I’ve been having some great conversations with Todd Goldsworthy of Klatch Coffee, who is the organizer of the new series, L.A. TNT, set to take over Southern California. Todd’s an organized dude, and he’s putting this together with the kind of structure and consistency that’s going to give it momentum and secure it a place within the echelon of best-community-organized-barista-events. I especially love the way he’s shaping it to have built-in incentive: competitions take place once a month beginning April 18, and lead up to a grand finale in November, with top finishers going head to head for some killer prizes and bad-ass bragging rights.
Here are the details…
Who is eligible to compete?
Anybody that wants to participate is eligible. Registration starts at 6:30pm on day of the event and first 32 people to pay $5 will get to throwdown. Throwdowns will start at 7pm.
Who are the sponsors so far?
La Marzocco, Natvia, Klatch Coffee, Espresso Parts, Barista Magazine, and others to come. We are always welcoming sponsors that want to get involved.
Why is this important for the L.A. coffee community?
Over the last few years I’ve had the privilege of watching the L.A. coffee community truly become a community ”a community of coffee professionals that will learn, develop, and grow together. The throwdowns have given us a safe environment to invite those new to the coffee community, a place for us all to reconnect once a month, and a chance for each of us to further challenge ourselves.
What special prizes/kudos will the grand prize winner get?
We are working with the Bay Area Coffee Community to send the L.A. TNT winner (and if we get the right sponsorship we will send the top 2) to San Francisco to compete against the Bay Area Coffee Community winner in an L.A. vs. Bay Area Final Throwdown in December. In addition, we are working with Baratza & Espresso Parts to pull together some awesome prizes that we can award each month leading up to the grand prize trip.
Who is on the L.A. TNT organizing staff?
I am currently the organizer putting everything together though if someone wants to volunteer to help me with this great venture I would welcome them with open arms.
Who should people contact about questions and registration?
Sarah Allen (she/her) is co-founder and editor of Barista Magazine, the international trade magazine for coffee professionals. A passionate advocate for baristas, quality, and the coffee community, Sarah has traveled widely to research stories, interact with readers, and present on a variety of topics affecting specialty coffee. She also loves animals, swimming, ice cream, and living in Portland, Oregon.
