Jake Griffin-Diaz

Jake and his spouse, Alejandro, opened their dream coffee shop in December 2020, mid-pandemic, in the upstate town of Troy, New York. Today, they operate a second shop nearby in Albany, NY, and a third space that serves as their HQ and training lab. In the coming months, they are expanding their Albany shop to double its seating area and open a special events slow coffee bar.

He holds a Management Degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, with a focus on Baking & Pastry. After graduation, he trained over 300 baristas in CIA restaurants, focusing on the emerging specialty coffee movement with the help of Counter Culture Coffee.

Jake helped manage the front of the house at the Ivy Award-winning restaurant The Apple Pie Bakery Café and later managed and opened the CIA Bakery Café in San Antonio, TX. He then became the Executive Chef at Madava Farms, the home of Crown Maple.

Missing his time in specialty coffee, Jake became the Hudson Valley Wholesale Rep, Service Tech, and Educator for a prominent Manhattan-based specialty coffee roaster. Today, Jake works with his husband, Alejandro, managing and operating their shops and running a tasting room at their headquarters during the summer farmers’ market. He hopes to continue growing his businesses and supporting Alejandro in his international coffee competitions.

Committed to Diversity and Inclusion: Jake enriches our conference with their experience as a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.