In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Will Forsman, Owner of Cafe Steam and Colorway Coffee Roasters in Rochester, MN. Will launched Cafe Steam in 2015, and has since grown to three locations. In late 2021, he launched Colorway Coffee Roasters. They discuss the decision process to launch the coffee roasting business, the challenges of launching a new brand and roaster, and discuss the direction specialty coffee is headed. Enjoy!

@cafesteam

@colorwaycoffee

In another edition of DTF!, Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang to discuss, what is pizza? They run through the definition of pizza, the history of the classic dish, and attempt to clearly define what is and isn't a pizza. Enjoy!

@yiavang70

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Jake Haneman, founder and owner of Bootlegger Brewing Kombucha in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Jake started brewing his own kombucha using a family SCOBY, and used this same SCOBY to launch Bootlegger Brewing in 2015. Hear how he went from a career in engineering to creating one of the best tasting kombuchas around available in 100s of stores across Minnesota and more. Enjoy!

@bootleggerbrewing

A Quick Hitter is a 5-7 answer to common coffee questions. In this QH, Folly Rob answers a question we received multiple times at the launch of our new Tasting & Tour Room, "What is the best way to grind coffee for X brewing method?" and "What size grind is best?". Rob discusses the effect grind size has on flavor, and general recommendations for grind size.

In this episode, owner Folly Rob sits down with CEO and Founder of Maddy & Maize Gourmet Popcorn, a line of high end popcorns with unique and bold flavors. Brett started the concept as a brick & mortar self-serve idea, but quickly pivoted into the business as it is today. Maddy & Maize is nationally distributed in major chains and even has a partnership with Edible Arrangements. Hear his story and very open and honest conversation about the life of a food entrepreneur.

@maddyandmaize

www.maddyandmaize.com

15:00- Folly Rob finishes telling the Folly Coffee story to Niles

An early release of Episode 50 at same time as our Darkest Day Halloween Roast and Limited Edition Stoneware Mug made by Deneen Pottery

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Niles Deneen, of Deneen Pottery. Niles' parents began Deneen Pottery in the early 70s creating hand thrown pottery. The business went through many ups and downs. After traveling the world as a model, and nearly committing to a lifelong career as a pilot, Niles decided at the last minute to join the family business and take over the sales and marketing. Deneen Pottery is nationally renowned and includes customers including numerous national parks, Death Wish Coffee, among many others (and now Folly Coffee!). Enjoy!

In this episode, owner Folly Rob sits down with Kieran Folliard, an entrepreneur originally from Ireland who started his journey selling dairy in the Middle East. From there, he opened some of the Twin Cities' favorite pubs including Kieran's, The Local, and The Liffey. This led to the creation of 2 Gingers Whiskey, which was acquired by Jim Beam 18 months after their launch in a purchase of the Kilbeggan distillery in Ireland. Kieran now owns and operates The Food Building in Northeast Minneapolis, home of Alemar Cheese, Red Table Meats, Baker's Field Flour, and Kieran's Kitchen. Enjoy!

@kieranskitchennortheast

https://www.foodbuilding.com/

@2gingers

Show Notes

• Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne

Owner Folly Rob sits down with Andrew Miller, Founder and Partner at Cafe Imports, one of the country's prominent specialty coffee importer to discuss how he went from an English major to starting Cafe Imports while waiting waiting tables. Cafe Imports was founded in 1993 and was the first importer Folly Coffee Roasters ever worked with. This was a great episode to record and it is always inspiring to hear from founders that built a business from scratch. Enjoy!

Instagram @cafeimports

www.cafeimports.com

This is an all time great episode. Owner Folly Rob sits down with one of Minnesota's most popular chefs, Yia Vang. He talk about going from pop-ups, to a residence at Sociable Cider Works with Union Hmong Kitchen, to the future opening of Vinai, named after the refugee camp he was born in. An incredible story with a lot of great takeaways. Check out his podcast "White on Rice", follow him on Instagram @chefyiavang @unionhmongkitchen and @vinaimn

Show notes

• favorite kitchen utensil- Cleaver by Zimknives (zimknives.com/shop)
• White on Rice Podcast available on popular podcasting platforms (give it a listen!)
• Union Hmong kitchen is located at Sociable Ciderworks in NE MPLS
• Vinai is aiming for opening Spring 2021

In this episode, owner Folly Rob and Head Roaster/Director of coffee Folly Jeff sit down to hype up and announce all the plans of everything we have been working on since the beginning of the year. We go in depth about the Folly Coffee Tasting & Tour Room launching Sep19, our Good Food Awards submission coffees this year, new additions to the seasonal coffee program, launching on Amazon, Folly Coffee Hot Sauce, and more. Enjoy!

