Brewing Skill and Connection at the First Coffee Bar Academy
- Twijjukye Anan
- Oct 31
- 2 min read
Earlier this month, Extend Cafes hosted their very first Coffee Bar Academy in State College, PA — a three day hands-on training event designed to deepen the baristas’ skills, commitment to the craft, and passion for serving people.
This first year brought together a class of nine baristas from across the Extend Cafes network. Over the course of the academy, the participants explored every corner of the craft — from the history of coffee and the science behind espresso extraction to the art of milk texturing and tamping technique.
Our instructors brought a wealth of experience and passion to the table. Jerriel Martin, co-owner of Old Market Coffee, and Nevin Atkinson, Barista Supervisor at Sowers Harvest Café, led the sessions with a blend of technical insight and personal stories from their years behind the bar. We were also joined on Wednesday and Thursday by guest instructor Brenden Kilmer, manager at Shepherd’s Cup, who blessed us with his infectious energy, practical wisdom and encouragement drawn from his time leading bar teams.
Each day featured generous amounts of coffee tasting — from a variety of roasters, origins, and processing methods — helping participants develop their palates and understand the diversity of flavors coffee has to offer.
The event wrapped up with a fun latte art throwdown, where baristas showcased their skills and celebrated one another’s progress.
But perhaps the richest part of the Coffee Bar Academy wasn’t just what happened on the bar or in the classroom — it was the conversations around hospitality. Together, we reflected on what it means to serve with warmth, attentiveness, and purpose, and how each barista can help create moments of connection in their cafés every day.
We left the weekend not only with sharpened skills and deeper knowledge, but with a renewed sense of our calling to create thoughtful and intentional hospitality both for our teams and for our guests.
