IT’S JUST COFFEE!

Hany Ezzat is the Founder of Ni Wares–creating science backed cups for coffee competitions and elevated everyday use. He also just won the Next-Gen Talent Award at MICE2026. We caught up with him at the expo to talk about what the win meant to him, as well as his recent (and controversial) use of the xBloom in a filter competition, why he thinks young people aren't as engaged in specialty coffee, and the importance of multisensory design.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:55 Who is Hany Ezzat?

03:40 Starting Ni Wares

06:05 Designing competition cups

08:50 The science of taste perception

11:45 Multisensory coffee experiences

14:20 Using xBloom in competition

17:05 Innovation vs tradition in coffee

19:40 Why young people disengage from specialty

22:10 The future of coffee tools

24:40 Advice for competitors & creators

26:45 Final thoughts

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Hany Ezzat: https://www.instagram.com/barista_hany/

Ni Wares: https://ni-wares.com/

Want more coffee content?

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Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening!
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If anyone truly lives for coffee, it’s Nolan Hirte. Founder of the wildly successful Proud Mary Coffee, Nolan’s passion for coffee bleeds out into every aspect of his business, making Proud Mary an iconic name across Australia and the U.S. 

We spoke to him at MICE26 about Proud Mary’s journey scaling to the U.S, as well as mood-based coffee labelling, barriers for young people entering the industry, and the Honduran producer who won the Cup of Excellence using a recipe from ChatGPT! CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro & Nolan Hirte

02:08 Coffee Journey & Passion

04:09 Creating a Coffee Experience

06:20 Why Storytelling Matters

08:05 Making Specialty Coffee Accessible

10:26 Sponsor: Marco MilkPal

11:07 Expensive Coffee Debate

12:44 Attracting New Coffee Drinkers

15:00 Simplifying Coffee Communication

18:22 Hospitality & Customer Experience

21:31 Building Team Culture

29:36 Future of Coffee & Technology

37:33 New Ideas & Coffee Experiences

41:53 Industry Shoutout & Outro

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Nolan Hirte: https://www.instagram.com/nolan.hirte/ 

Proud Mary Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/proudmarycoffee/ 

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Canada to Amsterdam; Dak’s Founders Veronique and Louis give us the low-down on starting a business abroad. Operating as a coffee-only retail concept, Dak's physical shop acts more as a tasting space rather than a traditional cafe. They play with in experimental processing methods - think hibiscus cultured wash - and lean in to evocative and flavour driven branding. Tune in for a fantastic conversation with the founders who are doing it differently!

00:00 Intro

01:12 About DAK Coffee

03:48 Coffee Range Explained

06:05 Experimental Coffees

10:56 Choosing Coffees for Customers

14:22 Working With Producers

18:57 Explaining Processing

19:54 Coffee Market Update

21:12 What Is Coffee?

22:20 Testing New Coffees

27:05 Fermentation Basics

31:40 Team Perspective

35:15 Where to Buy DAK

36:00 Outro

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Dak Coffee: https://www.dakcoffeeroasters.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dakcoffeeroasters/ 

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Maybury’s cafe ranked #13 in the World!

So how did he do it?? Beta Coffee is one of the more experimental coffee shops out there at the moment, pushing the envelope with automation and pre-batched espresso. We spoke to Chris at MICE2026 about Beta Coffee: The role of automation, his recent system challenges, and the importance of mindful and authentic service. 

00:00 Intro & guest

00:46 The experimental café concept

03:02 Ranked #13 in the world

04:37 Pre-batched espresso explained

09:00 Results, challenges & taste test

14:51 Automation, speed & cost savings

21:58 Lessons, mistakes & hospitality

29:01 Costs, financials & future plans

If you're new here (welcome), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day - It's Just Coffee!

Chris Maybury: https://www.instagram.com/mayburyc/ 

Beta Coffee: https://www.instagram.com/beta_coffee/ 

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/

Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does ethical coffee buying look like in practice? This week’s Coffee Break aims to turn the complex concepts into actionable steps:

What questions should you ask importers? How can you use living income reference prices? And what’s the go on marketing ethically sourced coffee without greenwashing?

CHAPTERS !

00:00 Introduction to Ethical Coffee

00:01:56 Meet Colleen Anunu & Her Work

00:02:44 Direct Trade vs Fairtrade Explained

00:05:24 Why Transparency in Coffee Pricing Matters

00:08:17 Certifications, Trust, and Verifying Claims

00:10:09 Tools for Understanding Coffee Prices

00:13:11 The History and Ethics of Coffee Trade

00:16:35 Coffee Market Update (Condesa)

00:18:41 Communicating Sustainability Without Greenwashing

00:21:11 Making Specialty Coffee More Accessible

00:23:51 Rethinking Coffee Menus & Customer Education

00:24:35 Final Thoughts

Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets.

Want more coffee content? 

IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236

Want to get in touch? Hit us up at [email protected] for any questions or comments.

Proudly sponsored by:

Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ 

Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ 

 Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/

Thanks for listening! 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices