What Coffee Was Really Like in the 2000s | COFFEE BREAK!

What Coffee Was Really Like in the 2000s | COFFEE BREAK!

From IT’S JUST COFFEE! by Ben Bicknell & Rohan Cooke

April 22, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the evolution of barista jobs from the early 2000s to 2026, highlighting changes in the coffee industry.

The Y2K vs 2026 Barista | COFFEE BREAK! Working as a barista in the early 2000s looked different to barista jobs of today. From an influx of specialty coffee, to new equipment, automation, workflow changes and ever increasing expectations for great customer service, the 2026 barista is playing a completely different game. We discuss the evolving coffee industry, and what has changed for baristas since Y2K! Coffee Break is your weekly inside scoop into the coffee community. Everything from on the fly barista tips, honest and unfiltered cafe reviews (eek), hospitality stories and gate kept coffee secrets. Want more coffee content? IT'S JUST COFFEE: https://linktr.ee/itsjustcoffeepod?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=4e8cead0-6644-4c4a-b419-28c825b1b236 Want to get in touch? Hit us up at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments. Proudly sponsored by: Marco Beverage Systems: https://www.instagram.com/marcobeveragesystems/ Apax Lab: https://apaxlab.com/ Condesa Co.Lab: https://condesacolab.com.au/ Riverina Fresh: https://www.riverinafresh.com.au/ Thanks for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Ben Bicknell, Rohan Cooke

Topics covered

  • coffee industry
  • barista jobs
  • specialty coffee
  • customer service
  • automation
  • workflow changes

Keywords

  • barista
  • coffee
  • Y2K
  • 2026
  • specialty coffee
  • customer service
  • automation

Sponsors

Marco Beverage Systems, Apax Lab, Condesa Co.Lab, Riverina Fresh

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