Show notes:

-Loma La Gloria Farm in El Salvador @lomalagloria & @anny_ruth

-JNP coffee from Burundi and the Turihamwe Turashobora group

Chef Steph Hedrick has been in the restaurant industry for over 25 years, starting as a dishwasher and working her way to executive chef of The Lynhall in Minneapolis and now Edina. Lots of great stories and a great perspective on what can be a very difficult industry. Follow her on Instagram @chefstephmn and check out her new YouTube channel with the link below. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT0t28mUI_3DPz4Uu6t1Luw

In this solo episode, owner Folly Rob discusses a trend and potential mistake many new businesses (including us) are making when creating brand messaging and content. "Trickle Down Marketing" is a phrase Rob has coined to describe businesses that emulate too closely what larger, more successful brands are doing. This episode is full of examples, tips, and tricks to avoid this happening as small business. Enjoy!

This is a coffee filled episode as Folly owner Rob sits down with Bradley & George, coffee roasters at Minneapolis based Northern Coffeeworks (@northerncoffeeworks). Northern Coffeeworks is a Minneapolis based cafe and roaster from the same ownership as Angry Catfish, a specialty cafe/bike shop in Southern Minneapolis. Enjoy!

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Robyn Frank, owner and founder of Thumbs Cookies. Robyn launched Thumbs Cookies in 2012 using a recipe she would bake with her mom growing up in Minnesota. She moved back to Minnesota in 2014 and since then has grown the business from a farmer's market stand to grocery stores, an online shop, a cookiemobile, wholesale customers, and more! Hear her story here. Enjoy!

@thumbscookies

Website

Hear the story of how Bizzy Coffee went from raising $1million for 2oz coffee shots, failing, to becoming the #1 selling cold brew on Amazon and the only independently owned widely distributed cold brew coffee in the country. This interview is with Co-founder and CEO Alex French of Bizzy Coffee and has all the twists and turns you might expect from a fast paced entrepreneur. This was one of my favorite episodes to record and found myself furiously taking notes. Enjoy!

Folly Coffee Quick Hitters are answers to common coffee questions in under 7 minutes. Are espresso beans the same as coffee beans? Can I brew espresso beans regularly? Can I use regular coffee for espresso? Questions answered in this QH. Enjoy!

Use code "FOLLY" for 25% off at stigmahemp.com

Follow @stigmahemp

Curious about CBD? What is it? Where does it come from? What's the CBD industry like currently? For this episode, owner Folly Rob sits down with Tim Anderson, the COO of Minneapolis based Stigma Hemp to talk all things CBD, including some striking similarities between high quality producers of CBD and coffee. Great products from an awesome company and they were cool enough to create a code for our listeners. Enjoy!

A Folly Coffee Quick hitter is a 5-7 minute answer to common coffee questions. In this QH, a listener asks about paying for one's own education vs. seeking an employer that will pay vs. self education online. While the answer is specific to coffee, the thoughts can really be applied to anyone looking to advance their own education in any given field. Enjoy!

Third Wave Water is one of my favorite coffee products. Third Wave Water is a company that creates mineral blends to mix with distilled water to create the best water profile for brewing coffee at home. Taylor Minor met co-founder Charles and this led to a successful Kickstarter campaign, and eventually a spot on Shark Tank all within their first year of business. This is a great coffee business story with a very smart and strategic team. This is a great example of finding a hyper-specialized niche and being the best within that niche. Check out their website below to get your own

https://thirdwavewater.com/

Folly Coffee Quick Hitters are coffee answers under 7 minutes about commonly asked coffee questions. In this QH, owner Folly Rob answers the question, "Which is more important, the bean or the roast?". Is sourcing high quality beans or having a skilled roaster more important?

