Nominated by Jonathan C. Mitchell
Esteban has been the head barista and COO of Elevation Coffee Roasters in Tampa for 6.5 years and a barista in Tampa for roughly a decade. Born in Colombia, he moved to Tampa as a teenager and began working in coffee as a young creative expressing his art through coffee and hospitality.
When I started Elevation Coffee Roasters in 2019, I began searching for the person that I wanted to impact our community with and Esteban was the only choice. The first time I met him at a cafe he left an unforgettable mark on me, not just because of his barista skills, but because of his hospitality and care for people.
He now trains our staff, runs the day-to-day operations, teaches latte art classes, sensory classes, palate training, and so much more. Esteban isn’t just the face of Elevation Coffee Roasters, he’s the face of the Tampa coffee community.
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
How many years total have you worked in the coffee industry?
9 years!
What was your first coffee job?
Barista at Blind Tiger in Ybor.
Did you experience a life-changing moment of coffee revelation early in your career?
Everything about coffee changed the course of my life, but for starters, it’s how I met my wife.
Since we’re talking about coffee, I remember early on when one of my friends had a bunch of samples from Onyx that Bear had sent them. All bangers of course. I remember being blown away with all the flavors, like what do you mean coffee can taste like jasmine and blueberries or yuzu?
Is there a person or persons who served as your mentor early in your coffee career? How did they impact you?
When I first started, I was drawn to the idea of working in coffee and doing milk doodles, but Brennan Rodriguez—who had previously won the regional Aeropress competition in the southwest and trained me—showed me that there was so much more to it. The variables involved in simply pulling a tasty shot or extracting exactly what you’re looking for in a cup just blew me away.
Early on, I worked with Jean Pierre Orozco, another young, passionate coffee professional who was on the same path. JP had a philosophical approach with coffee that taught me to be intentional. With his background in hospitality, he taught me that coffee could be an experience- even in the middle of a Saturday morning rush.
Then Joel Eastlick, a veteran barista and roaster who was just getting his roasting company off the ground, showed me that there could be longevity in this industry. He taught me the importance of a green coffee buyer and how to source coffee with intention.
What is your current role in coffee?
I am Chief of Operations at Elevation Coffee Roasters. I hate saying that out loud, it just sounds so official. But I love what I do, I love Elevation, I love what we stand for, and the people that I get to work with. I get to have a perfect balance of working behind the bar, training, managing, and serving customers.
What facet of the coffee industry has changed the most during your career?
I’ve seen the industry become more accepting and welcoming.
Early on, I noticed a stigma of gatekeeping around information, roasters refusing to buy certain green coffees because of how they were processed, and shops putting no effort in building a bridge between the sweet drinks people might get from a large chain cafe and intentionally crafted specialty beverages. In a world of rising costs and uncertainty, I think the industry is doing its best to move in the right direction.
What still surprises you today about coffee, or gives you joy?
The boundaries of what coffee can taste like continue to amaze me.
I still remember my first natural anaerobic coffee: it tasted like straight balsamic glaze and strawberry jam. Now with thermal shocks, co-ferments, and whatever else producers are doing at origin, I’m always excited to see coffee being pushed forward.
What’s something about the coffee industry you’d most like to see change?
The public’s perception that coffee is just a commodity and should be priced as such.
What is your most cherished coffee memory?
I think it would be Elevation’s opening day, seven years ago. We did very little marketing, our IG only had around 100 followers, it was just Jonathan and me. But just seeing the support of the community and the neighborhood come out was something I couldn’t believe.
Do you make coffee at home? If so, tell us how you brew!
If I make coffee at home, it’s usually for my wife or our guests. I was a V60 ride or die but I’ve been into the Origami Dripper with a Kalita filter these days.
What is your favorite song/music to brew coffee to?
D’Angelo’s Voodoo album—no skips all day.
What is your idea of coffee happiness?
Seeing customers react to a coffee I’m excited to share.
If you could drink coffee with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would love to share a coffee with my grandma Clara, who had a heart of gold but whom I never got the chance to meet. She passed away just a few months before I was born, but I would love to sit with her over a cup of coffee and see what she would think of a washed Pink Bourbon.
What’s one piece of advice you would give someone getting their start in the coffee industry today?
It takes a lot of passion to stay in this industry. Not everyone is able to make a living from it, and not every business lasts. But the people who truly care about coffee and the community around it find ways to keep moving forward. There is always room to grow for people who stay curious, intentional, and passionate.
The Sprudge Twenty feature series is proudly presented by Pacific Barista Series.
