Coffee& Ep. 7 (Transcript)
Q: Wake your ass up and get some coffee.
Larry: To us, coffee isn't just a beverage. It's a community. It's an accumulation of the global network of fair trade farmers to the independently owned coffee shops working together to bring the freshest coffee to their local neighborhoods.
Q: You're listening to Coffee&, powered by Acme Radio Live.
Q: Good morning, good morning, good morning. I'm excited about this podcast. My name is Q. Coffee& podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live. We have to switch some things up today. Jimmie is doing some things with his wife today. I think they're celebrating some fun times, so he's out today, and Nate is actually working at the coffee shop. He's working a barista shift. So I got our other head roaster in, Larry-
Larry: What's up?
Q: ... stepping in on their behalf, and I have an amazing guest today, one of the dopest people in Nashville, one of the coolest cats I know on the streets, Mr. Brad Schmitt from the Tennessean.
Brad Schmitt: I'm drinking in your validation. Mm. Feels so good.
Q: Hey, it's good to see you, my brother.
Brad Schmitt: Glad to be here.
Q: Before we jump in with Brad, I wanted to talk about a couple of things that we got going on at our coffee shop. We got some new specialty coffee cocktails. Pumpkin spice latte.
Larry: Got some tasty, tasty treats.
Q: Gingersnap latte. And the pumpkin spice latte comes with a vegan gingersnap cookie, so I always recommend that, and it's been hot on our Instagram, too. A lot of people are really feeling that.
Q: Some cool things going on around the city. We got some great concerts coming up, so for people who are coming to Nashville and for the locals, a lot of great things going on at the Ryman Auditorium. You got Wilco coming soon, you got Jason Isbell, and my favorite, Trey Anastasio from Phish. I know a lot of people are surprised by that, but I'm a huge Phish fan. And then the Predators are back. Brad, are you a Predators fan?
Brad Schmitt: I am.
Q: How many Predators games have you been to?
Brad Schmitt: Well, I was a season ticket holder for four or five seasons.
Q: And then it got expensive on us.
Brad Schmitt: When I had money. Yeah.
Q: It's pricey.
Brad Schmitt: Dude, I had to do the installment plan.
Q: The key, in my opinion, I think it's about buying tickets with somebody else.
Brad Schmitt: =Yes.
Q: So if me and you... you know what? Next season, me and you will get season tickets together.
Brad Schmitt: That makes sense.
Q: And we can sit together.
Brad Schmitt: Oh my gosh. We're going to go crazy. Do you throw catfish?
Q: No, I don't like the texture. I don't want to touch it. It's awkward. It's weird. But that's just my thing. But I like fried catfish, for sure! For sure! But anyway, so... what are we talking about today, besides fried catfish and throwing catfish?
Larry: Hopefully coffee, man, I think that's what people are here for.
Q: So Brad recently just wrote an article for the Tennessean, and he talked about his top five coffee shops in Nashville, which... there was a big buzz going on around the city. Everybody had to step their game up, because they knew Brad was coming in to check out their food, checking out their coffee program, checking out the vibes.
Q: And it's a tough thing in Nashville because coffee is huge in the city. Coffee shops is a staple of Nashville. It's a big thing from a culture standpoint. So, we're going to dive into that. And first question I wanted to ask is, why and how did this whole article come to fruition?
Brad Schmitt: Hmm. Well, why don't you give them the list, first of all, so people can start thinking about how much they hate the list that we came up with?
Q: Okay. So, number five... and mind you, it's hundreds of coffee shops in Nashville.
Brad Schmitt: Oh, my God.
Q: I'm exaggerating a little bit, but there are tons.
Brad Schmitt: Not really. There are dozens, for sure.
Larry: There's a lot.
Brad Schmitt: I'm talking about locally-owned, too. Forget Starbucks, because we don't do national chains. Just taking out Starbucks and the other national chains, there are dozens and dozens in Nashville.
Q: So to end up on this Top Five is pretty... it's a pretty humbling thing to get, you know.
Larry: It's cool, yeah.
Q: So number five was Dose... and which location? The McGavock location, right?
Brad Schmitt: East Nashville, mm-hmm (affirmative).
Q: And then we, luckily, got honored to be in this list. We were number four. 8th and Roast, our Charlotte Avenue location. 4104 Charlotte Avenue.
Brad Schmitt: Way to go, way to go!
Larry: All right!
Brad Schmitt: You have a very persistent publicist.
Q: Slow Hand.
Larry: Yeah, we do. Oh, yeah.
Q: Shoutout to Amanda.Slow Hand Coffee on Gallatin. That was number three. Number two is Barista Parlor.
Brad Schmitt: The Germantown location.
Q: Yes, sir. 1230 4th Avenue North. Barista Parlor, shoutout.
Q: And number one... number one, no drumroll... Steadfast Coffee in Germantown. That was the Top Five. Dose, 8th and Roast, Slow Hand, Barista Parlor, and number one, Steadfast. Talk to me about that, brother.
Brad Schmitt: Well, you were asking how the list came to be. So, because I am just obsessed with food, I jokingly said about three years ago, like, "Hey man"... oh, I know what it was. In the newsroom, somebody goes, "Blah blah blah's the best burger place in Nashville."
Brad Schmitt: Well, insanity ensued. People from other floors of the building were jumping into the newsroom to tell us their favorite. The conversation was crazy, and I was like, "Hey, this is incredible engagement we're getting. Why don't we do this for our media outlet, Tennessean.com, and get the whole city in on this convo?" And so, I was like, "I volunteer," because I'm a good, giving journalist, a real company man, I will volunteer to take the company credit card and go to 10 or 15 burger joints in Nashville, and come up with a Top Five list.
Q: That's awesome.
