Groundwork hits CoffeeFest Los Angeles!

An enthusiastic team of Groundwork employees spent three days tasting top-notch specialty coffee, learning from and networking with professionals across the industry, and pulling espresso at the Groundwork x Espresso Parts booth at CoffeeFest Los Angeles this week. 

Lex opened day 1 of CoffeeFest with a perfect pour! 

My highlights were trying my hand in a friendly latte art competition run by our Califia friends, petting puppies from Angel City Pit Bulls, networking with inspiring people (the founders of Barista Magazine and Koatji, to name a few), and asking coffee pros about trending drinks and regenerative agriculture during a variety of educational panels.  

Kimberly Bardales (Coffee Captain, North Hollywood) was one of our baristas pulling and pouring perfect cortados with the Ascaso machine at the Espresso Parts booth. The community aspect of CoffeeFest stood out to her most. 

“I love the vibe,” she says. “Everyone's here doing what they love, including myself.

Not only did Kim reunite with peers she hadn’t seen in years, but she mingled with national barista champions and cafe-owners who started out as baristas like herself. 

“This festival is very inspiring for me in the sense that I get to see where champions are, and I feel like I can be there,” she says. “I've been doing this for long enough that I feel like now it's time to sprout.”

Kim’s passion for coffee science was invigorated while working at the Espresso Parts booth and being to able distribute, tamp and dial in the espresso temperature, volume and weight with cutting-edge machinery. 

“Coffee is evolving in really, really good ways. It was really eye-opening to be able to take the coffee to where I envisioned it,” she says. 

Saul Curiel (Assistant Manager, Rose Ave.) was inspired to compete in the CoffeeFest latte art championship next year after watching the high-energy, multi-day competition. Saul already pours unbeatable swans and stacks, but we can’t wait for him to represent Groundwork on the big stage.  

As for this year, “it was just nice to see old friends at the fest and experience the coffee culture we are currently in,” Saul says.