In our August + September 2026 issue, we feature Emily Potter and Amélie Boulanger of Detroit, Mich. on the cover. Also inside: Building Better Coffee Programs, Modern Coffee Packaging, ‘One on One’ with Crystal Weaver, and much, much more!
BY SARAH ALLEN
BARISTA MAGAZINE
Welcome to the August + September 2026 issue of Barista Magazine! We put another issue together for you, packed with great features, educational articles, and informative stories to share. On the cover, we’re super excited to celebrate Washed Up Coffee‘s Amélie Boulanger and Emily Potter. In a feature article, we follow their story of building a community and a coffee business side-by-side in Detroit, Michigan.
We also have articles on mentorship for cafe owners and a trip to the canal boat cafés of England. Field reports take you to the café scenes of Mexico City and Kigali, Rwanda. And “Tech Talk” shared advice on how to get the most out of your service tech relationship. Those are just some of the stories our amazing team of writers, photographers, and artists has put together for this issue.
(And speaking of exciting: We’re only a few days from the start of Camp Coffee Shop! We hope to see you August 10–13 in Napa, California.)
Thank you for your continued support of our work serving people serving coffee! Real people make Barista Magazine for real people to read.
You can read this issue in print with a subscription or digitally online for free.
Cover Feature: Killin’ It with Kindness: Emily Potter and Amélie Boulanger
Emily and Amélie built their coffee company, Washed Up Coffee, in Detroit, Mich., from the ground up, using a piece of plywood on sawhorses as the bar for their early pop-ups. Now their company—brick and mortar today—is a beloved fixture in their community, hosting events, serving coffee, and acting as a nexus for folks in their neighborhood to gather.
Tech Talk: Rebilding Trust in the Coffee Equipment Service Industry
Making promises you can keep, matching service to your abilities, and being willing to acknowledge what you don’t know will make your service tech more valuable and reliable, write Justin Goldsberry and James Lee in this issue’s “Tech Talk.”
In the Bag: The Art & Science of Modern Coffee Packaging
Compostable, recyclable, long-lasting, which are the most valuable characteristics in your coffee packaging? It depends on what your coffee is expected to do. Will it be on grocery store shelves for a while or will it be flying off your cafés display table? Modern packaging options can provide a lot of choices, but knowing which ones are most valuable to your coffee will make the real difference.
One on One: Crystal Weaver
Crystal Weaver has been working in Lancaster County. Pa. for a couple of decades launching Prince Street Cafe, Necessary Coffee, and Passenger Coffee, which now both operate under her larger company Commons Company. In “One on One” Crystal talks about her agricultural background, the importance of supporting employees, and why she’d rather let her work do the talking than herself.
And Much More Inside
Also in the August + September 2026 issue: what should your café soundtrack be if everyone is wearing headphones, a tour through the canal boat cafés of England, Raspberry Danish Latte recipe, the latest gear in Stuff, and much more.
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Join us at Camp Coffee Shop Aug. 10-13 in Napa, California.
