{"id":3585,"date":"2021-05-19T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/global.typica.jp?post_type=roasters&p=3585"},"modified":"2025-05-13T15:10:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T06:10:16","slug":"good-beans","status":"publish","type":"roasters","link":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/narratives\/roasters\/good-beans\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Beans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Good Beans sells specialty coffees under the impactful brand name \u2018Fucking Strong Coffee.\u2019 We interviewed the co-owner, Cody. Cody entered the specialty coffee industry by accident after studying literature in college and graduate school. He says the coffee industry is \u2018boring and dull.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Creating alternatives; \u2018Declaration of Independence\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We don\u2019t like snobbish specialty coffee brands and this is why we started our own independent and unique brand. In a way, this is our \u201cDeclaration of Independence\u201d against what has become the standard attitude and image of specialty coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cody states, \u201cLet me tell you, I think specialty coffee itself is wonderful. Its quality, attention to detail, traceability, culture, roasting, and origin partnerships. These are the irreplaceable values of our beloved specialty coffee. However, unfortunately, the language, brands, images, and social feeds we see in the specialty coffee industry today are monotonous, boring, and lack creativity. There is also an increasing use of technical and descriptive terms like \u2018anaerobic fermentation\u2019 and \u2018juicy\u2019 that not many people understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMoreover, there is even a misconception about specialty coffee in Europe that it is a luxury item that only the wealthy can afford or that only enthusiasts\u2019 drink. Like fine expensive wine, there is a widespread tendency to make it seem snobbish and pretentious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything we do at Good Beans is to challenge trends. And through our in-house brand \u2018Fucking Strong Coffee,\u2019 we\u2019re not just complaining but we\u2019re acting on our thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They use refillable cans as coffee bean containers instead of disposable plastic ones and record their independent tasting comments to create alternative products which are a \u2018Declaration of Independence\u2019 for Good Beans. The phrase \u2018It\u2019s coffee, not caviar.\u2019<\/em> and their brand name of \u2018Fucking Strong Coffee\u2019 symbolizes this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cody states, \u201cIt\u2019s our strategy to surprise people, who visit our store because they are attracted to the brand name with high-quality coffee. Some people may find that we are challenging them by using slang like \u2018fucking\u2019 as a brand name instead of a minimalistic logo, but I am more optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we are a little more creative in the way we send messages, more people will become aware of the appeal of specialty coffee. In short, this is \u201ca positive challenge\u201d to see how we can lower the bar for specialty coffee through words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Cody says that there are three main types of customers at Good Beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst, there are people who like our simplicity and the taste of coffee but don\u2019t know much about specialty coffee. Secondly, some people simply like the atmosphere of the store and are looking to \u2018feel connected to someone else.\u2019 Lastly, \u201ccoffee nerds\u201d who enjoy our shared passion for the quality, ethical sourcing, and sustainability. Having these three types of people visiting the same store is exactly what I envisioned when I created this store. I love the moment when I can feel that all kinds of people are attracted to this place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

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Although Cody had always been interested in specialty coffee, hospitality, and the food and beverage service industry, he started working in this field \u201cby accident.\u201d After graduating from college in the United States in 2017 and earning a master\u2019s degree in Literature from a graduate school in the Netherlands the next year, he had no intention then of pursuing it as a career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, his life took an unexpected turn when he happened to take over a small store in Amsterdam with a business partner. He decided to reopen the store as a specialty coffee cafe. While this idea was taking shape, a visit to Rwanda to buy green coffee directly from producers determined the path that Cody would take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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He states, \u201cI was inspired by the genuine entrepreneurial spirit of the people I met there who were involved in the coffee supply chain,\u201d Cody states. To develop the business of a cooperative that consists of small producers, they invest in new honey processes and try them out by paying close attention to the quality of the coffee. It was their independent way of life that really moved me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his two-week stay in Rwanda, he visited a cooperative called Twongerekawa Coko with a local coordinator\/exporter, interacted with the producers, and there was one scene that he couldn\u2019t forget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After visiting the cooperative\u2019s washing station, the head of the cooperative invited Cody and the coordinator\/exporter for lunch in the neighboring village. They enjoyed grilled goats that had been running beside them a few minutes earlier and traditional dishes such as boiled bananas and Rwandan beer. It was refreshing to experience the local lifestyle and culture firsthand and interact with the producers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different environments, different types of people, and different food. Cody\u2019s interest was piqued by the reality before him, but it was a comment from the head of the cooperative that woke him up. As the banquet was coming to a close, the head of the cooperative asked Cody a direct question, \u2018So\u2026, how much green coffee are you going to buy?\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHe had been speaking in the local language through an interpreter but suddenly he spoke directly to me in English. I took it as a simple message, \u2018We\u2019ve done the hard work to produce a beautiful product and now it\u2019s up to you.\u2019 <\/em>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2018I understand it now. It is not only simply visiting cooperatives or selling coffee to the world, it\u2019s about telling people who will buy the coffee about the stories of coffee producers. While building partnerships with the coffee origins, we build the brand, store, space, and experience. Specialty coffee is the kind of work I want to do and the kind of world I want to be in.\u2019<\/em> The moment I realized it completely, the wheels in my head started turning around and running,\u201d Cody states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

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\u2018Empathy for others\u2019 deepens through words.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cody has been fascinated by the world of literature and fiction and has read a wide variety of books since he was a boy and started studying literature in both college and graduate school. This fascination still lives on as part of his work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe humanity depicted in literature and books can be very abstract and I think that\u2019s where a high level of empathy is developed. Empathy can be cultivated by reading stories written by others, experiencing the perspectives of others, and deeply analyzing how the writer presents his or her world to readers. The real joy of studying literature was that I could deepen my understanding and empathy for others through this process,\u201d Cody states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although some people see literature as \u2018not a practical discipline,\u2019 Cody says, \u201cIt can help you develop practical communication skills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cody states, \u201cIt can also help you develop practical communication skills and such an approach is useful when we operate \u2018Fucking Strong Coffee.\u2019 I\u2019m driven to answer a question of how to describe specialty coffee in a way that makes it more accessible and approachable to people and how to create a comfortable atmosphere around it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Cody\u2019s uniqueness lies in the fact that he finds common ground between literature and specialty coffee, two seemingly unrelated things. For Cody, languages are not just a means to convey information or catchy phrases to sell a product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I always say to my staff is \u201cAll the conversations with customers bring us an opportunity for them to become regulars, so it\u2019s good to remember what customers order and create an atmosphere that anyone can be part of the scenes at the shop.\u201d<\/em> Perhaps, that\u2019s why customers told us often, \u2018I feel like I am part of this shop.\u2019 or \u2018I feel I am connected here with other people.\u2019 <\/em>Rarely does someone just stop by, order a cappuccino, and leave the store.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deepening our understanding of the individuality and diversity of people, evoking empathy, and connecting with people. Even though the theme has changed from literature to coffee, Cody\u2019s stance remains unchanged as he continues to pursue \u2018what languages can do.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The taste, personality, and stories make people talkative, and it is surely not a coincidence that Cody came across the world of specialty coffee.

Originally written in Japanese by Tatsuya Nakamichi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

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