Jeff (El Jefe) Taylor
Since founding PTs Coffee Co. in 1993 the industry has changed dramatically, I have been a part of many programs developed by the Specialty Coffee Association of America including the Roasters Guild, Barista Guild, United States Barista Championship Committee, and the Training Committee. Currently I serve on the Board of Directors for the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
My first experience with a barista competition was in San Francisco at the 1999 SCAA Trade Show where one of my baristas took second place. I saw immense potential in this event and sought out active involvement in further standardizing the competition. I helped push for, and eventually became a founding member of, the USBC. I then served on its committee as part of the Judges Training & Certification sub-committee.
Recently, I aided with judges training and judged the USBC, as well as the 2006 World Barista Championship in Bern, Switzerland. Since 2001 I have had the privilege of serving as judge for 7 international and countless domestic competitions.
I am an emphatic supporter of the barista community as they are the front line of our industry and deserve our respect and assistance. Just last year my company hosted, for the second time, the SCAA Midwest Regional BGA Jam in Kansas City.
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Robin (Big Daddy) Seitz
Robin Seitz has been affiliated with PT's Coffee Roasting Co since the summer of 1996. His journey into the world of coffee started as a consumer at our Topeka location, where he was soon swept in to the routine of a daily connoisseur. After being approached by baristas of the company in early 2003 about becoming an employee, he finally gave himself over to the inevitable cafe lifestyle that was awaiting him. His tenure as a barista was one of outstanding customer service and a passion for pushing beyond what he already knew. He attended events to broaden his scope and understanding of his place in the coffee world. He volunteered on occasion to be a runner at competitions, to see what other people were doing with their art and to get more involved in the coffee community. In the fall of 2005 he decided to take on the role of manager at PT's original retail location in Topeka, KS. Since that time the store's sales have nearly doubled. This success can easily be attributed to his straightforward communication style, both with staff and customers, and his philosophy of doing whatever it takes to win over the customers. He also was the staff trainer of his location for the years preceding and into his management due to his interest in the craft of espresso, as well as his aptitude for teaching and communication. Most recently, he took on the responsibility of general manager of all of PT's retail, while still maintaining the position of primary overseer of his location. As a result, he has shown grace in striking a balance between the two positions, all locations being well tended and showing promise.
Prior to 2006 he chose to focus on his store and his growing family, but that year he decided that the time had come to try his hand as a competitor. After months of practice, he entered in the 2007 SCAA Midwest Regional Barista Competition and made a great showing. He came in first place, which as a first year competitor that was no easy feat. As a result of this success, he was featured in some news coverage of the event and continued to practice for the SCAA United States Barista Championship. While he did not make the finals that year, he did place 14th in a spread of about 40 of the top baristas in the nation. In 2008, Robin won third place at the 2008 SCAA Midwest Regional Barista Competition. In 2009, he bested the previous year by taking 1st place at the same competition. He is currently practicing for the national competition, where he anticipates doing even better than last year.
With a wealth of management experience and a competitive drive, he is an excellent addition to our training staff. He has a passion for learning and transferring knowledge to those who are interested. Robin is flexible in his teaching style to allow for a variety of subjects to be aptly covered, while still holding strongly to the main tenants of coffee education.
Holly (The Coach) Bastin
Holly Bastin's journey through the coffee world started as much out of curiosity as anything else. While being fascinated with the sense of community surrounding the coffeehouse culture, she thought someday that she might want a shop of her own and subsequently decided to look for a job in the coffee industry. In fall of 1999 she was hired as a barista at an Overland Park, KS coffeehouse that, as she would later find out, would be bought by PT's Coffee Co less than a year later. Just a couple of months prior to the changing of hands, she took on the management position and decided to see where this new company might take her. Almost immediately she realized that there was an endless amount of information to be learned in this field and that PT's was a great company that would nurture her through this learning process. She spent the next six years devoting the majority of her time to the oversight of this location (another was added to her purview in fall of 2005) and saw her location nearly quadruple in sales over her time in management. She ended up managing that location until February of 2006, at which point she was offered a position as head espresso trainer for the wholesale division of PT's Coffee Roasting Co. Since this time she has had the opportunity to train with many great people from various backgrounds and circumstances.
Throughout her years as a manager, she was given the opportunity to learn the skills of a great barista, and to participate in several events that furthered her understanding of espresso preparation. She placed 2nd in the first annual SCAA Midwest Regional Barista Competition, and went on to compete two more times in the regional competition, as well as participating on the national level. Every time she competed, she found that there was always room for growth and learning in her craft. After her third season as a competitor, she decided to turn her eye towards judging to see what could be learned on the other side of the table. She became certified in 2004 at the first annual SCAA Great Lakes Barista Competition and found that she enjoyed the understanding that came with looking at espresso preparation with a critical eye. She pursued certification on the national level later that season and found her niche in the Specialty Coffee Association of America. She now serves as a member of the SCAA United States Barista Championship committee and helps with the execution and operation of these events.
Her affiliation with the competitions has helped her tremendously as a trainer. She started training within her own staff a little after she was employed by PT's. Jeff Taylor helped push her skills forward so that she would be able to transfer this knowledge to the rest of her present and future staff. Soon after that, he gave her several opportunities to train some of their wholesale accounts and learn new teaching techniques that can only be discovered through actual experience. When she moved out to the roasting facility, she already had a few years of training experience under her belt, but this was an opportunity to really hone her skills as a teacher. Her patience and understanding translates very well into a classroom environment and has enabled her to help several interested trainees to develop their own skills and see that they have the ability to go as far as their own dedication and interests will allow them. She has trained with the PT's Competitor team since 2005, and has seen three wins in the Midwest Region, as well as 9 finalists, and 3 top ten finishes at the United States Barista Competition.
