Life Before Coffee
In the United States Barista Championship, baristas have 15 minutes to make and serve espressos, cappuccinos, and a unique coffee drink for judges. Lemuel Butler, 48, has won more coffee championships than nearly any other barista.
While he’s now a co-owner of Black and White Coffee Roasters, and has worked at Counter Culture Coffee for more than a decade, he entered the world of coffee relatively late in life—after working at a gas station and Hardee’s, among other places. I recently spoke to Butler about what he’s learned about people from working in the service economy, his decision to drop out of college at the University of North Carolina where he’d been studying politics and government, and that time his hip-hop band opened for The Roots and Busta Rhymes. This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Lolade Fadulu: What kinds of jobs did you have before your first job as a barista?
I had tons of jobs. It was a whole other life before coffee. I started in
