Emily has poured everything into making Washed Up Coffee what it is today. From the earliest days of getting our cafe off the ground, hosting pop-ups in parking lots and on sidewalks, not to mention the work of art that was our coffee cart (a piece of plywood held up by two sawhorses lol), to opening our doors in Detroit’s West Village, she has faced every obstacle with a smile on her face and a steadiness that has carried us both through every challenge. She never made it look easy because it was easy, she made it look easy because that is simply the kind of person she is. Unshakeable, warm, vibrant, and committed to doing things right.
What Emily has built in Detroit’s coffee community goes so much deeper than a cafe. She has become a true pillar of this city’s coffee culture, working daily to bring incredible coffees to Detroit and pairing them with the kind of hospitality that makes every single person who walks through our doors feel genuinely cared for. That is not a skill you can teach or ask of someone. That is Emily.
She leads with kindness, always, and she fights fiercely for what she believes in. One of the things I admire most about her is her instinct to lift up others and expand what is possible. Her work in celebrating their story while selling Ghost Town to Detroit is a perfect example of that. Their mission of putting quality, accessible ingredients on every block aligns completely with the way Emily moves through the world, believing that everyone deserves something great.
And then there is the Roast Retreat! Now in its fourth year, this annual gathering that Emily has grown from the ground up brings Michigan roasters together for a full day of celebrating and connecting over coffee. This year she has plans for it to be bigger and better than ever, and that is a reflection of the relationships she has built over years, rooted in mutual respect and a genuine love of her coffee community.
Nominated by Amélie Boulanger
How many years total have you worked in the coffee industry?
Seven
What was your first coffee job?
My first day working in coffee was in a tiny trailer that I was too tall for, at a Detroit music festival where Lizzo was headlining!
Did you experience a life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?
I decided to stay working in coffee when it was time to decide if I’d go on to get my master’s in social work. I realized that most of the skills I would use in social work, I used daily within a coffee shop community. Everyone has needs, and a coffee shop is a hub for finding out what those are for people! I saved a lot of money by not going on to get my masters, and got straight to it working as a GM at a roaster, haha.
Is there a person or persons who served as your mentor early in your coffee career? How did they impact you?
My good friend Andy is the first person to ever take time to show me how to do latte art, and this was after three years working in coffee already. It meant a lot to me. He also showed me how to stock a true multi-roaster retail shelf. It was the first shop I’d been in that had a full shelf of roasters from all over the world. This was six years ago, when there weren’t many around at all!
What is your current role in coffee?
I own Washed Up Coffee with my fiancée, Amélie. So… everything (with her)! Most importantly, my role is to make sure our staff don’t hate their jobs and feel empowered to be behind the bar, and to empower our community and provide a safe and comfortable space to those who need and deserve it.
What facet of the coffee industry has changed the most during your career?
It has gotten less pretentious over the years. I think that has a lot to do with having more womxn leaders in place around cafes. Lots of us don’t stand for BS and will call it out when we see weird things happen to staff or customers.
What still surprises you today about coffee, or gives you joy?
It is mind-blowing how much there is to learn, constantly. There are so many variables that go into the farm to cup process, so many people, so many stories. It is so cool that you can never know it all. I also love that there is so much creativity woven throughout the industry, too!
What’s something about the coffee industry you’d most like to see change?
I’d love for baristas to stop telling customers that iced cappuccino’s aren’t real and that they can’t order one. I think staff need to get a life and let people enjoy what they want to enjoy! I’d love to see baristas take time to try and hear what the customer is looking for, and walk them through options, before making them feel stupid or like they don’t know what they’re talking about.
What is your most cherished coffee memory?
My most cherished coffee memory is meeting my fiancée at a latte art throw-down that I was judging and she won (fairly, of course)! An unexpected journey of loving what we do in our roles, being able to talk about it and facilitate exciting coffee events in our communities, and falling in love with each other along the way.
Do you make coffee at home? If so, tell us how you brew!
We have a Fellow Aiden that was gifted to us three years ago and we have used it almost every day since. We loooove starting our morning with some good drip, cream and sugar added as well. Yeah, you read that right, sometimes even whipped cream, too. Such a good start to our day, cozy on the couch!
What is your favorite song/music to brew coffee to?
My mornings start with Paramore, Sza, or Summer Walker. This also means that everyone else’s mornings starts here with me too, when I’m working at the shop!
What is your idea of coffee happiness?
“Coffee happiness” is when I tell a customer “try it and if you hate it, i’ll make you something else!”, they love the gesture, then they try it and LOVE IT. We’re both so happy and carry on!!! Human to human hospitality and connection, being a real person behind bar is coffee happiness.
If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I’m very thankful to not be able to understand what it’s like to lose a loved one that was so close to me. That said, from everything I hear about Amélie’s mother, Christine, I would do ANYTHING to be able to have coffee with her. She doesn’t like coffee, but for this occasion I believe she’d have a sip just to go along with it. My heart feels like I know her, I know that I love her, and I’d give anything to hear her brag about Amélie. We’d gossip about current pop culture news and probably go shopping for Daphne (our daughter) to get her more toys she doesn’t need, as grandma’s do.
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone getting their start in the coffee industry today?
I’d constantly assess if working in the coffee industry brings you genuine joy, peace, excitement, fun, fulfillment, and why? When you get tired, do you still feel content and fulfilled? The moment you don’t have that feeling, you gotta move on or you won’t last long. That goes for anything you’re doing. What’s your why?
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