I'm geeking out. Cook Thugless is a band that I recently discovered and they quickly became my favorite. I messaged them to podcast. THEY SAID YES. Here is that episode. We talk how they went from playing shows at Rutgers to breaking out to millions of YouTube views and Spotify streams. This episode was a blast to record. Enjoy!

To support get their merch!!

https://cookthugless.com/

New Folly Coffee Roaster's Choice Playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Y8MWXv2uGSNA8YiQLKBa5?si=9dKsl256RxenfzGAoHEsMA 

Folly Coffee Quick Hitters are 5-7 minute answers to common coffee questions. In this QH, owner Folly Rob breaks down processing methods; natural, washed, honey/pulped natural and a brief blip on anaerobic fermentation. Enjoy!

In this episode, owner Folly Rob discusses using Tik Tok as a small business marketing tool. We joined Tik Tok in September of 2019 and have since had multiple videos with 100k+ views, 35k likes on our videos, and found ways to utilize Tik Tok outside of the platform as well. Rob goes through tips and tricks to being effective on Tik Tok both as a content creator and a user. Think Tik Tok is only for kids? Listen to this episode and you may be convinced otherwise.

Introducing the Folly Quick Hitters! We get some coffee questions that are important, but don't need a full hour to answer effectively. That's where the Quick Hitter comes in. In this series, we answer common coffee questions in an effort to improve your coffee experience. 

In this QH, owner Folly Rob goes over a common issue many coffee drinkers face when switching from cheap dark roasted coffee to a lighter roasted high end coffee...the coffee still tastes bad! Very commonly the issue is a lack of proper cleaning, leaving the taste of the old coffee oils and scale. This episode covers what is needed to effectively clean your brewers resulting in a better tasting cup of jo.

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down for the second time with Bizzy Coffee co-founder, Alex French. Bizzy Coffee makes RTD cold brew distributed to retailers throughout the country, steep and brew cold brew bags, and coffee beans/grounds for cold brew. Alex outlines the changes and challenges of the business since the last episode in August of 2020 including increased competition as the #1 cold brew coffee on Amazon, raising funds to continue to fuel their growth, and keeping up with an increased demand during COVID while retail competitors faced out of stocks. Enjoy!

@bizzycoffee

In a role reversal, this episode is an interview of Folly Rob, owner and founder of Folly Coffee roasters, by Austin Romansky of Crema.co. Crema.co is an online Netflix-style coffee website where users can curate a list of coffees that get automatically shipped over time. They made a unique move recently, announcing they are leaving social media to focus on more meaningful connections with their customers. This move includes a new newsletter in which they interview people from the roasters they partner with. This episode is the first interview of their newsletter series. Enjoy!

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Bradley Taylor, owner of food truck The Donut Trap in Minneapolis, MN. Coming from California to Minnesota to attend college to become a nurse, how did Bradley end up with a donut shopped named best in Minnesota and later a donut truck? Listen in to find out! Heads up, there is most definitely swearing in this episode. 

Join Folly Rob, the owner of award winning MN based Folly Coffee Roasters as he talks all things coffee, small business, people and stories. Enjoy!

This was a great episode with John Waller, co-founder and CEO of Humble Nut Butters (www.humblenutbutter.com) a high end nut butter company focusing on savory flavors with quality ingredients and unique spice blends. They grew through farmer's markets, local co-ops, recently launched in Whole Foods in the Twin Cities. John has a background across many different roles including a two year stint at Intelligentsia Coffee Roasters. This was a great episode and John has a lot of smart business insights. Also, the Humble Nut Butter samples he left are already gone. Enjoy!

In this episode, Folly Coffee owner, Folly Rob, has a discussion with Media Supervisor Emily Bathe as Folly beings to venture into paid digital media advertising. This is a very information dense episode with a lot of valuable takeaways for anyone looking to run paid ads on social media. The discussion covered, but not limited to:Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Google AdsImpact of time spent in app on ad effectivenessROI, ROAS, KPIConversion tactics vs. Awareness tacticsAd strategies for big brands vs. small brandsAdvertising for follower growth and if this is worth itVideo vs. still picture strategy for adsStrategy for email list growthHow much to spend on ads over what length of timeThe new Facebook and Instagram Shop recently announced and predictions of impact on marketEnjoy!

