I’M NOT A BARISTA is happy to bring back Pack Sompetch Katisomsakul, the owner of the coffee business 50 Milk Street. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Pack after his success with the Coffee Wristbands Charity Program.
50 milk street raised $750 through Coffee Wristbands and bought 750 coffee trees to help the coffee farmers in Thailand
The goal of the program is to sell as many wristbands—designed by three international artists Nükhet Çubukçular, Timofey Logachev, and Guadalupe Delgadillo—as possible. The money collected through the wristbands is then distributed to coffee people in need.
Pack joined the program in the hopes of helping the farming community in Thailand. Due to his determination and passion to improve such a vital aspect of the coffee world, Pack, along with Chalisa Thammawong (Coffee Lover), Tor Chawaphon Kaeosanit (FOH COFFEE), Nuttakrit Srisard (Stay Here Coffee), Ratchakorn Yomchinda (Coffee or Tea), and Arm Kittinan (Dripcoffeehaus), and Petcharamon Osathaphan (R O O S E U K D E E), have seen their dreams come to fruition.
He said,
“We have raised a total of 25,389 THB, about 750 USD, by selling 250 Wristbands. This allows us to buy a total of about 750 Geisha and Java plants for”
these farming communities: Baan Toon, Huai Hom, Mae La Noi, Mae Hong Son; Pa Pae, Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai; and Maemon, Mueang Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai. He chose these areas because they:
“needed improvement. There is still a gap between these farming communities and the other farming communities.”
They needed his help and he wanted to give these coffee farms a fair chance. And he did this by getting the Geisha and Java plants from the Coffee Tree Breeding Provider Baan Maneepruek Farm, Thung Chang, Nan, Thailand. Once the Thailand Coffee Festival wraps up, Pack and his team will be bringing the plants to the farms themselves.
When Pack is not improving the farming side of the coffee industry in Thailand, he is putting his all into his employees at 50 Milk Street. After working at the Marriott Courtyard in Rhode Island and Seattle, he realized that the customer doesn’t need to be right all the time and that the employees’ happiness should be a priority. At 50 Milk Street, they get to be curious and ask any questions they want. All they need is passion to succeed.
He tells his employees,
“Try this, try those, try that.”
He encourages them to expand their knowledge and open up their hearts to all kinds of coffee, just as he encourages the people of Thailand to help those in the coffee industry who need it most. Farmers are some of the most vital people in the coffee business. If they do not have access to great coffee plants, then you do not have access to a great cup of coffee.
If you wish to know more about Pack Katisomsakul, please visit Pack Katisomsakul – I’M NOT A BARISTA.
Pack wanted to give a huge thank you to all of his supporters:
- Pichaya Wongkittichote (Kinto Thailand)
- Gabriel Carol (World Brewers Cup 2018 #9)
- Pakawan Tirapairoj (Picolo Folk Vento)
- Thanisorn Silamaneerat (hai coffee roaster)
- Makhawan Kijyakanont (hai coffee roaster)
- Dawn Chan (World Barista Championship 2015 #4)
- Sivanat Phungpist (The Peace Coffee Roaster)
- Phathit Voravath (Nicherry)
- Bo Sarila Chattakulchai (Nosh Nosh Project)
- Itthipon Sawadipuksa (COOF)
- Thananthorn Pongpanich (Motmot Coffee)
- Phiroonphong Jullangkul (i.din)
- Bhumsiri B
- พุฒิพล เทอดเหนือเกล้า
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- Phureepat Rubankerd
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- L Lerdprawat
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- (And many more!)
