and $60 USD for the rest of the world. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Postmaster please send address corrections to: Barista Magazine, 4345 NE 72nd Ave., Portland, OR 97218. ISSN: 1944-3544 Copyright 2015 Barista Magazine. All rights reserved. BARIST A M A G A Z I N E E D I T O R L E T T E R stand up for baristas WHEN THIS LETTER IS PRINTED, five weeks will have passed since the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) dropped the bomb about canceling the beloved United States Regional Barista Competition and Brewers Cup events, which have historically qualified competitors to take part in the United States Barista Championship (USBC) and the Brewers Cup. When baristas, coffee pro- fessionals, and café owners like you heard the news, you responded with remarkable passion. I was totally awe- struck and inspired by the way you reacted on social media: You made the SCAA listen. You stood up and dis- agreed. You expressed your frustration. You posed tough questions about the motivation behind the cancelation. You spoke eloquently about how participation in regionals had inspired your coffee careers. You talked about how this would change your opinion about the SCAA orga- nization and its events. Then, on June 29, SCAA board president Tracy Allen issued an apology: "While we felt we had made the best decision on behalf of the entire membership, the barista community amplified what the Barista Guild of America Executive Council (BGAEC) had been saying… that these events are valuable beyond measure and there may be other solutions for USBC qualifying events." (The entirety of the letter is posted on Barista Magazine's blog). In response to the community outcry after the cancelation announcement, the SCAA formed an ad hoc committee to determine whether region- als could be brought back, or if they should be replaced by new events. On July 13, BGAEC chair Lorenzo Perkins released the list of people who had been invited (but not confirmed) to join the committee. (See Barista Magazine's blog for the list of names, plus the proposed agenda for the committee's first meeting, scheduled for August 1–2 in Seattle). "We wanted to make sure that each stakehold- er group was represented, not only to ensure that we add value and give voice to everyone who is involved in competitions, but to ensure a diver- sity of thought and viewpoints," says Lorenzo. There's been a lot of talk about whom the cancelation of regional serves: Second vice presi- dent of the SCAA board, Heather Perry, says the SCAA decision was made in large part because the contests cost tens of thousands of dollars, and "the association has been holding regionals for many years at a loss." Lorenzo is currently seeking the financial records of the regionals, in an effort to make the entire process transparent. In communication with Barista Magazine on July 16, Lorenzo said, "It was my hope to have financial data released on the same date as the announcement of the committee members, but we wanted to make sure that everything was correct before the document was published. The numbers are all being double checked, formulas calculated, etc., but I expect it to be released soon." Heather—herself a two-time USBC champi- on—says she is looking at the decision to end regionals not only from a board-member's per- spective, but as a businesswoman whose family company, Klatch Coffee, has sent baristas to competition every year. "Competition is one way for a barista to hone and improve their skills, and it [is] a fairly specific way," she says. "What if we are limiting the potential of who [we] can reach in the barista community because we are too stuck on doing things the same way and not interested in trying new things?" Right now, one thing is for sure: "Regional barista competitions are not being hosted by the SCAA this year," Lorenzo says. Moving forward? Tracy says that regionals are "still an option. I'm not sure if it will be regional or how it may work, but the idea of allowing competitors of SCAA- sanctioned events a spot within the USBC is definitely on the table." Personally, I'm still confused. I appreciate that the SCAA listened to the barista and coffee com- munity's protests after the announcement was made, and I'm hopeful about the ad hoc commit- tee. Am I naive to want our nonprofit association to spend money on events that don't turn a profit because they have, in my opinion, built our com- munity, strengthened our interest in specialty coffee, and inspired our careers? I'm still on Team Regional, guys, unless I can be convinced that canceling them is good for baristas. At the end of the day, that's why we're here— Barista Magazine, Ken, and I: to support baristas, and to stand up for baristas. We'll keep you posted in print and on our blog as more news develops. 14 barista magazine