Meet Barrie Clark | Owner, Roaster, and Tea Creator of Drogo Coffee and Tea

We had the good fortune of connecting with Barrie Clark and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Barrie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I think the process of starting Drogo formed unconsciously in my mind before I ever started actively thinking about it. I started my coffee career as most people do by working in coffee shops. After years of managing various coffee shops, I eventually began building out, as well as running and managing, cafe programs for restaurants in the Atlanta area. It got to the point where I was trying to do everything as “in house” as possible, including making all the syrups and creating all the tea blends. The logical next step for me was to begin researching and experimenting with coffee roasting. The point that really clinched creating Drogo was when I ordered a box of green coffee beans. It was around the holidays and I’d been learning to roast for a while. I figured “I’m going to roast these for my friends and family as holiday presents. If they hate it, I at least tried and only lost out on a box of beans. If they love it, I’ll quit my day job, start my own company, and do this full time.” Four years later I can safely say they enjoyed their presents.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When talking about our coffees, we commonly refer to them as “artisan-roasted”. We use a slow, fire roasting process to roast our coffees that really brings out the best in the beans. In addition to this roasting process, we also have two unique methods of further preparing our coffees: dusting the beans in various spices and smoking our coffees before bagging. These methods further bring out the natural nuances of our single origin coffee beans.

Our teas are also something we are proud to call our own and share with the world. We create all of our tea blends ourselves, with half of our office looking similar to an apothecary in a fantasy story. The beauty of creating a new tea blend is one that is fun, thrilling, and fulfilling every time. Part of the reason we have thirty-nine teas, with ten more blends planned.

We often look back and are impressed by how much progress we’ve made in our short existence. The path of our professional success has definitely been an up hill battle at times. We’ve had lots of late nights, sometimes punctuated by tears, sometimes ending with a butter knife stuck in the bottom of a malfunctioning printer. Though even with all the difficulties we’ve faced, as huge and seemingly insurmountable as they have been at times, we’ve kept pushing through. The struggles have always been worth it to see where we are today. One of the two biggest lessons that we’ve learned is that we’ll get through the hard times, even if it does take a while. The other lesson has been that sometimes when things are really tough, it’s ok to take a day off to rest and try again later.

I think one of the biggest things we want the world to know is how much love, care, and passion we put into our products and business. Just like my work in building cafe programs, we try to do everything as “in house” or local as possible. If our art isn’t commissioned from a local artist, then I create the art myself. We design, print, and cut out our labeling ourselves. From beginning to end, we’ve put our thought and hard work into everything we do. Which, honestly, if we could make our own bags, we probably would.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Take them to the Buford Highway/Doraville area to eat WAY too much food, must haves include:
-Dim Sum at Canton House on Buford Highway
-Shoya Izakaya (with a trip to H Mart after to get more snacks and an Oh K-Dog)

Brunch at No Más Cantina

A trip along the The Atlanta Beltline, definitely making a stop at the Just Add Honey Tea Company

Wandering around Little 5 Points for the day, specifically grabbing a coffee at Java Lords before seeing a show at 7 Stages Theatre

Checking out a burlesque show being put on by Metropolitan Studios

Hanging out in Decatur, being sure to hit up The Imperial, The Beer Growler, Little Cottage Brewery, Dekalb Farmer’s Market, and then catching a show at Eddie’s Attic

Going on a mini brewery tour (with a designated driver), including these stops:
-Grab some Scoville Hot Chicken and beer at Fire Maker Brewing Company
-Get some mead at Viking Alchemist Meadery
-Throw axes and grab a beer at Ironmonger Taproom and Axe Throwing

If they’re staying through the weekend, I’d bring them out to check out a pop-up market put on by Bizarre Bazaar, Cryptid Creatives, or Georgia Vintage Goods

Website: www.drogocoffee.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/caffeinated_viking

Twitter: www.twitter.com/drogotogo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/drogocoffee

Image Credits
Barrie Clark