Our favorite coffee shop closed its doors for the last time earlier this month. It was owner-managed. The owner was there every day. He was barista, baker, and menu editor-in-chief. He had a couple of rules:

• No decaf coffee. If you want coffee, then you get it how it was grown.
• The chocolate mochas were made from melted chocolate he sourced in France
• The almond milk was made fresh every day in the cafe
• No wifi
• No garbage bins in the shop
• Small batches of banana bread and croissants were freshly baked in-house
• When it was super busy, I’d see his wife and son pitching in. It was a family affair
• Small talk wasn’t a requirement for ordering your coffee. There was no time for chit chat

He paid attention to the details and quality mattered. Every cup of coffee he made was an extension of himself. When he made chocolate mochas, he stirred in the melted chocolate and made sure it dissolved just right. It was all about quality over quantity.

He wanted to be there until he didn’t. We were sad to see him go but were grateful we got to taste his passion.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash