Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Garlock.
Hi Carolyn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I graduated from college in Boston, I moved to Austin to be closer to my family and live somewhere where the pace was slower and the weather was nice year-round. During college I worked at my friend’s coffee shop, unknowingly beginning my journey as a barista. At the time, the Austin job market was tough. I really liked coming to Jo’s for coffee, and I knew I could easily do the job. I thought it would be a great way to connect with the community and make new friends, so I applied, and they hired me! It was supposed to be temporary, but I discovered the company culture was better than I could have imagined. I stuck it out and have been slinging coffee here for 14 years now.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I collaborated with my good friend at her coffee shop and that was amazing, but this has been the best job so far. It’s also been the hardest, navigating the pandemic along with the labor shortages. My team is great and I’m very grateful to be surrounded by so many talented and hardworking caring folks at Bunkhouse.
As you know, we’re big fans of Jo’s Coffee. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Jo’s opened on South Congress Ave. in 1999 and has been serving coffee, tacos, sandwiches, and prime people-watching ever since. Since then we’ve expanded across Austin, with each location serving as a hub of community activity, regularly hosting fundraisers, concerts, and other reasons to gather. We proudly brew our own blend of La Colombe Coffee and are home to the Iced Turbo coffee beverage, a drink with coffee, espresso, hazelnut, chocolate, and cream, which has developed a cult following. We’re more than just a cup of great coffee. Dogs are always welcome.
I help oversee several Jo’s locations to make sure we keep true to our core values and support the team in each location. We deeply care about our community, and we use our years of experience to pitch in wherever we can. Brand wise, I’m most proud of the Iced Turbo coffee of course—but South by San José is up there too. Jo’s is an experience—come visit us and find out exactly what we mean. Who am I to tell you?
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Honestly, everyone that I’ve worked with has been awesome but I’ve seen a mind shift in expectations in the service industry out of the pandemic that’s putting a huge strain in the way we work with each other. It’s a ripple effect—there are those who don’t care, and they leave or call out a lot because they can, which leaves those who do care and do show up to pick up their slack, which then ultimately burns those people out. We all can support each other better by doing our part by showing up for each other.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@joscoffee.com
- Website: Joscoffee.com
- Instagram: joscoffee
Image Credits
Image credits are in the image titles Headshot can be credited to Jo’s Coffee
