Low Key, High Octane

Theirs is not a story of a single place, at a single time, doing a single monumental thing. However the story starts at Octane Coffee in Atlanta, on a Friday night this past April, in the middle of a competition where some of the most accomplished baristas in the world were throwing down. Like the frenzied college basketball tournament held just weeks prior, this coffee competition was set up in a familiar brackets style elimination. The object of the game however was a little bit different, this was a latte art competition.

Amidst the cacophony of conversation from the gradually increasing crowd there were nearly a dozen people running between the crowd and behind the counter setting up video equipment, calling out drink orders, pulling espresso shots, ringing up orders for beer. Of those rushing around to keep the mob at bay I could see two in particular, hustling just as much as everyone else, they were Tony and Diane Riffle, husband and wife, owners of Octane, this is their story.

Octane is at the leading edge in Atlanta when it comes to quality coffee, but when it first began they were far from holding that title.

What I have found unique to the story of Octane is that in many ways it is the story of the recent radical developments within coffee on a national scale. Perhaps ten years ago quality coffee was just starting to gain momentum in the US. These days large companies are following this trend. Starbucks is pushing aggressive ads touting “Quality” and new packaging on their whole bean coffee feature more specificity of growing region, varietals, and elevation. “The best cup of brewed coffee I have ever tasted.” Howard Schultz founder and CEO of Starbucks was recently quoted, talking about the coffee he tasted from Café Grumpy in New York City, a place focused on quality coffee as is Octane. Octane is at the leading edge in Atlanta when it comes to quality coffee, but when it first began they were far from holding that title.

Every quality focused individual, be it with food, wine, or coffee, must start somewhere in their journey. For Diane and  Tony it was at a Starbucks and a Caribou Coffee, respectively, where they worked for a short period of time before they ventured out to start their own coffee shop.

In 2003 they began the process of opening up Octane. In May they signed a lease, August began construction, finally at the end of the year in December of 2003 they opened their doors on Marietta Street in West Midtown near Georgia Tech. They made eighty-three dollars that first day. It was not bad considering the lack of foot traffic in the area. They choose this location with the expectation that the business in the neighborhood would eventually pick up, and it has.

I asked [Diane] how she ended up in Atlanta, “Threw a dart at a map.” she joked.

In the past few years new housing developments have cropped up on either side of Marietta, little shops and restaurants, a new brewery. Not to mention the King Plow Art Center had already been just down the road before they moved in. When they first started they had a large menu multiple size options, and much to learn. Things were slow and steady when Tony and Diane first opened, today they are one of the busier independently owned coffee shops in town.

I sat down at the bar in Octane on a quiet Tuesday afternoon Diane was there and Tony was splitting his time between my questions and duties behind the counter. The place was not as loud as the night of the throw down and much brighter with sunlight streaming in through the windows. I began the interview with questions of origins. Charlotte, North Carolina,  is where Diane says she grew up. I asked her how she ended up in Atlanta, “Threw a dart at a map.” she joked.

This was the early nineteen-nineties Tony was a young man, driving a sweet ride, wearing acid washed jeans, studying marketing and psychology

Tony is from West Virginia, a state full of beautiful sleepy mountain towns. In his early twenties he was looking toward bigger things (slightly bigger) so he made his move out of West Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina to go to school. This was the early nineteen-nineties Tony was a young man, driving a sweet ride, wearing acid washed jeans, studying marketing and psychology, and working at an Alamo car rental. It was there at the car rental company that Diane first met Tony where she worked with him in 1995. It was not until a few years later in 1998 when Tony and Diane would have their first date at a coffeehouse in Charlotte.

In 1998 Tony moved to Portland, Oregon where he was working for another rental company. “I didn’t like Portland at first”, he told me, “It rained ninety-four days in a row, very dreary.” In may of 1999 Diane visited Portland and loved it because of how friendly the people were. She moved out there in September that year. Because of Tony? I inquired, both Tony and Diane responded with various forms of no. “We weren’t really dating at that point,” they explained. Six months after Diane had moved to Portland Tony relocated once again. He left Portland and moved to San Diego, Six months after that Diane also moved to San Diego. It grew into a relationship, “We didn’t rush into anything.” Diane says. Like two twitterpated birds they finally ended their cross country courting when in 2001 they both moved to Atlanta, together. It was here that they would start their business. They wanted a chance to create something new and they wanted to have fun.

As long as we are having fun, we’ll keep on doing this. [Tony Riffle]

A few weeks after my interview with Tony and Diane I found myself back at Octane. It was late afternoon, where there should have been fading sunlight it was instead very dark inside of the space, blacked out by paper on all of the windows. In a little while Tony would step into Octane and back into time. This was his surprise fortieth birthday party in full eighties glory. Invitees, friends, family, the whole Octane staff, were urged to wear their coolest retro gear and to bring photos. There was one of Tony in a baggy blue sweatshirt and hammer pants, another with short shorts and a neon colored sleeveless undershirt. “As long as we are having fun, we’ll keep on doing this,” is what Tony told me about the future of Octane during our previous interview. He may have been slightly embarrassed with this bash but it definitely fit his own prerequisite.

The relationships that Tony and Diane have built with their employees, their customers, their mentors and peers in coffee has obviously been a driving force in their success. Early on they found people in the industry who were more than willing to help them out. Counter Culture Roasters has been there the whole way to offer great coffee, excellent support and training. The community of passionate coffee people around the country, many of whom they met during the Specialty Coffee Associations 2004 industry conference in Atlanta, were able to offer invaluable advise and help.

they do not seek congratulation for where they have come rather they consistently plod along continuing to make what they have created better and better.

This past April 2009 was the return of the Specialty Coffee Association’s conference to Atlanta. Diane says they feel like they have come a long way since that first conference in 2004 and they were able to redeem themselves this time around being more stable and confident in their craft. The excitement and camaraderie seen at the latte art throw down that they hosted during the conference was testament to the amazing community that has been grown around this place.

The evening of the latte art throw down was anything but a final climax because there is so much more left for Octane. There is a new Octane location opening up, much more for them to learn about the growing  and roasting side of coffee. “We have just scratched the surface” Tony said, talking about their past trip to visit a coffee farm in Nicaragua.

Throughout the interview with Tony and Diane I was amazed by the complete humility about what they have accomplished. It was encouraging to see that they do not seek congratulation for where they have come rather they consistently plod along continuing to make what they have created better and better. Speaking about the lessons he has learned Tony says, “It is okay to change, make mistakes, just as long as you work hard to put it together.” So what else can we expect from Octane in the future, I asked the two. Diane quipped, “We just want to spread the love!” (a)

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