One of the cool things in life is looking back at the people and relationships that sparked ideas that lead to action, and as with today’s guest, lead to a beverage. In this episode , you can see the Nason brother's truck driving dad influence the Diesel Brew brand. Also in the mix was Jesse’s professor who exposed him to excellent coffee made with a hand grinder and pour over method. Perhaps most critical to the birth of Diesel Brew was Loren’s Dr. who told him to stop drinking soda. “Diesel Brew is organic, cold brewed coffee that will give you a strong caffeine kick without the bitter and acidic taste of conventional coffee. Roasted, brewed and bottled in Southern California, the Nason brothers created Diesel Brew as a tribute to their truck driving father.” I started driving eighteen wheelers in North Idaho at age eighteen so I immediately resonated with the truck logo and the power of the brand as a whole. While not a coffee shop, these beverage brewing brothers definitely have their place on The Coffee Man Show and the growing cold brew scene at large.

In today's episode of the Coffee Man Show, founder of Bar Nine, Zayde Naquib shares his story of how he came to start Bar Nine, a rare combination of roaster and cafe in Los Angeles County. Bar Nine is Zayde's first brick and mortar business and aside from freelance work in documentaries and editing during high school this is his first entrepreneurial venture. If you can't get to Bar Nine then check out the website at barninela.com and you will get a feel for the incredible attention to detail and just a little about what he means by their emphasis on simplicity. Zayde's philosophy of going for something in life that matters, regardless of the risk, is refreshing to hear. He ventures right into the ultimate and touches on the realization of our mortality as a motivating factor for doing work that matters. I'll be honest, I'm toying with what podcast Ed Barnett should pursue next. This just may be the direction I'll go. Let me know your thoughts on that. But, the Coffee Man Show remains dedicated to bringing you the best in coffee destinations. Let us know how we are doing or send us a recommendation through the contacts tab of CoffeeManShow.com.

John Evarts had a dream of opening a coffee shop since high school. That dream came a long way to the first grand opening of Honu Coffee in Newhall, California in October 2014. I say, "Welcome to the Neighborhood." For me, this coffee shop is so timely in its arrival. I now have a place to go for great coffee that's close to home. As an entrepreneur, knowing when to press on, call it a day, or go a different way is tough. For John and his wife, they had moved their family to Hawaii, leased a building and were ready to open Honu Coffee on Kauai but were held up by complicated and extended permitting issues. They made the tough call to abandon the project. But all is not lost, we now welcome Honu Coffee to Santa Clarita. John also owns a property management company.

Copa Vida in Pasadena opened August 1st 2013. Steve Chang, founder and visionary of Copa Vida in Pasadena, grew up in a family of small business owners. After selling a significant noodle manufacturing business he had a chance to step back and think about his dreams. Retiring with a coffee shop had been a point of discussion with his wife over the years. They decided to go for it and began traveling to learn and experience coffee shops in Venice, Rome, Seattle and Portland along with coffee farms in Costa Rica. Up and coming for Copa Vida is their own line of small batch roasted coffee. This facility is five minutes from the Pasadena cafe and is currently roasting the True Bean brand which they own and will continue to deliver alongside the Copa Vida brand. Plans are in the works to open a second Copa Vida in San Diego by Petco Park.