This would seem to be an appropriate time to make explicit our gratitude for all the people who, in the past year, have made our jobs so much fun. So:
Thank you, baristas. Without your hard work, willingness to learn, and ability to develop relationships with our customers we probably would not have any Gregulars. So many of you have proven this year to be straight up all stars, and your awesomeness is the reason we can keep growing successfully. When you’re making someone smile at the register, holding a conversation while pouring a gorgeous rosetta, or taking ten minutes to explain to someone why we make an Aeropress the way we do and how he or she can make one at home, you make our shops what they are.
Thank you, Gregulars. It’s cliché to say we’d be nothing without our customers, but it can’t be overstated how much easier working as a barista is when the people on the other side of the counter are as friendly, curious, and patient as the lot of y’all are day in and day out. Whether you let our baristas talk your head off about the newest single origin, or give us a quick smile when sprinting in and out to make sure you’re no more than eleven minutes late for work every morning, thank you.
Thank you, roasters, for the delicious coffee we are proud to serve. Thanks, Dillanos, for your reliably delicious blends and for everything you’ve done for us over the years. Thanks, Irving Farm, for helping us take a giant step with forward the Gregorys Coffee Select program in addition to providing your own delicious coffees and being some of our favorite people to work with. Thanks, Panther Coffee, the first roaster we reached out to when we went multi-roaster and still one of our favorites. Thanks, Ceremony Coffee. Your Mexico Santa Teresa has, I’m pretty sure, sold faster than any coffee on our Single Origin board, ever. Thanks, George Howell Coffee. We’ve bought some fantastic African coffees from you and your leader’s focus on terroir is as present in your coffees as it is inspiring. Thanks, Toby’s Estate, another roaster whose roastery we’ve cupped in this year, with one of the results being that incredible Geisha coffee we served in the fall. Thanks, Heart Roasters for your awesome coffee. Watching y’all become a huge presence in NYC coffee shops has been fun.
Thank you to everyone at origin putting in the labor necessary for the coffees we serve you to exist. I started my year out with my first trip to origin, visiting the Las Lajas farm in Costa Rica, and it was an experience that gave me newfound appreciation for not only how hard everyone involved in the process works, but also the huge amount of knowledge and skill involved in every task from efficiently picking ripe coffee cherry to deciding what varieties to experiment with and develop further to figuring out the exact right method for processing and drying your coffee. Without y’all, even the most skilled roasters wouldn’t be able to make coffee delicious.
Thank you to the NYC coffee community. Y’all serve as a constant inspiration and between throwdowns, educational events, parties, and simple conversations at your shops, we’ve had a ridiculous amount of fun with you this year. The level of coffee in this city has never been higher and it’s an honor to be a part of it.
Thank you to the organizers of the MANE Coffee Conference, the best coffee thing I did this year (and likely the best thing I did this year period). Taking classes, attending lectures, sharing information, and, yes, partying with coffee folks from around the northeast made me more confident than we’re all going to keep on getting better.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. There is so much that has to go right in order for us to do the job that we do that I’m sure there’s a thousand people I’m forgetting to thank, but we do appreciate all your help and can’t wait to have an even larger family to be thankful for this time next year.
Enjoy your holiday,
Maciej
Director of Coffee
Gregorys Coffee