“The coffee culture is a key part of what we do every day, and we want to be serving exceptional quality coffee in every store, every day, across the country.”

For Sam Taylor, Soul Origin’s national manager – coffee, sharing the passion is a crucial part of his job – and the foundation for good business.

“We stress to our franchise partners the importance of coffee consistency and a focus on respecting every customer for how they want their coffee. This ensures customers get a great experience every time,” he says.

“At Soul Origin, we know that coffee means something different for everyone. To some people coffee is an essential daily ritual. To others coffee is an exploration of flavour. It is imbued with a deeper meaning than simply a hot beverage. Perhaps it is all about the moment and the connections of enjoying a freshly-brewed coffee with friends.

“Whatever it means for our customers, I want them to associate a Soul Origin coffee with a great experience.

Soul Origin coffee culture is essential to the customer experience

“The difference between a good coffee and a great coffee is how it is executed, how people handle the coffee. At Soul Origin, we have all the tools to make exceptional coffee, so it is all about the training. If the process is poorly executed, it will result in a below-par customer experience.”

“Which is why a significant portion of new franchise partner training focuses on coffee”, explains Sam.

Training is how the passion turns into dedication. 

Franchise partners begin their path to successful business ownership with a 35-day training program run over six weeks. Much of this time is spent absorbing all things coffee-related.

“This ranges from execution of a great cup of coffee to instilling a deep-seated sense of why coffee is so important to the business,” says Sam.

Coffee is quite simply a transaction driver, with a flavour-filled brew featured in half of all Soul Origin customer orders. 

The highly-experienced coffee team extends its support beyond franchise partner training, to maintaining premium standards in-store.

This team helps build and develop technical skills, ensuring baristas execute best practice coffee processes each and every time.

Soul Origin National Barista Competition showcases coffee culture

One fun-fuelled event, the Soul Origin National Barista Competition, highlights the brand’s excellent training and coffee consistency.

In its fifth year, this high-octane contest defines the brand’s coffee passion. It showcases individual barista and latte art, with a team-based competition ramping up the energy levels.

Sam explains the challenges the contestants face.

“Baristas are tasked to perform under pressure, make a number of coffees quickly, show a high level of communication and teamwork, and to follow specific requirements such as creating latte art, or a cappuccino with a particular milk.”

In the final event, to secure a national title, two teams are pitched against each other in a timed race. 

“It is hugely engaging, a fun element to what we do in store, and it helps our baristas stay focused on making a great coffee for our customers, every time.”

Multi-store franchise partner Timmy Lamichhane is the proud national winner of the barista competition for 2023.

“It was a very exciting event,” he says. “The competition is about preparation, passion, really understanding the coffee and showing your skills to the judges. There is a lot of hard work behind the scenes because this is exactly what we are doing for the customer every single day. 

“It is about putting the customer first, making a coffee with passion.”

Timmy owns seven Soul Origin stores across Melbourne and Geelong, and has a team of 25 baristas. So he appreciates how important it is for the coffee to be perfect.

Coffee connects Soul Origin with its customers

“We have a coffee coach visit every couple of weeks to check everything is up to standard. There is training and a workshop every month on what it takes to be a great barista. 

“Soul Origin has a coffee culture, everyone loves it. We are very passionate about the extraction, the beans, the milk,” Timmy says.

In coffee, and in training, Sam believes the small degrees of differentials make all the difference.

“I like to think of controlling what we can control – how we make the coffee, and engage with the customer. And we commit to ensuring a premium product.”

Sam meets with coffee partners and has developed long term relationships with the farmers.

“We buy directly from coffee farmers overseas, so they are getting fair and equitable pricing at a price that works for us and our franchise partners.”

The business displays its commitment to coffee connoisseurs by rotating its single origin coffees every six to eight weeks.

Coffee-loving customers can savour the complex flavours of the purest coffee from diverse regions and countries.

“Coffee is an important connection between Soul Origin and our customers, and something we take seriously. Through consistency and reliability, and an attitude of excellence, we aim to stand apart.”