Brad Schmitt: We'll bring some people with, make it a party, have fun. And the list, sure enough, for online traffic, went pretty insane.
Q: Unbelievable.
Brad Schmitt: And people were engaged, and a lot of people hated it! So, that's when I learned, like, hate is good, because hate draws convo, and hate draws other people reposting, and the engagement goes through the roof! If I put out a list everybody agreed with, it'd be like, "Eh, boring." Anyway, so that's how the Top Five list came to be, and I've done... oh, my gosh... 20 or 25 of them. I don't know why it took us so long to get to coffee, because as you said earlier, coffee is ubiquitous in Nashville. I think you probably literally, in the populated areas, couldn't go more than five or six blocks without hitting a coffee shop. And look at what's just opened in the last three years.
Q: It's a lot of competition, that's for sure.
Brad Schmitt: Right? I could probably do this list every three years, I'm guessing. And people talk about their favorite coffee shops like they're talking about their girlfriends. Have you ever noticed that?
Q: Yeah, yeah.
Brad Schmitt: "Man, I go to Crema. It is so awesome! The coffee is amazing! I get a double flippy affogato machachupa pour-over la da da, and the beans are harvested by women who've escaped slavery, and they're paid a fair wage, and nobody was injured in the making of this cup of coffee!" And you're like, Wow. That is more than you said about your girlfriend that you've dated for seven years.
Q: People love to talk about coffee, coffee shops, and people love to talk about lists. Lists are huge! And it's funny we're talking about lists, because this time of year, lists comes out of everywhere, especially in music... like, Top 100 Songs of 2019, Top 100 guitars, blah blah blah.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah. Nashville Lifestyles just hit its 25 Most Beautiful People in Nashville list.
Q: Boom.
Brad Schmitt: Okay.
Q: Yeah.
Brad Schmitt: You are a beautiful man, Q.
Q: So are you.
Brad Schmitt: I happen to know some people.
Q: You're beautiful.
Brad Schmitt: So let's get you for 2020.
Q: I hope so. Shoutout to Nashville Lifestyles!
Brad Schmitt: 2020! Q on the 25 Most Beautiful... come on! This is a travesty you haven't been on there!
Q: So, how did these top five get in the Top Five? I'm trying to figure it.
Brad Schmitt: So, you've just heard me exhibit my incredible ignorance when it actually comes to coffee. My apologies to Larry.
Larry: It's okay, it's okay.
Brad Schmitt: The roasting god of Nashville.
Larry: I am not a roasting god, by any means! Not at all!
Brad Schmitt: Come on dude, your coffee... I mean, again, I don't know... as you can hear, I am not a discerning palette.
Brad Schmitt: But it's interesting because people tend to not always talk about the coffee from their favorite coffee shop. Like, "Can I get a parking spot? Man, that's important."
Q: And I'm glad you're diving into the aspects of how this list came to fruition.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah. "Can I get a seat? Do I have to sit with a bunch of yudkins? Are they playing super loud Sara Bareilles?"
Larry: You got to clarify what a yudkin is for me. I'm just a baby, so I don't know some words.
Brad Schmitt: A jabroni?
Larry: Okay.
Brad Schmitt: A mook?
Q: I don't know what a jabroni... what is a jabroni?
Brad Schmitt: A yudkin.
Larry: Yeah, what is a jabroni?
Q: I'm going to use that.
Rachel: I'm going to butt in here and introduce myself. First of all, I'm Rachel.
Q: Hey, Rachel.
Brad Schmitt: Hey, Rachel!
Rachel: I'm always behind the scenes, but I do want to talk on this show today because, well, we're missing our co-hosts, and I'd like to be a co-host.
Q: That's funny.
Rachel: An example would be like at Dose when you have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder because there's no seats.
Larry: That's a judkin?
Rachel: You know? And you have to sit shoulder-with-shoulder with everybody on the little work desk, and you have somebody kind of smells bad, or like...
Brad Schmitt: Or they have their earpods in, but they're blasting them so loud that you absolutely can hear what they're listening to!
Larry: Oh, see, that's me.
Brad Schmitt: Or, here's what else a jabroni/yudkin/mook does.
Q: Jabroni.
Brad Schmitt: They have loud cell phone conversations in the middle of the coffee shop!
Larry: Oh, yeah, that's bad. Bad etiquette.
Brad Schmitt: Or, here's the worst one. And when they're having their cell phone conversation, they put it on speaker so you can hear the other yudkin! Like, "Dude, I'm just trying to enjoy my locally-sourced blueberry scone and pour-over coffee here. Why do I have to hear you and your mother shouting about who left the cereal bowl in the sink?" So, that's a yudkin!
Larry: Okay.
Q: That's at every coffee shop.
Brad Schmitt: Right, but there's a level of...
Rachel: How close do you have to be to them?
Brad Schmitt: And you know, there's a different vibe at Crema than there is at Steadfast, than there is at 8th and Roast, than there is at a Starbucks. I mean, there are different vibes, and the level of jabroni/yudkinism is different at the different shops.
Larry: Jabroni scale.
Brad Schmitt: Right, so all that's under vibe. Now, conversely, what if I'm going to Humphrey Street, which is a Christian-based coffee shop run by inner city kids for inner city kids? Vibe through the roof. Wow! I love that. And these kids, they know their products, and they are really good service folks. And I loved it.
Brad Schmitt: I always bring a posse with me because I do not trust me. I think we all need a second opinion, or third or fourth. And they didn't love the products that Humphrey Street was serving. But that, for me, had vibe for days. I felt good about going there. I felt good about paying for my overpriced cup of coffee there.
Q: So they probably would have been number six.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah, and for me, they would have been two or three.
Q: Okay. It was a collective effort.
Brad Schmitt: But it's a group effort.
Q: Got you.
Brad Schmitt: And then, food... this is where 8th and Roast, for me, really excels... you're welcome.
Q: Thank you.
Brad Schmitt: To me, it is insane how the food offerings are exploding at coffee shops. It is no longer enough to have a cinnamon roll.
Q: Well, it's not financially stable enough, too.
Brad Schmitt: I got you. And avocado toast isn't even enough. I mean, you have got to have serious... and that's where Steadfast serves risotto, for God's sakes. I mean, they're really a full-fledged restaurant posing as a coffee shop. Their food is outstanding, and they bring you quality.
Brad Schmitt: But 8th and Roast has really expanded, especially in your Charlotte location; that's why Charlotte got on the list, and not the original.
Q: Appreciate that.
Brad Schmitt: Plus, the original, I have to say, is a little crowd-y, a little tough to find parking; jabroni level is a little higher.
Q: It's a lot of jabroni over there, to be straight.
Brad Schmitt: At the original.
Q: I really love the jabroni word.
Larry: We're breaking the jabroni scale hard. We're off the charts.
Brad Schmitt: But Charlotte, you have a little room to stretch out, and the menu is incredible, and it's expansive, and it's exciting, and it's interesting. And so, that's really... 8th and Roast really landed that
Q: You have Slow Hand at number three, and Barista Parlor at two. Now, Barista Parlor, do they even have food at Barista Parlor?
Brad Schmitt: Oh, they do.
Larry: Yeah, their food program is off the charts. It's good.
Brad Schmitt: They do, and they've expanded it. And in fact, in our Top Five Biscuit List, Barista Parlor was number one.
Larry: Yeah, their biscuits are... woo!
Brad Schmitt: Better than Biscuit Love.
Larry: Yeah, they're really good.
Brad Schmitt: Better than Loveless.
Q: Wow.
Brad Schmitt: Now, who is with me... Rachel, help me out here... who is with me in, that the impression of Barista Parlor was super pretentious... the rep... super pretentious, super... oh, man, just inaccessible; you got a really stink eye if you asked for cream or sugar...
Q: Elitist.
Brad Schmitt: Elitist, right. And so... because that was my experience two, three, four years ago when they opened up.
Brad Schmitt: So, when we were walking in, I was like, "This freaking place. Oh, man." Totally different vibe when we went to Germantown.
Q: That's great. That's great.
Larry: You went to the Germantown?
Brad Schmitt: Yeah.
Larry: That's the place to go.
Brad Schmitt: Where there was parking and plenty of places to sit.
Larry: If you're going to do any Barista Parlor, you got to do Germantown.
Brad Schmitt: And they were super nice. "What can I get you?" I dropped a napkin on the floor, and this server comes by and is like, "Oh, I saw you dropped your napkin so I brought you three others."
Q: He was a ninja. Just came out of nowhere.
Brad Schmitt: Right. And super nice, like, "How can I make that coffee better for you? What do you want?" I was like, "Wow! You guys"... so either I misread it the first time I went, or they have changed their culture. What do you think?
Rachel: They have certainly changed their ways. I feel like we've talked about this on another episode.
Brad Schmitt: Oh you have, okay.
Rachel: That when Barista Parlor came on the scene, they set the pretention... like, whole thing between the coffee shops, and for a little while there, all of the coffee shops were trying to be pretentious.
Q: That was the way for a minute, right.
Rachel: And like, "You need to know what a natural coffee is to step in here."
Larry: It weirdly kind of made them them, though. It kind of sparked this... because I think when they first came on the scene, there wasn't really anywhere else where you could get coffee at that quality, or with a story like that behind it. And I think it almost, in an odd way, set them apart and almost kind of sparked this whole thing that started happening with all these coffee shops around Nashville, where everyone was like, "Well, they're doing this really good thing, and somehow they're staying in business and they're still alive, and people still show up. Maybe we should try and do a little bit of that."
Larry: So, as I do disagree with how they used to act, but they kind of set fire to this whole crazy thing to where... now, I hate to say it, but specialty coffee is Nashville is like... it's everywhere, you know? It's everywhere.
Q: They somehow got away with that. How did they get away with that? I'll freak out on customer service.
Brad Schmitt: In Nashville... in Nashville, of all places.
Rachel: Where everyone is supposed to be nice!
Brad Schmitt: Right!
Q: For our restaurant cinema, if I get a Yelp review or get some kind of note saying, "Hey, Q, man, everything was cool. The food was great, and the drinks were awesome, but the server was a little bit of an asshole?" I freak out. I lose my mind! I'm like, "What is wrong with my staff?"
Larry: You got to remember, though, like half of Los Angeles lives here now, so it's like everybody's not as nice.
Q: Good point.
Brad Schmitt: Well, that's true, and that's who I think Barista Parlor was targeting, right?
Larry: 100 percent, that Malibu, white stark look vibe.
Rachel: Yeah, I don't know if they were targeting them, as more of just trying to bring that here... just offering a different vibe to the traditional Southern Nashville biscuit vibe.
Larry: 100 percent.
Brad Schmitt: But I do agree that they've come way off of that, and they're much more accessible now, A. And B, I'm with Larry, in that they really did... they did spark a good trend in that they really upped the quality of the coffee and really the look of the coffee shop, right? Because-
Larry: Yeah, I mean they kind of brought the coffee shop experience to more than just "Mom and Pop, there's a couple pastries sitting on the counter." It's like you go in and you feel like you've just been invited to some kind of event. It's more of a moment than it is just a quick, "I'm just going to run through here, grab a coffee, and get out." It's like you go in and you kind of stop, and you just look around for a minute, because there's infield motorcycles hanging on the wall.
Brad Schmitt: Whoa! Bruce Springsteen vinyl!
