Out Now: The April + May 2026 21st Anniversary Issue of Barista Magazine!

In our 21st anniversary issue, April + May 2026, we feature Laila Ghambari on the cover! Also inside: Future-Proofing Specialty Coffee, Coffee Catering, Tech Talk, ‘One on One’ with Kai Janson, and much, much more!

BY SARAH ALLEN
BARISTA MAGAZINE

Welcome to the April + May 2026 Anniversary issue of Barista Magazine! This issue celebrates our 21st anniversary—we can hardly believe it! With this issue’s release, we’re excited to share the work of so many talented people who create each Barista Magazine. We’ve been doing this for more than two decades now, and the truth behind each and every issue has been the same since the start: We couldn’t and wouldn’t do this without you!

Thank you for your continued support of our work serving people serving coffee!

You can read this issue in print with a subscription or digitally online for free.

Cover Feature: Laila Ghambari

It’s not that Laila Ghambari—who was practically raised in her father’s long-established Seattle coffee shops—thought she would never own a coffee business herself; it’s just that she couldn’t have imagined the ownership journey would be quite like it’s been. Laila and her former partner bought an already successful coffee business in Portland, Ore., in 2024, but the number of things that have changed over these past two years is dizzying. We’ve known Laila and watched her career grow for well over a decade, as she won the United States Barista Championship in 2014, and she built out an offshoot of her dad’s company in Seattle; to her work managing training for Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and her prowess establishing her own coffee consulting business. What has transpired in Laila’s career over the past two years, however, is fully its own story, and pieces of it are sure to resonate with any coffee company owner and/or professional.

We know from Laila’s Barista Magazine column, “The Knockbox,” what a talented writer she is, and considering the personal nature of the story we wanted from her for this cover feature, we asked Laila to write it herself. And she killed it—read it for yourself.

Have Coffee, Will Travel: Why Coffee Catering Might Be the Smartest Revenue Stream You’re Not Tapping (Yet)

Café owner/operators are always on the lookout for new ways to increase revenue with minimal investment. Could adding catering to your offerings fit that bill? We talked to independent café owners starting mobile coffee businesses on the side, a larger craft coffee company making catering a major part of their operation, and even a company that specializes only in coffee catering in our deep dive into the subject to find out the pros and cons of catering, and what a successful catering option could add to your business.

Future-Proofing Specialty Coffee

There’s never been a better time for specialty coffee—and specialty coffee has never been at greater risk. It’s the paradox of our moment. While selective picking, studious processing, data-driven roasting, and top-notch brewing skills and equipment have all made coffee the best it’s ever been, the manmade threat of global warming is poised to undo all of that work. How can the specialty coffee industry move into a sustainable future? “Future-Proofing Specialty Coffee” looks for answers.

One on One: Kai Janson

If you’re familiar with Panamanian Geisha, you may have Kai Janson to thank. His work in Panama with his family to promote the varietal was instrumental to the growth of its global reputation. In “One on One,” we interview Kai about his backstory, his work in coffee, and we ask the question we all want to know the answer to: Did Kai Janson invent the selfie?

And Much More Inside

Also in the April + May 2026 issue: We take a trip to Chania, Greece, on the island of Crete to check out the burgeoning coffee scene; discuss the importance of water profiling in a new installment of “Hacks”; get advice on how to become a coffee equipment service technician from one of the best in the business; learn about the newest, coolest, and most inclusive coffee competition; take the temperature of the state of cold coffee drinks (it’s high!); and much more.

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Read the April + May 2026 21st Anniversary Issue for free with our digital edition. 

For free access to more than six years’ worth of issues, visit our digital edition archives here.