About this episode

Gibrán Huerta discusses his unique approach to hospitality at Long Play, a cafe that emphasizes slow service and a disconnect from the outside world.

Gibrán Huerta, otherwise known as ‘G’, is the owner of Long Play, a cafe and record bar located in San Diego. We spoke with him about his unique approach to hospitality: He doesn’t serve espresso and there’s no wifi. Just vibes, music, and slow-paced service. G is a pioneer of this new style, encouraging customers to disconnect from the outside world and be present in their cafe experience. We weigh up Long Play against the fast-paced cafes of today, diving into the opportunities and challenges that arise when you decide to go against the grain and do things differently. 00:00 Post-World Coffee Recap 01:00 Japan, Mexico & Hospitality Roots 05:05 Inside Long Play (Cafe + Record Bar) 09:32 Space, Design & No-Signage Philosophy 12:28 Coffee, Tea & “Weird” Menu Choices 16:47 Pricing, Time & The Experience Economy 18:05 The Challenge: Getting People to Slow Down 20:27 Making the Business Sustainable 23:27 Creating Value in Specialty Coffee 29:17 How to Build a Slow Bar 33:56 Hot Take: You Don’t Need Espresso 37:06 Where to Find Long Play Thanks so much to G for joining the show and sharing your incredible insights! Long Play: https://www.instagram.com/longplay.hifi/ Gibrán Huerta…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ben Bicknell, Rohan Cooke

Guest: Gibrán Huerta

Topics covered

• hospitality
• cafe experience
• slow service
• business challenges
• customer engagement

Keywords

• Long Play
• slow service
• cafe
• hospitality
• San Diego
• customer experience
• espresso alternatives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: LONG PLAY

Places: San Diego

More episodes of IT’S JUST COFFEE!

• The Top 5 Most Innovative Cafes in Melbourne | CAFE TOUR! · May 4, 2026 · 56 min
• What Coffee Was Really Like in the 2000s | COFFEE BREAK! · April 22, 2026 · 36 min
• Finally, a Young Barista’s Point of View | EMILY MAKES COFFEE! · April 20, 2026 · 1h 18m
• Designing Coffee Gear People Actually Use | DOM SYMONS from Subminimal! · April 15, 2026 · 41 min
• Processing Coffee Like Beer?! | Edwin Noreña of CAMPO HERMOSO · April 13, 2026 · 31 min
• Why Young People Aren’t Drinking Specialty Coffee (Next-Gen) | HANY EZZAT! · April 8, 2026 · 27 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the IT’S JUST COFFEE! podcast page.