What brought you to Tatte? What roles have you held?

I began my journey with Tatte sort of by accident. I found myself displaced professionally due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving a corporate job behind and rejoining the service industry. I was with another cafe during the summer that Tatte’s first D.C. location opened in the West End. While on a walk during one of my breaks, I saw a giant line wrapped around the café on their opening day – something that came as a huge shock in the midst of the pandemic. I immediately felt inclined to walk in and apply. There was something about watching so many people flock together that drew me to Tatte. I hadn’t heard of the brand at that point, so for me, it was a grand, lively, new neighborhood spot. Maybe it was fate, but the day I interviewed and was offered a barista position, the cafe I had been working at announced its closure. Joining Tatte couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

I initially didn’t intend to remain in the food and beverage world for too long, but my love for coffee was reignited through Tatte’s barista program, and for right now, I can’t envision coffee taking on any smaller role in my life. I joined the West End team as a Barista before opening the Dupont location. I then joined the Pro Team to open our Bethesda location in early 2021 before becoming an in-cafe coffee trainer. By summer of 2021, a Coffee Trainer role on Learning & Development had opened for the D.C. market, and I’ve been in that role ever since! It’s been an incredible journey over the last 4 years, growing our teams and our program. And I just wrapped up my 14th café opening this month!

What intrigues you about coffee, and why is it special to Tatte?

I’ve always connected with coffee on a cultural level – my mother’s family is from Italy, so stovetop espresso after dinner with the family, or cappuccinos (always before 11am!) with our neighbors are some of my earliest memories with coffee. My extended family has Bolivian and Venezuelan roots, and similarly share the Italians’ emphasis on enjoying the beverage as a social endeavor, not something to just fuel you through the day. I respect coffee for its ability to bring people together and encourage connection, and I appreciate the way many cultures use coffee as a way to slow down and converse with those around you, something I don’t always feel is at the forefront of American hustle culture. The coffee bar at Tatte is largely inspired by European cafes, so of course this resonated with me. If you take a look at how our bars are spotlighted like a stage, stools around the perimeter, stunning state of the art equipment, it’s evident that there is intentionality in the design. The layout encourages connection around beverage, both from guest to guest, but also guest to barista.

What was the process like finding and working with our roasters?

The process of sourcing a new roaster was one of my proudest moments working at Tatte. As a multifaceted café, we of course have impressive bakery and savory teams, and I was eager at the chance to seek out a roaster that could help us elevate the coffee program and help tell our story. Traversing the country to watch those who are deeply committed to the coffee industry share their craft with us was amazing. Roasting is truly an art and a science! It was incredible to learn from many talented roasters, and once we identified those that we would work with, everything else just naturally fell into place.

What should guests know about our new coffee? What are you most excited about re: Tatte’s new drip & espresso? 

There was simply so much intention and love put into each of our new offerings. A lot of collaboration went into this project, along with shared excitement. In my time in the industry, I have yet to discover another concept of our size and volume that is offering crafted coffee in the same way. I’m really quite proud of the way our new program honors specialty coffee. Both our new drip and espresso blends were intentionally chosen to be “everyday” options, something that is palatable and cozy, both on its own and accompanied by milk. We kick in a ton of creativity on the R&D side with exciting housemade syrups and innovative beverages that complement the espresso extremely well.