I didn’t think we would be here…
Often, when I meet people for the first time, and we talk about Orlando Coffee Culture (OCC), they're surprised when I tell them that OCC, as it stands today, isn't what I originally envisioned. But maybe that's the beauty of it—sometimes, a vision grows beyond what we expect.
I, Jared Tucker, started Orlando Coffee Culture (OCC) on March 28th, 2023, after talking with my wife as we scrolled on IG and talked before going to bed that evening. I decided to create OCC because I had moved to Orlando a year prior, in March of 2022, for my job and quickly fell in love with the beautiful coffee scene in Orlando!
In my first IG post, I wrote, "The purpose of Orlando Coffee Culture is to promote the beautiful cafes that make up the Orlando coffee scene. We hope to highlight, educate, and contribute to the culture of coffee in this wonderful city. Follow along as we explore the coffee community in Orlando."
I hoped we would highlight the people behind the coffee culture. If you have been following along for a while, you know that we believe coffee is community. I didn't want to just post about the product, while we have done that, but I wanted to encapsulate and highlight what I think is more essential in coffee: the people.
My passion for highlighting people stemmed from my time as a barista in grad school. While in grad school, I worked as a barista and supervisor at Black Dog Coffee in Lenexa, Kansas. Here, I developed so many wonderful connections with my coworkers and some of our customers. However, like any service industry job, sometimes you get a customer who, well, I'll just say, you don't want to come back. For example, a customer once threw ice at me because she said she ordered it without ice. I don't know if she truly ordered it without ice, but I do know that throwing ice wasn't the correct response.
People also belittled us, talked down to my coworkers who wanted to pursue their passion in coffee, and didn't show us respect, such as talking on the phone while ordering (please don't do this). If you know me, you know that I am all about community and connection. So, I wanted to bridge my passion for creating community and my love for coffee.
This was my goal when I began OCC. I hoped to post about people so that I could get to know my baristas and so that whoever would follow OCC would also take the time to talk with their baristas (and hopefully not throw ice at them).
So, the decision to begin an Instagram account quickly grew to become something much more significant: a platform that has brought people together through authentic connections. What started with simple posts about baristas and cafés grew into something I hadn't imagined: the launch of a barista development fund to support those passionate about the craft, a monthly subscription to bring specialty coffee to your door, a team of people who come together to plan events, and even the creation of Orlando's first annual Coffee Festival, where a multitude of people will come together to celebrate community over coffee. The unexpected growth of OCC has been a thrilling journey, and I can't wait to see where it leads next.
So yes, this last year and a half has been unexpected. But it has also been filled with a lot of joy, connection, new friendships, and, of course, cups of coffee. The joy and connection I have experienced in this journey has been truly inspiring. As I look forward to where OCC is going, I see more of these moments being created- this is just the beginning.
So if you have ever wanted to get involved in the coffee scene or you are passionate about connection and community I would love for you to join us on this journey. Let’s create something special together. Follow us on Instagram, attend one of our events, or just stop by and say hi next time you see us at a local cafe. This joy and connection is truly what coffee is about.
— Jared Tucker OCC Founder
