Goodbye & good luck to barista Jon Freihofer
Jon Freihofer has been a foundational character and a competent barista at The Coffee Ethic in Springfield, Missouri for as long as I can remember. Jon’s affection for great coffee, his brilliant tattoos, his artistic style, and his modest but sincere personality have added character to the Ethic’s coffee shop mystique in his time there, and it’s been fun to have him as part of the coffee scene in Springfield.
Jon and his wife Christina will be moving to Portland, Oregon soon, and today was Jon’s last day at The Coffee Ethic. I actually remember that the first time I met Jon and asked him a little about himself, he told me that he planned on moving to Portland in the next year or so. The first time I met Christina, we talked about that, and the timeline seemed far off. Now it’s actually happening, and I’m excited for them to get to pursue this dream, but it’s sad as well because he’s been such a great part of the culture of The Coffee Ethic and the Springfield coffee crowd.
Jon can pull a great shot of espresso, and he really pays attention to the details of coffee. Jon competed at the Midwest Regional Barista Competition in 2009, and he did a great job. I don’t know if there’s still a video up of Jon performing, but it was fun to watch him work his art under pressure.
In Portland, Jon is going to work for a company called International Coffee Bean, but my understanding is that their cafe is going through a full rebranding, renaming and revamping. I’m sure whatever Jon does in Portland, he will do great. Good luck, Jon and Christina! We’ve enjoyed having you in Springfield and wish you the best as you move to Portland.
