We were lucky to catch up with Patrick O’Malley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Patrick, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
The original business was never thought of, it just happened. I like to say I tripped and fell into what I do. I liked coffee but had zero desire to enter the industry. I lucked into oportunity. I wanted to be a wine maker, I somehow found myself living in Maui working in F&B and took a weekend trip to Kona. I discoverd coffee and its simularity to wine and from that point on I was sucked into the coffee world. My 1st company in coffee I started was in 1989 as a technitian and selling espresso machines, soon after roasting and from that point I was hooked and tried once to look back but was too far vested in my career I built for myself.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
Well, as to try not to bore people reading this. I have been in coffee from 1989 until now, I have owned several coffee companies in the Valley, from Wholesale distribution, service and repair, equipment sales, since 1999 I have owned Espresso Italia. In 2009 I formed IBCA (International Coffee and Barista Academy) in Tempe, we are concidered one of the best if not the best Coffee Training Centers in the World with Campus in Tempe and UAE. In 2014 I took over the building next door and built the 1st Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters Coffee and Tea Shop (also moved IBCA in to the same builing and built was was at the time one of 31 Certified SCA and QCI coffee Campus around the world, In 2015 was named by by peers and awarded the Top Coffee Eduator in the World. I Was the 41st person in the world to gain the SCA Coffee Diploma and the 1st lincened AST (intstuctor) of SCAE in the US. In 2018 opened our UAE Branch of IBCA. In 2017 I formed a new company with two former students and friends from Europe Damian Burgas and Colombia Ricardo Villegas (3 Coffee Guys) we take coffee people around the world to producing countries and perfrom coffee education at farm level. They are amazing trips for the attendees and for us. In 2019 I teamed up with a local group of ASU grads to film a documentary on the coffee supply chain and we hope to premire it in Milan at World of Coffee in June. We have also opened Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters inside the Queen Creek Olive Mill, will open soon at Mesa Gateway Airport, a new location of a building we purchased in Phoenix located at 13212 N Cave Creek Rd and looking to open in my home town of Bisbee. Yes I am a Native Arizonan. I also consult with large and small coffee companies around the world and am often traveling teaching and consulting. Just a little bit busy lol.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Honestly this is easy and short. Espresso Italia (our main wholesale company) deals with restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels etc. The #1 thing I can say is honesty, hard work and unwillingness to quit. We operate like our clients, they are 7 days and we are as well. Most often things break on nights and weekends. Our team commits to taking care of our clients (family) when they need. We dont as how high to jump, we ask “OFF WHAT” We are known to make late night service calls, early morning, weekends and deliver product to our clients that may have forgotten thier delivery day.
In our Cafe Infusion Coffee and Tea Crafters, its also simple. Deliver delicious products, with a smile and be KIND.
At IBCA, we have one of the most well equip coffee schools in the world. Our goal is to share our many decades of knoweldge with anyone willing to learn and treat them with respect.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
With the start of Espresso Italia, I had a former company doing much the same thing, in 2007 I had partners and we seperated, I left (wine on the mind) and ended up working again as a barman at Veneto Trattoria in Scottsdale. After one year owners Roberto and Susan decied to give me a chance and help me start up Espresso Italia. Once we started I continued as a barman 6 nights per week and working 6 to 7 days per week on the company. Taking no salary from the company and just re investing in the business. After about 6 years I bought them out cash and continued to work and grow the company with little salary and re investing in equipment, supplies and people to help us grow. I am blessed with a wonderful team. The cafe was funded by Espresso Italia, we took 14 months to build the cafe and IBCA becuase we did a lot of the work ourselves and had nice landlords, Rudy and Rita that believed in what we where doing and gave us time to build without rent until we opened.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ibca-usa.com www.infusioncoffeetea.com (espresso italia coming soon)
- Instagram: padraigomalley ibcausa infusioncoffeetea espressoitaliaarizona
- Facebook: same as Instagram
- Youtube: snakebytemedia (documentary)
- Yelp: Do not use Yelp