Sebastian Sztabzyb and Phil Robertson know more about coffee than most people. After meeting at the University of Calgary, where they were both studying engineering, they realized their shared interest in coffee. They spent a few years doing research and roasting coffee in Sebastian’s garage, then opened for business in 2007 at the Currie Baracks Farmer’s Market. Their quality coffee caught Calgary’s attention, and the pair has gone on to open up three more coffee shops and a coffee bar in locations around town since then; their most recent shop opened in the Mission neighbourhood (2207 4th Street SW). Despite their incredible success, both Phil and Sebastian come across as humble guys who are quick to give credit to the people that helped turn a hobby into a small coffee empire. Here are two facts about how they got started:
1. When Sebastian was in his early twenties, his attention was quickly turning from engineering to coffee… so for his 25th birthday, his girlfriend (now his wife) bought him a small espresso maker, which he used to start making his own coffee at home. A similar model sits on display in their newest coffee shop.
2. Phil’s uncle Billy, who was described as an “espresso geek,” gave his nephew a book called “How To Make Espresso” by David Schomer, a book that both Phil and Sebastian devoured when they were learning about coffee. After reading the book, they made the trip down to Seattle to visit Schomer’s shop where they apparently tried 15 shots of espresso in about three hours. That was the day they decided they had to make coffee for a living.
What really sets these two apart when it comes to making coffee is their hands-on approach. Phil and Sebastian are involved with the coffee right from plant to cup. The pair’s frequent visits to coffee farms in Central and South America have allowed them to forge strong relationships with the coffee farmers who they use as suppliers. By collaborating with locals, the intent is to understand the harvest, storage and shipment of the coffee, and to ensure they are making the best product possible.
Many people don’t realize the care that has to be taken to deliver a premium coffee product. The altitude, weather and plant varietal are all factors that will impact the flavour and the quality of the coffee you drink. Phil and Sebastian continually work with their suppliers to better understand these factors and have even implemented temperature and humidity sensors to learn more about the optimal conditions to dry coffee for longer shelf. In the same manner that wine is tasted and rated based on its flavour and aroma components, coffee can also be tasted and assessed through a process known as ‘cupping’. Most coffee that we purchase from coffee shops and grocery stores are rated at roughly 75 to 80 per cent (sometimes lower). Phil and Sebastian will only sell coffee that is rated 85 per cent or higher, and each bag of coffee and espresso they sell comes with highly detailed tasting notes.
Besides serving an excellent cup of coffee, the atmosphere of Phil and Sebastian’s coffee shops is worth mentioning. To create more of an interactive experience with customers, coffee options are listed on menus instead of a board. As Sebastian explained, the point is to move away from the traditional method of ordering from an overhead menu that seems to create a total loss of dialogue between staff and customers, something that has become common practice in many coffee shops. The staff at Phil and Sebastian’s is incredibly knowledgeable on the coffee they serve and happy to share information with customers who want to learn more about the coffee they’re drinking. For staff to even pull espresso here, they must have first spent at least 60 hours training on how to properly prepare coffee.
Next time you’re in Mission, stop into the newest coffee shop for some java and a breakfast sandwich. You’ll love the artwork by Maya Gohill, and don’t miss the cool neon sign that pays tribute to uncle Billy!
Photos and interior by Mckinley Burkart’s Diane Cassidy, lead designer of the new Phil and Sebastian space.
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