In this episode, Folly Rob chats with comedian Zack Lyman of the Zack Lyman Podcast (@zacklymanpodcast). A range of topics is covered including how he landed a job as head of marketing for Diedrich Coffee Roasters, his career as a stand up comedian, how he markets himself, and podcasting among others. Enjoy!

This was a great time chatting with CJ from Up Coffee in Minneapolis. He is a roaster at Up and provides valuable insights for anyone interested in pursuing a career in roasting. We also discuss origin trips, briefly discuss what the COVID closures have been like, and he gives his recommendation for most underrated burger in the Twin Cities (hint: it’s the Triple B burger from The Nook and Shamrock's in, both in St. Paul). This was recorded live on Instagram.

In this episode of the Folly Coffee Podcast, Folly owner Rob discusses all the components that went into the most successful promotion since Folly Coffee has launched. It involved an announcement on live TV and resulted in Rob having to run 208km, about 130 miles, in 7 days. He breaks down why the program worked and how to replicate the success in other promotions.

This interview episode features the new host of Cooking with Coffee, Kevin Coughenour aka Kevin Coke. This podcast episode was filmed/recorded immediately after the filming of Episode 1 of Coffee and Cooking, a new Folly Youtube show featuring recipes that cook with, pair with, and utilize specialty coffee. We discuss the premise of the show, future episodes, and of course cover briefly our opinion on Love is Blind. Enjoy the episode and keep an eye out for the announcement of episode 1 of Coffee and Cooking on Youtube!

Episode 27 of the Folly Coffee Podcast features coffee industry professional, Joe Marrocco, aka Roaster Joe. He has been a coffee roaster, educator, roaster salesperson, importer, and more. It is a great conversation covering coffee roasting, coffee roaster machines, Joe's coffee career, how he became a YouTube coffee celebrity, and how collaboration between coffee roasters, especially third wave style coffee roasters, has changed over the past decade. We also briefly discuss the significance of Fair Trade and Organic certified coffee farms. This is a great episode for all you coffee nerds out there. Enjoy!

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Chef Yia Vang for another edition of DTF! In Define the Food, Rob and Yia attempt to define different categories within food and beverage. In this episode the question is, what is the difference between a restaurant and a cafe? They explore the history of restaurants and cafes and ask the most important question...is McDonalds a cafe? Enjoy!

To adapt to the times, we at Folly Coffee are pivoting heavily into the digital side of business. However, we don't want to do it half assed. A solo episode with owner Folly Rob, this episode covers small business strategies for websites, Instagram, Youtube, Podcasting, and more. This episode features all the upgrades we have made and ideas we are working on to create quality digital content; audio, video, and otherwise. Below are the products mentioned in this episode. AudioBlue Yeticaster w/ boom: great stationary solo mic for podcastingUse with lightning cord adapter to plug directly into iPhone for high quality audioSmartmike+: Wireless Bluetooth microphonesGreat for capturing someone moving while talking without the hassle of cordsRode iPhone microphone: capture entire scene audioVisualSony A5100: high quality point and click photography, good for still videosiPhone 11: a more affordable option to higher priced video cameras -

This is an interview episode that features Brandon Martin (@baristabrandon), Brewmaster of Philtera Cold Brewed Coffees (@philteraco). Philtera Cold Brewed Coffees partners with specialty coffee roasters, using their beans to create small batch cold brewed coffees served on tap. It is his story leading up to starting Philtera, and a lot of cold brew talk. Enjoy!

COVID-19 shut down the entire live music industry. Venues closed, gigs were cancelled, and musicians were left without either their entire or at least a good chunk of their income. Seth Duin (@sethduin and www.sethduin.com/petsongs), a local Minneapolis & Twin Cities musician, quickly pivoted and began writing jingles about peoples' dogs for $5. Best of all, $1 of every jingle went to a local nonprofit. This story was quickly covered both locally in Minnesota and nationally syndicated news channels and the video orders started rolling in! Head to sethduin.com/petsongs to get your jingle or head to our Youtube channel to watch the video!

