Of Coffee and Passion

Over the past year my relationship and knowledge of coffee has grown considerably. From the knowledge of different beans, roast levels, brewing methods, to my love for new varietals and sharing things with other, 2011 marked a lot of growth. This is, for the most part, all thanks to one person. That person is Rob Hoos. 

I first met Rob back in the days of the West Chester Tazza Mia. He was an aspiring preacher, working barista/roasting shifts with Bish and myself. After some time, he left Tazza to head up a west side coffee shop called Refuge. During all of this, Rob starting to develop his passion for coffee, learning practically everything there is to know about all things coffee. 

At a certain point, Bob, the owner of Tazza Mia, realized we needed Rob back on board so, after much discussion (and most likely loads of bribing) Rob came back to Tazza. 

Since then, the West Chester store closed, and Rob took on the roles of head roaster, QA, and head trainer at the Taz. 

Through weekly training's Rob helped develop our knowledge and passion for coffee and the surrounding culture. He has been a great trainer, co-worker, and friend through all of this. 

Two weeks ago, Rob broke the news that he and his wife Amanda, are moving to Portland where he took a job as a roaster for a larger company. Rob leaves Monday to continue in following  his dream. While I am sad to see him go, I couldn't be more excited for him and Amanda. 

Last night we had a company wide meeting where we went over a load of changes that will be happening in the next week or so. Afterwards, we all went out to Rock Bottom where Bob bought everyone two rounds and appetizers. It was a lovely send off.