Founder of Zeke’s Coffee, Thomas Rhodes, began as a coffee entrepreneur in 2005 when he sold his first pound of coffee at a Baltimore Farmer’s Market.
Today, Zeke’s coffee can still be found at regional farmer’s markets, but can also be found at a select number of retail outlets as well as at their own roastery/cafés. With three locations, Zeke’s Coffee DC is its newest location with the other two in Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
The Roasting Process
At Zeke’s, we use a fluid bed coffee roaster. Invented by Mike Sivetz, a physicist from Oregon in the 1970’s, fluid bed coffee roasters use hot air to create a fountain of coffee beans.This technique roasts more quickly and uniformly than a conventional drum roaster. We roast to temperature, giving us a more consistent product. Chaff escapes the roast chamber easily, leading to cleaner tasting coffee with more distinct regional flavors.
We roast in small batches. It guarantees freshness. It keeps us honest. Our roaster holds 12 pounds of coffee, compared to the 150 pounds that a standard roaster holds. Because of this, we put more time, more labor, and a little more of ourselves into each bean. You can taste the difference.
4/22/15
Zeke’s Coffee DC is Hiring – Baristas & Roastery Production
If you are in the DC area (Woodridge neighborhood specifically) and interested in a great opportunity with an amazing local roastery, read on.
Zeke’s is hiring for both full and part-time positions. Because of the nature of Zeke’s, the work is both front-of-house (Barista) and back-of-house (production) with the opportunity to assist with wholesale sales and at farmer’s markets.
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Crafting espresso based beverages
- Brewing drip coffee
- Coffee production tasks like weighing and bagging coffee
- Filling whole sale coffee orders
- General café cleaning tasks
- Potentially setting up and running a farmers market stand
- Helping to run in-house tastings and cuppings
This position requires close attention to detail and versatility. This position can be physically demanding and requires the ability to lift 50 pounds frequently.
Application Instructions
The instruction on how to apply are to go to the Zeke Coffee DC website and download/submit their application: zekescoffeedc.com.