CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021 - 32

Student Employees Keep
Husky Grind Espresso Brewing
The Student Experience is at the Core of Everything We Do
Marty Perlman
Communications Specialist
Housing & Food Services
University of Washington
With four outlets on the University of
Washington (UW) campus, Husky grind is a
complete retail operation nestled within Housing
& Food services. The coffee unit prides itself
on purchasing small batch, specialty beans, often
from cooperatives around the world. All aspects-
purchasing, roasting, packaging, and sales-are part of
the Husky grind system. Key to Husky grind's success
and customer loyalty are the student employees who
become involved with every aspect of bringing that latté
to the customer.
For many students, working at Husky grind is their
first real job. Of course, the pay at $16.69 per hour
is an inducement to help offset college costs. (Most
Husky grind employees work 12 to 18 hours a week with
schedules designed to accommodate their classes and
other study needs.)
The majority of roles include serving as baristas and
counter help at the two Husky grind cafés and studentrun
Parnassus, the oldest café on campus. The baristas,
who receive extensive training in espresso preparation
using specialized equipment, develop a detailed
understanding of the brewing variables (such as aroma
analysis) that lead to product quality and consistency.
Along the way, they are developing great job skills (e.g.,
focus, responsibility, interaction with the public, etc.)
that can be applied to future post-college employment.
In addition to the hospitality side of the business,
students take on other roles. The in-house roasting
32
CAMPUS DINING TODAY | gUEsT INTERACTION
of beans on a diedrich 2.5 kilo requires keen
attention to detail and intimate knowledge of
bean characteristics. One student used her
graphic design skills to create labels for Husky
grind's specialty coffee retail packages that
convey information about the coffee's origin
and characteristics in a simple, elegant, and
understandable way. she became a finalist in the
global Coffee Expo design Lab competition. Other
students support an educational component where
the Husky grind team partners with The school
of Public Health to offer Nutrition 490A: special
Topics-Coffee's value Chain, an accredited course
for 220 students.
Jeremiah Trammell, coffee roaster and assistant
director of markets, says he's had " the pleasure of
seeing UW graduates take skills they've learned
from the coffee programs and turn them into
dynamic careers, including within the coffee
industry. " One graduate became the co-owner
of Everyman's Coffee (a world-renowned coffee
shop in New York). Another combined his UW
bachelor of arts with skills gained from Husky grind
programs to become the creative director for the
highly regarded Royal Coffee importer. The Husky
grind Coffee manager, Amanda guzman, was
herself a student employee.
" I am extremely privileged, " adds Jeremiah, " to
have been a part of Husky grind's ever-evolving
program. "
CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CampusDiningTodayFall/Winter2021
