5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality

In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Paul Geshos, founder of Sydney’s iconic Mecca Coffee.

A former musician turned café owner, Paul Geshos opened Mecca in 2005 after being inspired by the emerging specialty coffee scene in Portland, Oregon. Since then, Mecca has grown to become one of Australia’s most respected specialty coffee roasters, with two locations in Sydney and a reputation for transparent sourcing, quality and innovation.

In this conversation, Paul reflects on Mecca’s early years, including the challenge of introducing US-style specialty coffee culture to Australian customers who weren’t quite sure what to make of it. He also shares how being immersed among the global coffee community played a vital role in his development as a roaster and why Mecca is returning to its direct-to-consumer roots.

Credits music: "Not Mine" by Alessia Piermarini in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective. Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show

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What is 5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality?

A forward-thinking interview series examining the business of progressive coffee culture.

The 5THWAVE Podcast is hosted by Jeffrey Young, Editor-in-Chief of 5THWAVE magazine and Founder of Allegra Group.

Each episode features inspiring stories, business lessons, and thought leadership from the entrepreneurs and industry experts blazing trails to success across the world of coffee.

The podcast will delve into the detail of achieving operational excellence, get to grips with green coffee sourcing and seek out the very best of global coffee culture. We’ll also examine the future of e-commerce and coffee at home, the changing face of cafés and coffee shops, and how to hone winning HR strategies – plus much more.

Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify to listen to all the credits music featured the show: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45goieo3qIN1xT9hSGnWeI

Get in touch and tell us what topics you'd like to hear by visiting www.worldcoffeeportal.com/5THWAVEPodcast