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Torque Coffee: The Coffee Company That Flipped the Supply Chain

“What if we built a coffee company that broke the industry—on purpose?” That’s the question Andy Newbom asked when he co-founded Torque Coffee, a bold, paradigm-flipping roasting company out of San Diego, California. For someone who’s been in coffee for over two decades—helping launch cafes, pioneering direct trade before it had a name, and watching wave after wave of

Jack Pawlik

June 2, 2025

min read

Hiring and retaining baristas and employees is arguably one of the toughest tasks of owning a coffee shop. The personnel you hire will play a large role in the success of your shop. Finding like-minded people that you can trust is daunting, but there are ways to attract the right people effectively.

“Barista-ing” requires a wide range of skills, some teachable and some of which take months to master. Being able to recognize these skills and attributes in an interview will go a long way.

First and foremost, whoever is doing your hiring, whether it be yourself or your manager, must understand the ins and outs of every aspect of the job. Moreover, they need to understand the goal of the shop itself and the team dynamic. Is the shop a hip one with loud music? Or one that is focused on work from your computer with a chill atmosphere. These are all things that the hiring manager needs to think about and be mindful of when entering into an interview or hiring process

How to hire the best of the best:

Post that you are hiring across all platforms

Whether you market your coffee shop on social media or not, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are powerful tools to reach local people who want to become baristas. You can also utilize job platforms such as LinkedIn or Indeed. Use every platform to your advantage in order to reach the widest pool possible. It can be as simple as a graphic posted to a story or an actual job listing. Tell your current employees to think of anyone they would love to work with. Use every resource possible. Your branding should convey not only yourproduct but also what it is like to work at your company. When your team embodies the why behind your brand, it will show.

Job Posting Checklist:

Define the role and key responsibilities.
Clearly outline qualifications and required skills.
Create an appealing job description that reflects your brand's culture.
Choose platforms for posting (e.g., social media, job boards).
Design a social media graphic or post.
Inform current employees about openings and encourage referrals.

The Interviews

When setting up interviews, be aware of how quickly they respond to your emails, texts, or calls. Finding reliable people is arguably the most difficult part of hiring baristas. Especially in this day and age, this speaks volumes about how serious a candidate is about the job. Next, personality is just one of those things that cannot be taught. You should know within the first minute of an interview if they would fit on the team. Finally, the most important thing to look for is reliability. They need to show up, period. Ask a question like, “How important is it to show up early to your shift?” and pay attention to how many jobs this candidate has had in the past two years.

Being a barista involves dealing with real people and a wide set of emotions, so it is crucial to find people who genuinely are interested in customer service and making sure the customer experience meets their expectations.