Larry: Youthful color schemes, or this amazing piece of artwork on the back wall that just kind of captures you for a minute. So, it kind of changed the whole idea of, is specialty coffee just the experience of getting this really good drink, or is it your environment and how you experience drinking your drink? And I think they kind of took it there.
Brad Schmitt: Nice!
Q: Well, you know what? So, five, Dose; four, 8th and Roast; three, Slow Hand; Barista Parlor, shoutout, number two in the entire city of Nashville. And we'll talk about Steadfast when we come back, but we're going to take a break right here. Coffee& Podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live.
Q: Welcome back. Coffee& podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live. Got my brother, Brad Schmitt, in the building from the Tennessean; one of the dopest journalists in town. Got my brother Larry in the building, our lead roaster at 8th and Roast. Thanks for stepping in today for the brothers.
Larry: It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure.
Q: Rachel is also our co-host today.
Rachel: Hello.
Q: She's the best.
Brad Schmitt: She loves coffee.
Rachel: I do love coffee.
Q: So, we talked about our top five coffee shops in Nashville. I'm going to give you that list one more time. Number five, Dose; number four, us, 8th and Roast; three, Slow Hand on Gallatin; two, Barista Parlor, 4th Avenue North location; and number one... and I want you to tell me why did Steadfast in Germantown was named your number one coffee shop in Nashville, Brad?
Brad Schmitt: So, we talked a little bit about how Barista Parlor could come off as pretentious when they first opened up. And Steadfast, to me, also was a little nerveracking, because as I wrote in here, they have things like flash-chilled coffee, rested drinks, and matchless coffee soda, and I have no idea what any of that means.
Larry: It's matchless.
Brad Schmitt: Does that mean you don't have matches?
Larry: No, it's just there's nothing that compares.
Brad Schmitt: Oh, is that what it means, seriously?
Larry: It's matchless.
Brad Schmitt: Oh! Are you serious, Larry?
Larry: No, I'm just... !
Brad Schmitt: Oh, okay!
Rachel: I was about to say, maybe incomparable is a better word there.
Brad Schmitt: Incomparable coffee soda!
Larry: The best coffee soda, but I don't think you'd get away with calling it that, so matchless works.
Brad Schmitt: So, I don't know that means. Anyway... having said that, their... especially the people I was with said that the coffee was excellent. And their food offerings are ridiculous. I would put... now that I'm thinking about this, I might put Steadfast on a Top 25 Restaurants in Nashville list!
Q: Wow!
Brad Schmitt: Because that's how good their food is. I accidentally had risotto there once, because I got there for a 2:00 appointment and I had missed lunch, and I was like, "Do you mind if I get a little something to eat?" And I was like, "I'm looking for a little something to eat," and they're like, "Well, we have a wonderful mushroom risotto today," and I was like, "Are you pulling my leg?" I was literally looking around, like, "Are you punking me?"
Q: In my opinion, that's kind of iconic.
Brad Schmitt: "Did you just say"... because I was looking for a muffin or avocado toast or something with sunflower seeds... and here this dude is saying, "We've got an exquisite mushroom risotto today." And it was such a ridiculous suggestion for me at a coffee shop that I got it! I was like, "I'm in!" And it was delicious! It was really, really good.
Q: The mushroom risotto!
Brad Schmitt: The mushrooms were like truffles. They were just so good and high quality and tasty!
Q: That's kind of random for a coffee shop.
Brad Schmitt: So random! So random! The people, even though it sounds like pretentious offerings, they were so nice and so... just awesome, and beardedly, plaidedly wonderful... and just really nice guys. I don't even think there were any women on the staff that day that I was there.
Brad Schmitt: But they were just really, really nice... because I would say, like, "What was this ridiculous term that I've never heard of before?" And they would be super patient, like, "Oh, actually, it's no big deal, just means blah blah blah blah, and the way we roast our blah blah blah," and I was like, "Oh, that's English and I can understand that, and you took the time to explain it to me."
Brad Schmitt: The only small, small, small, small thing that we didn't love is the seating isn't the most comfortable in Nashville. Have you been to Steadfast?
Larry: Yeah.
Brad Schmitt: And so, like Ryman butt... you know if you're at a Ryman show and you don't bring a seat cover or cushion?
Larry: Oh yeah! You just end up walking upstairs and standing and watching because their seats are not comfortable!
Brad Schmitt: Yeah, like, "Oh, my tush is killing me!" And so, Steadfast-
Q: Strategically, though, that's a good thing, because you don't sit there for five hours.
Brad Schmitt: And that's what we were saying, like, "Oh, I wonder if this is strategery," as a former President of ours used to say. Steadfast is not built for the long haul. You're there for one, two hours, and...
Q: In and out.
Brad Schmitt: I got to get up.
Larry: I think the max time I've ever spent there is maybe 30 minutes, 45 minutes.
Brad Schmitt: And I totally get that, because it's not built... but it is a-
Larry: Not because it's not good, either, but just... it's not meant for...
Brad Schmitt: It's just not built for comfort. It's not built for long-term comfort.
Rachel: The environment doesn't feel cozy or comfy. You don't want to post up there and sit at your computer and do work all day.
Brad Schmitt: Like you might in the middle seating area of 8th and Roast.
Rachel: Exactly.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah.
Q: Thank you.
Brad Schmitt: As a friend, you're welcome. So, right... but the food and the coffee and the nice folks, and the vibe and the lack of jabronis was such that it was like, "This is a superior coffee shop for us." But you know what? That and 17 dollars will get a cup of coffee in Nashville.
Brad Schmitt: So, I really want to hear what you all's number... and now we're going to say 8th and Roast, of course, is nirvana, the best place ever; we get that. It's your podcast.
Larry: We're growing men. We're growing.
Q: Yeah, we're growing.
