Interview with Chris Baca: 10 Years of Cat & Cloud, Building a Business Culture, and Keeping Specialty Coffee Accessible

Cat & Cloud Podcast Cat & Cloud Coffee www.catandcloud.comInterview with Chris Baca: 10 Years of Cat & Cloud, Building Culture, and Keeping Specialty Coffee AccessibleReflecting on nearing Cat & Cloud’s 10-year milestone, Chris Baca emphasizes valuing day-to-day progress over anniversaries while acknowledging the achievement of surviving a life in small business and growing from a single store with eight team members to four cafes and over 100 staff, plus a brand in good standing. He recalls early DIY demolition at the Portola location and clarifies the timeline: pop-ups began in 2015 and the first store opened September 30, 2016. They discuss sustaining community choice through hospitality, evolving menus, and staples like the breakfast burrito, plus Chris’s YouTube origins as pushback against pretentious specialty coffee. Chris also highlights the messy reality of small business, the importance of key leaders, career risks during growth, and the belief that great people and culture can be developed anywhere.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:27 Ten Year Reflections05:05 Early Days Portola Build08:06 Staying Relevant Locally13:00 Service Culture Over Marketing17:33 Burrito Staple Stats18:53 YouTube Coffee Encounters20:24 Anti Pretension Coffee22:22 Simplify The Craft23:06 Teaching Style Strength24:37 Ten Year Reflection25:20 Small Business Chaos27:20 Key People Grit31:01 Careers Trust Scale34:57 Verve Expansion Lesson36:42 Family Responsibility Shift39:03 Cat And Cloud Future41:29 Great People Everywhere43:43 Podcast Sharing WrapPodcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ Webstore: Want Coffee? Want cool schwag?!  www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions Wholesale Partners! Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby Produced by Casey Ryan July 2026Podcast Info and Contact: www.catandcloud.com/podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/catcloudcoffee/ Webstore: www.catandcloud.com/ Roasters Choice Subscription: www.catandcloud.com/collections/subscriptions Wholesale Partners: Interested in serving our coffee at your business? Learn more about our Partner Program https://catandcloud.com/wholesaleCat & Cloud Coffee was founded in 2016 by three friends who believe experiences and connections shape our lives. Former barista champions and lifelong coffee professionals, they envisioned a better way to do business and set out to create a values-driven organization that put culture first.Our mission is to inspire connection by creating memorable experiences. Whether it's with guests in our 4 retail locations in Santa Cruz, our team members, or our wholesale partners across the country, we strive to leave everyone better than we found them. The Cat & Cloud Podcast is a space for us to share our experiences and adventures in coffee and business in hopes of inspiring more people to create culture and values-driven organizations.Hosted by Chris Baca and Jared Truby