Major Cohen: a lifetime in coffee

Major Cohen grew up with coffee, was a passionate consumer and hobbyist, mentored by George Howell in the 70's and went on to have a 25 year career with Starbucks from the age of 45. He subsequently left Starbucks during the pandemic and wrote the essential foundational coffee book - Coffee for Dummies. Join Andrew and Tibor in this conversation with Major. His experience with Starbucks is full of valuable lessons and gives us a fascinating insight into the incredible growth of Starbucks from 100 to 25,000 + stores. In this episode we cover: Trends in coffeeImportance of vision and mission in managing change in dynamic organisations and industry - how do you adapt as a professionalInfluence on Starbucks on 3rd wave and vice versa - coffee as a taste experienceReserve programReserve Roastery - keeps Starbucks grounded in coffeeThe miraculous element of great trainingEmployee engagement in scaled businessesThe challenges of trainingThe importance communicating on people's levelHow Coffee for Dummies can be used by coffee professionalsCoffee for Dummies by Major Cohenhttps://www.dummies.com/book/home-auto-hobbies/food-drink/coffee-tea/coffee-for-dummies-282727/

Om Podcasten

Do you work in the coffee industry or want to work in the coffee industry? This podcast is about the business of coffee, for people who want to improve their coffee businesses, start a coffee business, or be better at their jobs. Learn from industry leaders and experts from across the globe. Learn from the mistakes many have made before. Hosted by Andrew Tolley and Tibor Varady, whose experiences traverse cafe startup, management, training, retail, roasting, and leading diverse teams. We have a combined industry experience of over 30 years. We have been successful competitors, we are both past Chairs of the Barista Guild of Europe (as it was then). We are excited to help you navigate the dynamic world of coffee businesses.