Brad Schmitt: So, tell me what's your number two. Tell me what you think the best coffee shop is outside, because I'm interested in you all's opinions.
Q: I wouldn't pick my... I wouldn't be that guy. I wouldn't say that.
Brad Schmitt: Well, then, you're the wrong guy for the job.
Q: Honestly, I wouldn't say that on the air. If someone was walking down the street, and it's like, "Hey, Q, what's up, man? What's your favorite coffee?" "8th and Roast!"
Larry: "Do you own that?"
Q: If I ran into, like, Reggie Johnson on the street... which I just made up a random name... my favorite place, honestly... I'm going to be honest, my favorite spot? I got to go with Fido.
Brad Schmitt: Wow!
Q: Shoutout to Bob Bernstein! He keeps it... every time, you know? I know it's busier over there, it's crazier, but...
Brad Schmitt: I'll tell you why that's funny. That would have been number six, if we would have had a number six. I feel you on Fido! I love Fido!
Q: He's like the godfather, here, in my opinion, you know? So I always got to show him love, and the food is great.
Brad Schmitt: Stepped up massively, as well.
Q: Stepped up massively.
Rachel: Got a solid beer selection.
Q: Solid beer selection. You can drink a mimosa in there. You can also drink a mimosa at 8th and Roast, folks, just so you know!
Rachel: And wine in a can!
Larry: And we just got real wine glasses that actually make it!
Q: Yes, yes. What about you, Rachel? What's your-
Brad Schmitt: Number one.
Rachel: Ooh, we were kind of talking about this off air, but proximity is fairly important. So, I live over in East Nashville in the Inglewood area, so I find myself at Dose quite often. I can always find parking, because you got that lot across the street, by the Mitchell's Deli parking and whatnot. They have a pretty killer vegan banana chocolate chip muffin; shoutout to the vegan offerings at coffee shops. I am, myself, vegan, and patiently waiting for there to be a completely vegan coffee shop. Maybe I'll open it myself. We'll see!
Q: Let's do it. I'll invest in that.
Rachel: Great! Awesome! Q, let's talk.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah, right? Rachel's! I like that.
Rachel: But Dose, you can... eh, the only bad part about it is often it's pretty crowded. You can't always find a good spot, which can be upsetting.
Q: Can be discouraging.
Rachel: But also, for my life, I'm kind of a woman of the people. I know a lot of people in town.
Q: So they make people get up when you walk in?
Rachel: And usually someone knows someone else-
Q: "Hey, Rachel's here! Get your ass up, fool!"
Larry: Make way! Make way!
Rachel: No, no, no, no, no!
Q: "Hey man, get your ass up! Rachel's here!"
Rachel: Typically, I know someone sitting at a table, and I can just post up with them.
Q: That's what's up. You're a community woman.
Rachel: Yeah, exactly. Also, they have free refills until 1:00.
Brad Schmitt: Oh, wow!
Rachel: So if you go in before 1:00, and get their just house coffee, they will continue to walk by your table.
Brad Schmitt: No!
Rachel: And fill it up until 1:00.
Brad Schmitt: No way!
Q: I'm stealing that idea, Dose. I'm stealing that idea.
Rachel: So, if you are in need of extreme caffeination, Dose is the spot.
Q: You hear that, Larry? Make a note of that.
Brad Schmitt: That is pretty special!
Q: I like that.
Larry: That's cool. That's cool.
Brad Schmitt: That's really cool.
Larry: Yeah.
Rachel: Now you know.
Q: What about you, Larry?
Brad Schmitt: Quick question on Dose before we leave Dose: why the small lowercase D and why the period? Do you know?
Rachel: Why does every new musician have no vowels? I don't know. They're just trying to...
Larry: Why does every coffee shop have a name that's only one syllable?
Q: Well, let me tell you this. I think I know the answer to that question, Brad. I think it's a copyright thing. I think it was a way of them copyrighting their name and owning their name. That's my opinion of that.
Q: Like, Cinema, for example... when we were trying to figure out what the hell we were going to name this restaurant, we were going to call it Cinema with a C, but that's not happening... but we changed the C to a S, and now from a LLC standpoint, that's our name, as a brand.
Brad Schmitt: Okay. I got you.
Q: So maybe it's that.
Brad Schmitt: Maybe, maybe.
Q: Maybe it's that.
Brad Schmitt: All right.
Q: What's your favorite coffee shop though, by the way, Larry?
Larry: My favorite coffee shop actually just opened here in July, and it's over in East Nashville off Trinity Lane, and it's called Living Water. And it's actually a beer brewery.
Rachel: By Grimey's.
Q: I have to write that down.
Brad Schmitt: I'm literally writing it down.
Larry: Yes, by Grimey's, but inside there's also a coffee bar that this guy, his name is Gentry Wigginton, he opened it up... and it's the only place-
Q: Wigginton?
Larry: Wigginton, it's very British.
Q: Gentry Wigginton.
Larry: Gentry, with the TR.
Q: Wow.
Larry: So anyways, Gentry opened this place up.
Q: It's like Mr. Belvedere or something.
Larry: And what I like about it is that he's a multi-roaster. He's not roasting his own coffee. And it's really hard to find a coffee shop in Nashville now that's not roasting their own coffee or using coffee from another roaster in Nashville. As cool as that is, I think it's great. It's community-driven. It's cool to go somewhere where you can get something that's not from here. It's a little more like, "If I'm going to pay this money, I can get something that I can't necessarily experience here in Nashville, here in Nashville," you know? Because I don't have to fly to Maryland to get this coffee from this roaster. I don't have to fly here or there.
Larry: And it's a really cool set-up. He bought this dope machine, that it may or may not be the only espresso machine of its kind in Nashville; it's really cool. It comes out of the counter super cool, and there's a machine called modbar and people would be like, "Oh, it's the same thing," but it's not; it's different and it's way cooler and way sexier.
Larry: And when you order an espresso, they serve it to you in, like, a whiskey Glencairn glass. It's super...
Q: Wow!
Larry: It's bringing that vibe that Barista Parlor had in the beginning, of just upscale and nice, but their customer service and their level of friendliness is through the roof. And you can enjoy good coffee, and you can enjoy a really stellar beer that they're making right there next to each other.
Q: Living Water. Where is this located?
Larry: Yeah, Living Water. It's off Trinity Lane in East Nashville.
Q: Living Water, Trinity Lane.
Rachel: Yeah, there's this cool new complex over off East Trinity that's like the new Grimey's, which is beautiful. They've got Anaconda Vintage behind it, and now this brewery and coffee shop. And I think there's like a workout place next door and lots of apartments.
Larry: Yeah, it's super cool.
Q: Let me tell you all something. I'm about to break this down even deeper. If you go to Grimey's to buy some nice vinyl for your record collection, or a CD, or a 8-track... they probably got a couple of 8-tracks and some tapes in there, cassette tapes... did you know that Grimey's offer free coffee, provided by 8th and Roast?
Rachel: Yes!
Brad Schmitt: I did not know that.
Q: Yes, so...
Rachel: I do that often.
Q: Shoutout.
Rachel: I go... and it's a downstairs in the book store, which maybe you didn't know, but Grimey's is also an amazing bookstore!
Q: Yep. Dope books.
Larry: Huh. I didn't know that.
Rachel: And they offer that free coffee while you shop!
Brad Schmitt: Wow.
Larry: That's cool.
Q: Shoutout to Grimey's!
Larry: That's cool.
Q: So, Larry, you just kind of... you basically displayed your passion for coffee, and as a roaster, I feel like you have to have some kind of sort of passion about what you do for a living.
Larry: Yeah, you have to.
Q: Because it's a dynamic job title and job description; being a coffee roaster, it just takes a different kind of dude.
Larry: You can't not love it.
Q: You cannot love it.
Larry: It's got to be...
Q: Yeah, it's like a coal miner.
Brad Schmitt: What?
Larry: Sure. Sure.
Brad Schmitt: I'm sorry, can we just... that is the most ridiculous analogy I've ever heard. Nobody wants to be a coal miner!
Larry: I think people primarily mine coal because they just got to foot the bill, man.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're born into it, right?
Q: All right. Well, never mind! Well, maybe.
Larry: But maybe they're mining... maybe like a diamond miner; they're mining for diamonds!
Q: Sorry, kids.
Rachel: Maybe like us.
Q: Correct.
Brad Schmitt: I didn't mean to call you out there.
Q: That's a fact.
Larry: No, but what was I saying is like... as a coffee roaster, I have to draw a line sometime myself, but I'm thinking about coffee when I'm at work. I'm roasting coffee, thinking about different coffees, and when I go home, I'm still thinking about it. I think about what I could do different, or think about what else I could find. And I have to set a boundary for myself when I get home; it's like, "Okay, I can't think about coffee," because you just always... your mind's always there, and it's always thinking about, "How could I change this or how could I make this different? How could I change the chemical reactions that are going inside the roaster while it's going?"
Larry: Because there's so many different things happening; you've got sugars caramelizing; first crack's happening, you're hitting your first phase of development, and all this crazy stuff is going on. And a lot of people that are listening to this are probably like, "I don't know what he's talking about," and that's okay, and it doesn't really matter as long as you like how it tastes, and you think it tastes good. That's awesome.
Larry: But yeah, you don't stop thinking about that, and you enjoy thinking about it. It's not like... you're not thinking about work, you're thinking about, "Oh, I just love doing this and I want to learn more about it."
Q: That ties into what you do for a living, Brad, and that's where I was going with this.
Brad Schmitt: But first of all, props to you for making the right hire with Larry. I mean, you hired the right dude! Holy smokes, that guy loves roasting coffee!
Q: But I'm sure... that's how people probably feel about you, probably feel about you at the Tennessean. It takes someone that really loves what they're doing for a living, and how did you know, "This is what I want to do?" And you're a voice of the city, in my opinion, and I think it's very essential that we have people like you sharing their thoughts, writing good stories, sharing good ideas with the city of Nashville; how did that start, that passion? Like, "This is what I do. This is what I'm supposed to do," and so on?
Brad Schmitt: Great question. Thank you.
Brad Schmitt: Well, first of all, thank you for the kind words, and yeah, when I'm not doing Top Five Food lists, I am super blessed to be able to tell people's real, vulnerable, authentic stories, and people sharing with me about overcoming cancer, or the loss of a child, or poverty, or addiction, or all sorts of other things that they're overcoming... childhood trauma.
Brad Schmitt: So, I mentioned that last one because I told you off air, like, "I want to be real about this question." The truth is, when I was a kid, I grew up... my dad died as a boy, my mom was a rager... and so, I heard a lot of, "You're a fat, lazy, selfish, stupid piece of shit" when I was growing up. Not only did she literally say that, but there were actions she was taking, and I've certainly gone a long way in forgiving my mom, because that's she was brought up; it was a generational thing.
Brad Schmitt: But I grew up feeling less than, and really separate from, and... like a fat, lazy, selfish, stupid piece of shit. And so, I was desperately looking for a way to matter. And I couldn't play guitar and my football-throwing skills were mediocre, at best. But I could tell a story or a joke.
Brad Schmitt: And so, I was like, "Oh, I'll be a media superstar. I'll be a David Letterman or a columnist, and that's how I'm going to get attention and validation from my peers." I probably couldn't have said it that eloquently back then, but that's definitely what I was doing, in hindsight. And as I started to do that, I found out that I really liked it. Like, I love telling stories, and I love telling other people stories, and I giving them a voice!
