Reyna Callejo, United States
Olympia Coffee
pLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF:
I work at Olympia Coffee in Washington, USA, and though I'm based out of Seattle, I also tend to our shops in Tacoma and Olympia, as their Director of Training and Innovation. My job is mostly training and developing curriculum, but I also lead the charge in menu development and quality assurance, while also planning and hosting coffee excellence events for our coffee community.
I've been competing since the 2018/19 season, originally with Barista Competition. This is my first year competing in CiGS. In 2016, at my first SCA Expo in Atlanta, I was inspired by some US barista competitors to look into competition. The pursuit of excellence was thrilling; at the time, I didn't understand how intense it was, but I decided that I was going to compete when I was given the opportunity. Sam, last year's USCiGS champ and my coach, convinced me to compete in CiGS this year. It's been my dream to present Hawaiian coffees from my home island at a Worlds level competition, and that's what we're doing!
I got into the coffee industry in 2014, just before I graduated college. Coffee was meant to be a filler while I applied for MS programs in Psychology, but as it turns out, I prefer providing the fast-paced hospitality of the coffee industry over academia.
Outside of coffee, I'm an avid home cook, which definitely feeds into the nature of being a CiGS competitor. I've also got a pretty big plant collection, currently hovering around 280 plants in my tiny 1 bed-1 bath apartment.
what are you excited to do while you are in Copenhagen?:
I'm so excited to try out the local food scene! To make delicious food (and coffee, and cocktails), you have to be building your palate all of the time, so I'm really excited to try out what Denmark has to offer! Also, I'm a big into knitting, so if I get the chance to go to a knitting cafe, I'm definitely going!
what are your interests outside of coffee?:
Outside of coffee, there are 4 things that take up my time: music, knitting, plants, and cooking. If I'm not making coffee or coffee-adjacent work, you can find me knitting in cafes, or at wine bars, cooking up an elaborate meal at home, tending to my 280 plants, or attending rehearsal for a local wind symphony with my bassoon.
is there anyone you’d like to thank?:
Yes! Both of my coaches, Sam and Alan, have been instrumental in making this a successful competition season. My coaches do a lot of the heavy lifting (both literally and figuratively), as well as give me the feedback I need to hear to get better. And it's not just Sam and Alan — the whole team at Olympia Coffee goes above and beyond to support me by giving me great flavor calls, sitting through my practice runs, and facilitating me leaving so frequently!
