Digital-first chains: The Coffee and Lap – live at The European Coffee Symposium
About this episode
This episode features conversations with Frank Maeda and Tonalli Arreola about the modern coffee industry and the impact of digital-first strategies on hospitality.
In today’s episode, we’re sharing two standout conversations recorded live on stage at the European Coffee Symposium last year, featuring Brazil’s The Coffee and Germany’s Lap Coffee – two highly ambitious, scalable brands built for the modern consumer. First, Frank Maeda, Head of Europe at The Coffee, explores the brand’s rapid global expansion, shaped by Japanese minimalism, high-tech efficiency and a digital-first approach. Then, Tonalli Arreola, Co-Founder of Lap Coffee, shares how automation and digitisation streamline operations, freeing up baristas to focus on what matters most – the hospitality experience. Credits music: " Good Morning " by Lua de Morais and Sharon Mor in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective . Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.com Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear
Topics covered
- digital-first chains
- coffee industry
- hospitality
- automation
- global expansion
- European Coffee Symposium
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