We were lucky to catch up with Obadiah Clemans recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Obadiah , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Three Crowns Coffee provides sincere forum and community and, above all, is dedicated to providing the highest quality coffee that is within our power to make. Thus, Three Crowns is a specialty coffee shop. I get green coffee beans from all over the world, decide on what should be on the menu for a time, and roast the coffee in the shop. I do exclusively light roast as that is what I prefer to drink and, in my opinion, it brings out the most powerful and balanced flavors of the coffee. The roasted coffee rarely makes it past two weeks before it is completely gone and I need to roast again. The coffee is always fresh! Now, coffee is our first love at Three Crowns and it is where our drive for excellence started. This same quality and rigor has been applied to the rest of the tasty treats we provide such as our craft sodas, house-made scones, and Authentic Japanese Ramen. It is essential to us that moments with our food and drink are shared with friends and family. And, if the Baristas see an opportunity, they will approach and be a new friend if you find yourself drinking or eating alone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started working at Three Crowns Coffee in early 2019. I had recently left a draining job in retail. I remember walking into the shop for my interview wearing a sky blue polo that was way too big. I ordered a single origin pour-over from Papua New Guinea and was blown away by the complex tasting notes of the coffee. The interview went well and I was hired. To my surprise, I did not make many drinks in the first 8 months as a “barista”. Instead, the previous owner, Tim, and I spent those 8 months renovating an old automotive garage into the new home of Three Crowns. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into the renovation and we have the pride to say we did it all ourselves(except for the HVAC system). When I finally started to make more coffee I fell in love with the “Alchemy” of being a barista. Enjoying the science of precision and the art of skillfully brewing a cup of coffee. Even more lovely has been all of the new people I have had the opportunity to meet and to know. Then, the day and the conversation came. We had recently added Authentic Japanese Ramen to the menu as the new food item. It was in late 2020 and early 2021 when Tim and I were conversing about life. We had recently added Authentic Japanese Ramen to the menu as the new food item. Both of us were and still are experiencing life changes we new would be rather significant. It was in these conversations that he asked me if I wanted to buy the business since I had been so involved in the process from the start of my employment. After some discussion with family. We decided to proceed. From then on, Tim began to teach me how to do more than Barista-ing; the logistics behind the scenes.
I am happy to be a part of the Legacy of Three Crowns Coffee and making coffee for people from the roaster into their mug.

Over time, Three Crowns has transformed into a hub for the arts, science, philosophy, all things nerd, tasty drinks, and tasty food. We wish to continue to foster the community around our favorite beverage of coffee so that people find joy, not only in the drink, but in the humans they meet at Three Crowns.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had gone to college majoring in Biblical Studies and working on my Master of Divinity degree. There was once a time I wanted to be an oversees missionary and to be involved in ministry. However, near the end of my Master’s program, I became and Orthodox Christian. A very different thing from what I was raised in and what I was being educated in at the college. So much so, that if I were called to be an Orthodox Priest it would be a different education at a different school. It was around this conversion, in fact, that the prospect of becoming a business owner was presented! Perfect timing!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Never forget the team is made of humans that share in human dignity. Respecting time, laying clear boundaries, creating space for reasonable liberty, and transparency. I have worked at businesses that disregard all of these. In fact, it is the reason I no longer work for such companies! I try to maintain my team morale by knowing what will lower it. Allow me to give an example: I worked in retail for quite some time. Of course, many find such a job wanting in general joy and fulfillment, but I had fun at the place I worked. However, management expected the employee to be on time (reasonable, of course), while simultaneously expecting them to stay over their scheduled end-of-shift. It made me feel disrespected. That is why I do not treat my employees this way: I know what it feels like.   

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @threecrownscoffee
• Facebook: threecrownscoffee

Image Credits
Kaesyn Green