Brad Schmitt: And it's something that I was and am good at, I think... I try to say with humility.
Q: Well, you are.
Brad Schmitt: But I can do, and a lot of that is a God-given talent, of course, and some of it I've worked on over the years. So that, honestly... my being a journalist has had little to do with a love of journalism, and a lot to do with trying to find a way that mattered in the world, that I could get some validation outside my, what I would consider, unsafe and abusive home.
Brad Schmitt: And so, that led to, for me, a life of addiction that I got into recovery about nine years ago. And what I found out after I got in recovery is, when we stripped away all the bullcrap, right, and I got to look at some of these things about myself, like, "Well, wait a minute! I really do like writing." I was like... do you remember Julia Roberts in that movie, Runaway Bride, where she didn't know what kind of eggs she liked because she had always taken on the identity of her boyfriend or her husband?
Q: Right, right.
Brad Schmitt: I was fronting so hard in my Brad About You celebrity news writing days here in The Tennessean... I wrote the celebrity news column... I was fronting so hard that I created this persona, and I didn't know who the hell I was! But what I did find out in recovery is, "Yeah, I love writing. I love telling stories."
Brad Schmitt: And then, The Tennessean... so, when I crashed and burned, I got two DUIs at Channel 2 when I was an entertainment reporter there in 2009/2010... and I got fired. And so, I had to start the journalism thing over again. I didn't even know if I was going to, actually; I started scanning membership cards at the downtown Y for seven dollars an hour, eight dollars an hour.
Q: Wow.
Brad Schmitt: And that led to doing sort of... the Y had their own recovery program called Restore Small Groups, and I got involved with them, and then I got a part-time job with them, and then I got a full-time job in recovery. And then I started blogging about recovery, and that's when The Tennessean is like, "Oh, Brad is writing again." One person... I shouldn't say The Tennessean as an institution... no, there was only one or two editors who were still left from my days prior, and one of them said to the new editors, "Hey, I know this guy, Brad Schmitt. He was kind of a D-bag when he was here sometimes, but back then and even now, I know he has a good heart. And he's writing again; let's take a chance on him."
Brad Schmitt: And so, that's when they hired me to do... instead of that celebrity news and the song and the dance, they hired me to do these authentic stories and columns about people, and telling their stories.
Larry: Wow.
Q: That's awesome.
Brad Schmitt: And then that hamburger conversation that I mentioned earlier, that's what got me into the Top Five Food lists... which is great, because you can do so many intense stories in a row before... like, I needed a mental... so, the hamburger list or the best coffee shop gives me a mental break from that intense storytelling.
Q: The intense writing, yeah.
Q: Well, you're awesome, man. And we've talked about his past, we've talked about the present, and we'll get into the future of journalism when we get back. Coffee& podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live.
Q: Coffee& podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live. My name is Q. We got Rachel, Larry, and our guest, Brad Schmitt from The Tennessean. This has been fun, man.
Brad Schmitt: I appreciate the opportunity. I appreciate you listening to me.
Q: It's been nice, man. We talked about some cool stuff. We name-dropped and gave shoutouts to a lot of cool spots around town. Dose, Fido, 8th and Roast, Barista Parlor, Slow Hand, and number one coffee shop in Brad's mind is Steadfast... and a lot of other people, as well... a lot of people would agree with that. So, that list is validated, for sure, my brother.
Brad Schmitt: Well, we also learned of a new spot in East Nashville, right? Living Water.
Larry: Living Water, man, it's the place to be.
Q: Yeah, and we've found out what a jabroni is, because I never heard of that word.
Larry: And a yadinki? What is it?
Brad Schmitt: A yudkin.
Q: A yudkin.
Larry: A yudkin?
Brad Schmitt: A yadinki?
Q: You fucking yudkin.
Larry: You yudkin.
Brad Schmitt: Jabroni. Mook.
Larry: You kumquat nudkin.
Q: And we got to know a little bit of Brad's backstory, as well, so it was really nice to hear that; very inspiring. And it goes to show that if you believe in yourself, you definitely get second chances in this world. And at the end of the day, Brad is a person who I think just believes in himself, and that's how we're here today.
Q: And I'm glad that you believe in yourself, because you wouldn't be a guest on this podcast if you didn't, man.
Brad Schmitt: Thank you.
Q: So, shoutout to you, man! And we talked about the past, his upbringing; we talked about the present, talked about his favorite coffee shops. And I wanted to dive into a little bit before we close up today about how... I felt like it's a digital disruption in journalism and writing and the core.
Q: And it kind of reminds me of the Season 5 of The Wire; I don't know if you've seen that TV show.
Brad Schmitt: Yes!
Q: Yeah, but I thought it captured the essence of keeping the roots and the essence of journalism, and how that's changed with the digital world and things like that. So, shoutout to The Wire; all-time great TV show.
Brad Schmitt: 100 percent.
Q:
Brad Schmitt: Well, oh my gosh, it's affected everything. Before... like, I'll tell you... man, I hate old man stories, but here it comes.
Brad Schmitt: I mean, when I was starting out in journalism and for most of my career, you had one deadline a day, right? There was no 24 hour news cycle. You had all day to work on your story. And now, it's like, "Give it to me now. Give it to me now. Give it to me now." Not only do they want it now, and, "I want pictures. I want video. I want a story, and I want it instantly," and so it's really... "And get it out on all your socials, and get the right SEO, and really maximize your contents."
Brad Schmitt: You spend almost as much time distributing your content as you do creating it. Does that make sense?
Q: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Brad Schmitt: The self-marketing aspect is insane. I'm sitting here posting stories on Facebook and pictures on Instagram of stories that I've written; like, I spend almost as much time sort of promoting or... it's a whole different world.
