Never Settle for Good Enough (Coffee) with Andrea Allen and Onyx Coffee Lab

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell sits down with Andrea Allen, US Barista Champion and Runner-Up World Barista Champion. Andrea is Co-Founder of Onyx Coffee Lab, a world-renowned café and roastery dedicated to the art and science of coffee, with a mission focused on the pilgrimage seeking quality, truth, and accountability in coffee. Since its founding in 2012 with the mantra “Never Settle for Good Enough,” Onyx has cultivated an award-winning team of roasters that ship freshly roasted coffee worldwide and has baristas serving unique coffee in four locations across Northwest Arkansas, including two in Bentonville–on the the Bentonville Square and at The Momentary. Throughout the episode, James and Andrea discuss the origin of Onyx Coffee Lab, the science behind sourcing specialty coffee beans and the thrill of competing to be the world’s best barista.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes

Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.

(1:03) Introduction to Andrea

(1:29) Andrea’s Backstory

(7:06) The Intricacies of Specialty Coffee

(12:23) Andrea’s Experience at the World Barista Championship

(16:36) About Onyx Coffee Lab

(21:05) Onyx Coffee Lab’s Vision

(22:41) What’s Next for Onyx

(24:05) About The Road to Milan Docuseries

(29:45) Growing Up in Northwest Arkansas

(31:39) The Evolution of Northwest Arkansas

(33:41) Onyx’s Two Bentonville Locations

(37:44) #BecauseBentonville Story

(42:56) Advice to Business Founders

(44:54) Closing Question

‍Links

James Bell 

Bentonville Economic Development 

Andrea Allen

Onyx Coffee Lab

Quotes

“It’s not just about standards. It’s about cultivating a really excellent product and then showcasing it for what it is.” - Andrea Allen, (17:45)

“For us, we just want to show what we’re doing to our customers who are folks drinking coffee at home or in our coffee shop or wholesale clients buying from us. And we decided to start putting all that information out there so people could learn more about specialty coffee.” - Andrea Allen, (20:28)

“You feel that warmth when you walk in there. You feel welcome or you feel like you can ask questions or be silent because you’re not super talkative that day. All of that is made possible by our team and their work and hospitality in the space. And I think that sort of thing is special to Bentonville because it’s such a great place to do business.” - Andrea Allen, (38:34)