De La Paz Coffee is tucked away in a small unmarked building in the Mission District in San Francisco. There’s no fancy coffee bar, just a small, intimate space with enough room for the roaster, the beans, and for Jason to work his magic. Rob, Nik and I visited their little roasting spot back in September, and we learned a lot from Jason as he walked us through their roasting process. Jason had several new samples of green beans he was testing out while we were there. We also got to scope out their sweet bicycle that’s fully equipped to deliver all their coffee around San Francisco in an eco-friendly way. But Jason isn’t just conscious about the environment, he’s also conscious about people and really, really, good coffee. He buys all fair trade beans, has direct relationships with the farmers, and roasts in small batches. Here’s your chance to get to know Jason and De La Paz Coffee!

1) Why did you choose to start roasting coffee?

In grad school I was given the job to sample all the organic and fair trade coffee for our new cafe. I quickly realized that just because coffee was organic, it did not mean that it was great coffee.

2) What’s your secret weapon for roasting the best coffee beans?

A really good pair of shoes. Roasting coffee involves standing on your feet all day. The better the shoes, the more you can focus on perfecting the roast.

3) Which is your personal favorite and why?
It is always changing. Coffee is seasonal, so each week we are getting in new green beans. Right now I am really enjoying our Brazil Poco Fundo. Your classic Brazil, but with more fruit.

4) What is a unique way to enjoy your coffee?

Cold brewed for 18 hours with spices. Pour over ice and add some 1/2 & 1/2. Best drink on a hot day.

5) Any new products or flavors in the works?

Cold brewed iced coffee

6) What advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in the food business?

Write a good business plan. Focus on quality and let your product speak for itself.

7) Which product on Foodzie makes you most hungry? We’ll chat with that producer next!

Kikas Treats!! So good.

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If you missed them, feel free to check out our previous interviews with Boulder Popcorn, Happy Girl Kitchens, Doc Popcorn, Seth Ellis Chocolatier, Bravo Farms, Black Forest Bison, and BonBonBar.