FROM THE VAULT- we recorded this episode at U.S. Coffeechamps Nashville of 2018. I stumbled upon the recording while organizing audio files. Folly Rob and Jeff sit down with Levi Andersen (@drinksonlevi) about his coffee story and it is a GREAT one. He has had every role in the industry including opening his own shop. He is now a liquid chef for Davinci Gourmet (yes, it's a thing) and is the most impeccably dressed person at every major coffee event. Enjoy!

Rob sits down with Will Forsman (@w_forsman), owner of the Café Steam (@cafesteam) locations in Rochester, MN while he is in town to address what is happening with COVID-19 (coronavirus), how it has impacted him as a café owner, and tips from Will on how to handle it. Below are the topics discussed:Potential of Shelter in Place Ingress/Egress rules for eating/drinking establishmentsStaff layoffsHow to apply for unemploymentUnemployment law changes to benefit those laid offHow to maximize unemployment as an industry worker (barista, server, bartender etc.)Impact of small business on the economyChanging communication and increasing transparency during this time as a small business owner- customers and employeesCreative solutions to take out- Jamie Malone of Grand Cafe/Eastside Eat+Drink@grandcafe_mpls @eastsidempls @jamieannmalonePost on Grand Café about creative solutionsLeadership in fighting for relief with petitions- Gavin Kaysen@gavinkaysen Link in bio to support

Originally recorded posted March, 15th, 2020, Folly Coffee owner Rob goes over the most effective forms of small business marketing and breaks it down into digital marketing, word of mouth marketing, and traditional marketing. Enjoy!

The long overdue podcast from the 2020 Regional U.S. Coffeechamps Cup Taster's Championship in January. This episode with Folly Jeff and Folly Rob is recorded half before we both compete in the competition and the second half recorded nearly two months later recapping the competition and looking forward to....nationals? Not qualifying? You'll have to listen to know! Enjoy!

In this episode, Rob sits down with Minneapolis based musician Kai Brewster of General B and the Wiz, A Little Too Short to be Stormtroopers, and about 80 other bands and chats about his story in what led to a life as a full time musician. Check out his Instagram @kaibrewster to keep up with all of his music!

In the final installment (finally) of the three part Folly Coffee Story, owner Rob talks about the major milestones that happened in 2019 that led to the growth of the business. This episode everything from awards, recognitions, competition, new customers (and how those happened), and Rob getting a little too philosophical about hot bean water. Enjoy!

In this solo Episode, owner Rob takes a break from the Folly Coffee Roasters to tell the story of Philtera Cold Brewed coffees, which which he is also a co-owner with Brewmaster Brandon Martin. Philtera Cold Brewed Coffees specializes in high end cold brewed coffees. This is the story of how it came to be and the strategy of launching to market in the Twin Cities. Enjoy!

In this episode, Folly Rob sits down with Peter Bian, owner of Saturday Dumpling Club. Hear how Peter used a family recipe to begin selling dumplings through Instagram. What began posting on his personal account and selling out his garage through DMs has led to a full scale operation creating weekly dumpling pick-ups selling out nearly every week. If you're lucky enough to get ahold of some of their dumplings, you'll know why they've become so popular. Enjoy!

@saturdaydumplingclub

In part 2 of the Folly Coffee story, owner Rob goes over how he decided which sales channels to focus on and how he found and grew the retail customers for Folly Coffee. This episode starts just before 2018 and finishes at the end of the year. Next week will be all of 2019 and a teaser for things to come in 2020!

In Part 1 in the story of Folly Coffee, owner Rob talks about the path that led him to start Folly Coffee, the physical steps that needed to happen, how the brand was built, and everything else leading up to the launch. Stay tuned for part 2 as Rob gets more into post-launch and the launch of Philtera Cold Brewed Coffees. Enjoy!

From the vault! In January of 2019, both Folly Rob and Folly Jeff competed in Nashville for the U.S. Coffeechamps regional Cup Taster's competition, a competition designed to determine the best coffee tasters in the region and eventually the country. Rob absolutely bombed, Jeff advanced and ended up placed 14th in the country! This episode was recorded in Nashville before and after the competition about the prep that went into it and the competition itself. Enjoy!