EP 1013 Part 3 of 5 | Why Staying Small Might Be Smarter in Coffee (Jan-Cort Hoban)
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Episode Description
This is episode 3 of a 5-part series with Jan-Cort Hoban, founder of Mr. Hoban’s Coffee Roastery in Germany. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing the myth of being big in the coffee business and questioning whether growth at all costs is actually sustainable in specialty coffee.
In this episode, Lee and Jan-Cort tackle one of the biggest assumptions in the coffee industry: that success automatically means becoming bigger.
Jan-Cort explains why he intentionally chose to remain a small roastery, even while many businesses around him chased rapid expansion, outside investment, and multiple locations.
The conversation explores the hidden pressures that come with scaling, from staffing and operational complexity to debt, rent, investor expectations, and the emotional toll of carrying a larger business structure.
Lee and Jan-Cort also discuss how social media has glamorized growth in coffee, why many owners feel pressured to constantly expand, and why downsizing should not be viewed as failure.
This episode is a direct challenge to the idea that “more” automatically means “better.”
For some businesses, staying smaller may actually be the thing that preserves quality, values, relationships, and sanity.
Connect with Jan-Cort Hoban and Mr. Hoban’s Coffee Roastery here: