Alex Pyne is a barista at Blue Bottle Coffee and the President of the Blue Bottle Independent Union (BBIU). We chat about how he came to be an organizer, the steps taken to become a union, why he and his colleagues have pursued this route, and whether or not he thinks a first contract will be agreed upon.

The full episode dropped February 25, 2026.

Watch and subscribe to ⁠ @coffeepeoplepodcasts ⁠ for more context, subscribe to the Coffee People podcast newsletter at: https://www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com/.

Find online at:

• https://www.bluebottleunion.org/
• https://bsky.app/profile/bbiunion.bsky.social
• https://www.instagram.com/bbiunion
• https://www.tiktok.com/@bbiu16

MEET COFFEE PEOPLE IRL:

March 8-10, Coffee Fest NYC - Booth 2716

April 8-10, World of Coffee Expo (San Diego)

Coffee People is presented by Roastar, Inc., the premier coffee packaging company utilizing digital printing. Roastar enables small-to-gigantic coffee businesses tell a big story. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4gIsHff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @roastar on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Thanks for watching the Coffee People Podcast. Like all small businesses and entrepreneurs, we're still learning, modifying, and continuing to improve—at least trying to!

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for links from the show, context to our conversation, and much more. We'll be sharing updates on our event calendar soon.

Buy Eli And Jane Books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onewildlifebooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Stay tuned to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠haceacoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for updates on the 2026 roasting competition.

Shop all of our coffee collaborations, including Yeah, No...Yeah Coffee! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com/collab-coffee/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Coffee People is one of the premier coffee and entrepreneurship podcasts, featuring interviews with professionals in the coffee industry and coffee education. Host Ryan Woldt interviews roastery founders, head roasters, coffee shop owners, scientists, artists, baristas, farmers, green coffee brokers, and more.

This show is also supported by Marea Coffee , Cape Horn Green Coffee Importers, Sivetz Roasting Machines, Relative Coffee Company, Coffee Cycle Roasting, MAMU Coffee, Acento Coffee Roasters, and Hacea Coffee Source.

Register to become an organ donor at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://registerme.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

*Clicking these links to purchase will also support Roast! West Coast through their affiliate marketing programs.

We recap our recent episode with Jing Lin. She is the Founder of Coffee Confessionals. Coffee Confessionals is a Hollywood, CA cafe that focuses on more than the coffee and food they serve. They also encourage customer engagement. Their motto is Spill The Beans! Conversations starter cards dot the tables, and the space is used to host interactive events, including panels, comedy nights, and open mics.

The full episode dropped February 18, 2026. Watch and subscribe to @coffeepeoplepodcasts more context, subscribe to the Coffee People podcast newsletter at: https://www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com/.

Find online at: https://www.coffeeconfessionals.com/ and @coffeeconfessionals on YouTube.

This podcast is Presented By Roastar Coffee Packging (www.roastar.com), a coffee packaging manufacturer for businesses of all sizes. Roastar enables small-to-gigantic coffee businesses tell a big story. Learn more at https://bit.ly/4gIsHff.

Buy Eli And Jane Books: https://www.onewildlifebooks.com/

The direct affiliate link to the Simply Good Coffee Brewer we've reviewed is: https://partners.simplygoodcoffee.com/roast

Coffee People is one of the premier coffee and entrepreneurship podcasts, featuring interviews with professionals in the coffee industry and coffee education. Host Ryan Woldt interviews roastery founders, head roasters, coffee shop owners, scientists, artists, baristas, farmers, green coffee brokers, and more.

This show is also supported by Marea Coffee, Cape Horn Green Coffee Importers, Sivetz Roasting Machines, Relative Coffee Company, Coffee Cycle Roasting, MAMU Coffee, Acento Coffee Roasters, and Hacea Coffee Source.

Head to www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com for show recaps, coffee education, guest list and coffee news.

Register to become an organ donor at: https://registerme.org/.

*Clicking these links to purchase will also support Coffee People through their affiliate marketing programs.

Jing Lin is the Founder of Coffee Confessionals, a Hollywood, CA cafe that focuses on more than the coffee and food they serve. They also encourage customer engagement. Their motto is Spill The Beans! Conversations starter cards dot the tables, and the space is used to host interactive events, including panels, comedy nights, and open mics.

https://coffeeconfessionals.com/pages/upcoming-eventsThe full episode dropped February 18, 2026. Watch and subscribe to @coffeepeoplepodcasts for more context, subscribe to the Coffee People podcast newsletter at: https://www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com/. Find online at: https://www.coffeeconfessionals.com/ and @coffeeconfessionals on YouTube.

MEET COFFEE PEOPLE IRL:

March 8-10, Coffee Fest NYC - Booth 2716

April 8-10, World of Coffee Expo (San Diego)

Coffee People is presented by Roastar, Inc., the premier coffee packaging company utilizing digital printing. Roastar enables small-to-gigantic coffee businesses tell a big story. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/4gIsHff⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @roastar on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Previous interview with Roastar's Dani Taube.⁠

Thanks for watching the Coffee People Podcast. Like all small businesses and entrepreneurs, we're still learning, modifying, and continuing to improve—at least trying to!

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for links from the show, context to our conversation, and much more. We'll be sharing updates on our event calendar soon.

Buy Eli And Jane Books: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.onewildlifebooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Stay tuned to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠haceacoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for updates on the 2026 roasting competition.

Shop all of our coffee collaborations, including Yeah, No...Yeah Coffee! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com/collab-coffee/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Coffee People is one of the premier coffee and entrepreneurship podcasts, featuring interviews with professionals in the coffee industry and coffee education. Host Ryan Woldt interviews roastery founders, head roasters, coffee shop owners, scientists, artists, baristas, farmers, green coffee brokers, and more.

This show is also supported by Marea Coffee , Cape Horn Green Coffee Importers, Sivetz Roasting Machines, Relative Coffee Company, Coffee Cycle Roasting, MAMU Coffee, and Hacea Coffee Source.

Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.coffeepeoplepodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for show recaps, coffee education, guest list and coffee news.

Register to become an organ donor at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://registerme.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

*Clicking these links to purchase will also support Roast! West Coast through their affiliate marketing programs.