# An unlikely journey – a conversation with Trish Rothgeb, Wrecking Ball Coffee

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/5thwave-the-business-of-coffee-and-hospitality-2776042/an-unlikely-journey-a-conversation-with-trish-rothgeb-wrecking-ball-coffee
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/5thwave-the-business-of-coffee-and-hospitality-2776042/an-unlikely-journey-a-conversation-with-trish-rothgeb-wrecking-ball-coffee.md
Podcast: [5THWAVE - The Business of Coffee and Hospitality](https://stenobird.com/podcast/5thwave-the-business-of-coffee-and-hospitality-2776042)
Published: 2026-04-02T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/ffd1eb8c
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/ffd1eb8c/5d4408c5.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/5thwave-the-business-of-coffee-and-hospitality-2776042/episodes/an-unlikely-journey-a-conversation-with-trish-rothgeb-wrecking-ball-coffee
Duration seconds: 1674

## Resource

In today’s episode, we're speaking with Trish Rothgeb, founder of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters in San Francisco. With over 30 years in the coffee industry, Trish was a true pioneer of the West Coast specialty coffee movement in the early 2000s and is widely credited with popularising the term “Third Wave Coffee.” In this conversation, we explore the evolution of specialty coffee culture and the major shifts in consumer behaviour over the last two decades. Trish also shares why she believes the next meaningful shift must focus on equity across the global supply chain, and why lasting change will only come when economic models work sustainably for producers, not just pleasing consumers. Subscribe to Trish's Substack and read her article on Third Wave Coffee here Tune in to Picture Day on YouTube for more coffee adventures with Trish Rothgeb and Jay Lljewski Credits music: "I'm Fine" by Bobbi Stella in association with The Coffee Music Project and SEB Collective . Tune into the 5THWAVE Playlist on Spotify for more music from the show Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest coffee news at worldcoffeeportal.com Subscribe to 5THWAVE on Instagram @5thWaveCoffee and tell us what topics you'd like to hear

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## Transcript

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