A Look Back at 2018…and What’s Ahead in the New Year.
The end of the year is busy, frenetic, and often stressful. Amidst unfinished projects and hectic schedules, it can feel like we speed straight from Thanksgiving to the New Year with no time to spare. But as our community continues to grow – our circle of barista friends, our wholesale family, and our amazing customers – we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support, reflect on 2018, and share some exciting new initiatives we have in the works for 2019.
In addition to growing our wholesale partnerships, we were thrilled to launch two fun event series this year, including weekly Cuppings and monthly Latte Art Throwdowns.
Our weekly Open House and Coffee Cuppings give coffee aficionados and newcomers a chance to taste our latest offerings and learn more about who we are and where we’re headed here at Springbok. We’ve loved opening up the Roastery every Saturday morning to share our coffees, and we look forward to welcoming returning and new faces next year! Our first Open House in 2019 will take place at 10am on Saturday, January 12th in our 708 King Street space.
We have also started teaming up with our Wholesale Partners to host Latte Art Throwdowns, giving talented baristas from around the region a chance to show us their skills on the espresso machine and compete for a cash prize (and bragging rights!). We packed the house at spaces like Mercantile & Mash and Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer and were grateful for the support of sponsors like Balzac Brothers, Butcher & Bee, Chemex, EO Brewing, The Daily, La Marzocco, Saint Anthony Industries, and many more. Whether you’re into swans and tulips in your espresso drink or just want to gather with the insanely talented folks who keep you caffeinated day-in and day-out, we hope you’ll join us when this series kicks off again in late January at The Daily on King Street.
And we were honored to be invited to the 2019 Producer & Roaster Forum presented by The Perfect Daily Grind, Guatemalan Coffees, Yave and Anacafé. Our founder, Jason, will travel to Guatemala next May, where he’ll have the opportunity to stay on a coffee farm, explore the local growing regions and microclimates, learn about production and processing methods from industry leaders, and connect with 500 producers and 50 international roasters.
“I’m looking forward to seeing post-harvest processing and gaining deeper insight into green bean purchasing and decision-making for roasters,” says Jason. “I’m as excited about the first two days on the farm as I am the forum. Being immersed in the process from start-to-finish will add so much value to what we do at Springbok.”
We’ll share more about the forum and Jason’s coffee adventures as the date gets closer. Make sure you’re signed up for our email list to get the inside scoop from Guatemala!
In addition to a busy event schedule in 2019, we also plan to roll out monthly wholesale partner and cafe features on our blog, spotlighting the great folks who brew our coffee and espresso around town. Want to see who we feature? Follow us on Instagram to find out when the first interview is live!
As 2018 winds down, we’d love to hear what you accomplished and what you’re planning for the months ahead. And if you need some great coffee to get you through this busy time, you know where to find us!