Interview with Jeremy Ho, Co-Founder of Monogram Coffee
Between national competition stages, origin visits in Panama, and daily operations in Calgary, life at Monogram Coffee is always moving fast. Yet for co-founder Jeremy Ho and the team, pushing the boundaries of world-class coffee doesn't mean taking themselves too seriously.
Jill recently brought home the National Barista Championship title for Monogram. How did the team celebrate, and how is prep coming along for the World stage?
We celebrated by taking a collective deep breath! We definitely marked the milestone and honoured what she accomplished, but the ultimate goal is winning Worlds. Jill’s mindset, along with Ben’s (who’s been coaching and refining her routine), is to dive straight into constructive feedback from the judges, breaking down the presentation to improve that critical 1%. Jill just returned from Panama, where she was an invited international guest cupper at Best of Panama. While there, she visited producers to select competition lots that align perfectly with her concept.
Monogram uses a "Flavour Mood" system on the packaging. What was the thinking behind that approach?
Specialty coffee can get lost in its own technical jargon. We spent over a year and a half developing our Flavour Mood framework to make discovering coffee simple and intuitive. By grouping coffees into clear taste profiles, like warmth and comfort or dynamic fruit categories, anyone can immediately understand what a coffee will taste like without needing to decipher processing methods or varietals first. At the same time, we don't obscure the producer or the story behind the farm. It creates an approachable entry point while keeping the integrity of the coffee front and centre.
How do you think the coffee industry will evolve in the next 5–10 years?
Looking ahead, climate change is going to be the biggest force reshaping origin, pushing more producers toward resilient hybrid varieties, new species, and emerging growing regions. On the roasting side, I think we’ll see roasters move away from binary "light vs. dark" labels and carve out distinct, recognisable taste signatures, giving coffee drinkers far more variety and distinct lanes to explore.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to learn about the day-to-day work at Monogram?
Probably how relaxed and easygoing our environment actually is! Because we push so hard on quality, working with world-class producers, competing internationally, and with Ben head roasting at Best of Panama, people might assume we’re super intense. In reality, it’s a really fun, open, and playful atmosphere. We believe coffee should be approachable, and that starts with having a culture built around curiosity and experimentation rather than pressure.
As the industry continues to evolve, what role do you see hospitality playing in the future of coffee?
Hospitality is the single most important tool we have to build trust. If someone feels welcomed and taken care of, they feel safe to step out of their comfort zone and discover new coffees. Rather than gatekeeping or relying purely on automated efficiency, doubling down on genuine hospitality in cafés creates an environment where people can spark their curiosity and get excited about great coffee.
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