Joshua Millman’s passion for coffee started long before coffee culture was a thing. Twenty years ago, he was a high schooler who greatly admired the Beat Generation.
“I saw how coffee shops were always home to discussions about life and pushing boundaries, and I fell in love with that atmosphere,” he admits.
Throughout high school and college, Millman worked as a barista. After graduating from Colorado State University, he moved to California to help open and run a cafe in downtown San Diego. Millman returned home to Chicago, after being away for a decade, on a mission: to bring coffee drinkers a company that highlights the product and the people behind it. In 2011, he founded Passion House to bring that vision to life. See what this coffee mogul has to say about his purpose and passion-driven company.
DiningOut: Brief us on Passion House’s philosophy.
Joshua Millman: Our philosophy is simple: build a bridge between coffee farmers and enthusiasts through our shared passion for this delicious little seed we call coffee. At Passion House, we focus on delivering a world-class customer experience that is authentic, intentional, thoughtful, and welcoming for all.
How is Passion House a purpose-driven company?
At Passion House we are always looking to make a positive impact on the people involved in the production and consumption of coffee. We choose to work with coffee farmers who are committed to sustainably growing the best possible coffee beans, aiming to do justice to their work by skillfully roasting and carefully brewing their coffee. We have also established partnerships with select organizations focused on causes we care deeply about. Our relationship with Veteran Roasters—a local company that employs at-risk veterans to sell great coffee—allows us to help those who have served to build a successful career in coffee. We have collaborated on limited-edition coffee blends with Big Green, a nonprofit that plants educational gardens in schools around the country, and Equality Illinois, an LGBTQ rights advocacy group.
Unpack the ‘crop to cup’ mentality that Passion House lives by.
Understanding and embracing seasonality is integral to producing great coffee. Each coffee region has a different peak period for growing and harvesting coffee. We work tirelessly to source the freshest coffees from around the world, partnering with a carefully chosen group of farmers and importers who share the same ethos. The seasonality and constantly changing nature of coffee means that we are always trying find the best beans to share with our customers. We are in close contact with our coffee partners around the globe, sharing ideas on how to drive quality forward and navigate the complicated business of coffee production. We are very proud of the relationships we have built in numerous countries, from Papua New Guinea to Costa Rica to Ecuador. We rely on our decades of experience roasting coffee to help us find the best roast profile to help each coffee shine. Before releasing coffees to our customers, we roast numerous test batches to ensure we can highlight everything each coffee has to offer. Only when we are satisfied do we choose to share these freshly roasted beans with the world!
Why is it important to you to foster meaningful relationships with your purveyors?
Coffee production is filled with challenges that are difficult to overcome without the help of the right partner. Understanding how to deal with changing climates and a complex global marketplace is no easy task, and we need to have close relationships with our purveyors to tackle that important task together.
What plans do you have for the holiday?
We have some big plans for the holidays and our future! I am very excited about the coming revamp of our website, new coffee packaging, and a second location (which we will announce soon), as well as some special beans we’ll be sourcing for the holiday season. I can’t share too much at this time, but stay tuned to our social media (@passionhousecoffee) or sign up for our newsletter on our website to hear the news!
What do you love most about being a part of the Passion House family?
The best part for me is watching everyone here grow. We just sent our warehouse manager to visit coffee farms in Colombia; it was her first time seeing the farms in person. Being able to foster growth and provide meaningful experiences like that motivates me to keep pushing us forward.
Interviewed by Elizabeth Liberatore
The post It’s In Their Name: Passion House Coffee Roasters is Coffee with Heart appeared first on DiningOut Chicago.