Brad Schmitt: All journalists have to be multimedia. All journalists better know how to edit and make a video with their phone. All journalists better know how to write. All journalists better know how to take some freaking nice pictures, because people want to see pictures and see videos. And they'll read some; they'll read some. But long gone are the days of bringing your print newspaper into the coffee shop; I shouldn't say long gone, because the Tennessean does still have a very loyal thousands... literally tens of thousands of people are still buying the print products.
Larry: That's amazing. So cool.
Brad Schmitt: And they bring into you all's coffee shop sometimes, and some people still enjoy that.
Brad Schmitt: Most folks are consuming news online, on their phone, more specifically. So it's funny, because we used to create a different format for your desktop versus your phone; no, it's all mobile now. So, it's always, always, always, always evolving. And the question is, how do we monetize this? How can The Tennessean and hundreds of other formally print-based products monetize it?
Brad Schmitt: And they're constantly looking at ways for doing that. We talked about doing events, right? So we have National Storytellers, we have different forums, we have Come and Drink a Beer with So-and-So Community Leaders; so, we have events now, and the digital subscription is what's going to save us and make us financially viable. And it can be done; if we get enough digital subscriptions, and it's... whatever it is, three bucks a month, five bucks a month? If that?
Brad Schmitt: But if we get enough of those, we are going to be self-sustainable, and so that's the goal.
Q: And that's the way of adapting, in your opinion.
Brad Schmitt: Right. And so it's a user fee, just like... yeah, it's essentially the same thing as a subscription to the print, but much cheaper for the digital. And when you do get a digital subscription, you get everything. Like right now, about half of our content is just for subscribers and half is for anybody. But that's probably going to shift, and subscriptions will probably be... those digital subscriptions will probably be what either makes or breaks the industry.
Q: Does this digital world that we live in... does that prevent you, as a journalist, from connecting with the stories that you want to create? Does that put a hindrance on that, in a way?
Brad Schmitt: Well, I hear what you're saying, and I was the guy who was like, "People talk to print reporters much more in depth than they do TV reporters," right? Because if I throw a light in your face and a camera in your face, you're going to freeze up and/or not be nearly as authentic and vulnerable as you might if it's just me and you having a convo with me with a pen and a paper, or even me and a laptop.
Brad Schmitt: Well, that was a big fear of mine; turns out that was not necessarily true, and there's ways around that. Let's have this conversation first, and we'll then go back and take out the video camera maybe at the end, and what are you comfortable sharing on camera?
Brad Schmitt: There are ways to do that. I think, in fact, dare I say, Q... we are richer and more interesting storytellers now in the digital age than we were in print only.
Q: Wow.
Brad Schmitt: Because we're bringing so much more to the table. Now you can see the person. Now you can hear their voice. Yeah, I just feel like... I feel like it's a really exciting time. It's challenging. We better get some new skills! We better how to learn how to do it. We better know what Insta means. We better Snap, and we better do all the other things that we need to do to stay connected to our audience.
Brad Schmitt: And I enjoy it! I just like taking our picture and putting it on Instagram; I think it's fun! I have to say that I enjoy it. We were taught to keep our egos in check as print journalists, and now they're like, "Create a personality. Create a persona. Get out there. Get people to really engage with you!"
Larry: That's awesome!
Brad Schmitt: And it is, and it's a little scary, but there are some of us... like Brad Schmitt... who might be a little bit of a ham anyway, who might love and seek and crave attention every now and again! But the more hard-school, old-school journalists might have a little bit of trouble with that transition. But for the most part... and again, not to... 8th and Roast myself, meaning mention it constantly... but The Tennessean, I feel like, is full of vibrant, and in a lot of cases, young folks who are really getting it done, who can bring the intense serious journalism... "all the feels," as the kids say... really good info, and fun, and a lot of fun and relatability and interaction quickly.
Brad Schmitt: Like, we have a talented team of people who are on the move and can do a lot with a little. And so, it's been really... I have enjoyed it.
Q: I think the smart move is always surround yourself with younger, hungrier people. I mean, it's just the way it goes. They're way more in tune with the digital world than I could ever be, and the success of 8th and Roast is not me. It's just the people around me.
Brad Schmitt: You hire the right people.
Q: And I think every single one of them are under the age of 30.
Brad Schmitt: Right, because that's your audience, right?
Q: Right, right.
Brad Schmitt: And as we evolve and get a younger consumer, then yeah. But they've kept a space for me, and I'm super grateful for that! And I've evolved for sure; not as quickly as the kids, the younger folks, but it's really nice that they are keeping some veterans around, for sure, for a little depth and breadth of knowledge of the city... some history, and things like that.
Q: That's awesome, man.
Brad Schmitt: But I would be rather be Rachel than me!
Q: Well, thanks for being here today, man. How can we find you? So, we got Brad at the... what, do you got an Instagram or a Twitter? Twitter handle, for sure.
Brad Schmitt: Yeah. @BradSchmitt.
Q: You might want to spell the last name.
Brad Schmitt: Oh, yeah. S-C-H-M-I-T-T.
Q: Yes.
Brad Schmitt: But here's what's real easy. If you really want to find me, just email me! And I had to fight for this email address, because everybody has, like, first initial, last name, blah blah blah. I am brad@tennessean.com.
Larry: Wow!
Q: Awesome!
Larry: That's impressive.
Brad Schmitt: Brad at T-E-N-N-E-S-S-E-A-N dot com.
Q: Awesome, man.
Brad Schmitt: I'd love to hear from you.
Q: My man, Brad Schmitt. Larry, thanks for joining us today. Rachel. Appreciate you having us. Coffee& podcast, powered by Acme Radio Live.