Tony Wong is the Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery in Vancouver that supplies retail chains, independent cafes, and a growing e-commerce operation across Canada.

In this episode, we talk about what plant management actually looks like in a food and beverage manufacturing setting, how speciality coffee is actually made and how a food science background in quality can lead you into a path in operations.

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:21 - About Tony's Food Job

04:36 - What Are KPIs?

06:00 - How Coffee Beans Are Processed

09:23 - Quality Control and Cupping

11:40 - About Coffee Roasting

17:00 - Quality and Safety Above Profits

19:23 - Tony's Career Path: QA to Operations

21:37 - Why He Stayed in Operations

24:01 - Food Safety Background as an Asset

26:17 - Skills Needed in His Role

35:37 - Role Evolution and Financial Skills

38:01 - Learning from Subject Matter Experts

40:24 - Networking and Asking Questions

41:50 - Advice to His Younger Self

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Tony Wong LinkedIn

💼 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters LinkedIn 🌐 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn