We are excited to currently have two of our cafe's open with new COVID-19 guidelines. The safety of our staff and community is of utmost priority to us and we want to celebrate the hard work of our baristas to help keep us open. This week, we're highlighting Kate, one of our baristas at Fort Lee in New Jersey.

How long you've been at Bean & Bean:

2 years & counting!

What is your daily coffee routine?

7:30 am iced oat honey latte with a triple shot,

~9 am cold brew with oat milk and a double shot mixed with honey,

11 am-12 pm iced americano with oat milk,

for my last drink of the day, it would be a dirty chai with oat milk or a second iced oat honey latte! I need at least 8-10 shots of espresso per day! (to survive)

What is your favorite Bean & Bean roast?

THE DOWNTOWN BLEND

Tasting notes: cocoa, cedar, lemongrass

Organic Downtown Blend is the original Bean&Bean Blend that has been fueling our espresso and brewed coffee drinks, since 2008.

Product Origin: Balanced blend of shade-grown and 100% Arabica Specialty Coffee beans from South America, Africa, and Asia.

If you had to bring a coffee set-up to a deserted island, what equipment would you take?

A mini espresso machine, grinder, downtown blend, oat milk, and honey powder. Anything I need to make my iced oat honey lattes!

What is your favorite non-dairy milk?

OATLY OAT MILK all the way!

Fav place to drink your Bean & Bean coffee?

I can enjoy my Bean & Bean coffee pretty much anywhere! But sitting outdoors and chatting with my friends with my Bean & Bean coffee is the best!

What does coffee mean to you?

Coffee is everything to me. Coffee starts my day & it keeps me going throughout the entire day.

I believe coffee brings people together. I love it when it brings me opportunities to connect with my friends and customers! Nothing makes me happier when my regulars come in excited every morning to start their day with Bean & Bean coffee. Seeing them leave with a smile as they start their day is the best thing I could ever ask for.

What is your favorite Bean & Bean memory?

I can say I have made a lot of amazing memories from working at Bean & Bean, but my favorite memory would be when I made my first latte for a customer 2 years ago. I had zero barista experience at the time. I was so nervous that my shoulders were extremely tense and my hands were shaking the pitcher and cup. I attempted to create a heart but the result was very questionable. My customer looked at the latte art and says "Oh my, what a beautiful peach!" & two years in, she still comes in every morning as a regular! This memory makes me feel very nostalgic :)