Coffee Boss Nearly Banned Blueberry Matcha Because Simplicity Felt Like Witchcraft
KEY POINTS
- ā¢Jai Lott, Blank Street's first employee and former Bluestone Lane veteran, admitted nearly blocking blueberry matcha's launch while vacationing.
- ā¢After blueberry matcha's surprise success, it became half of Blank Streetās business and forced a company-wide innovation rethink.
- ā¢Lott values hiring friends with strong coffee shop etiquette, specifically who push in chairs and bus their own cups.
Jai Lott, aged 41 and origin Australian coffee teenager turned the very first Blank Street employee, shares the impeccable wisdom of nearly killing off a blueberry matcha that now fuels half the companyās sales worldwide. Spoiler: he was on vacation when his employee boldly brewed this fruity sorcery, and would have said no if heād been awake. Instead, Lottās obsessive innovation attempts birthed bizarre drinks like a sparkling grapefruit cold brew spritz (because why not), while ignoring the simple blueberry charm that changed everything. He also insists co-workers must be friend-material beyond the officeābecause apparently, friendship is the ultimate hiring filter, along with the eternal chair-pushing and cup-bussing test in interviews. Beware: failing to return your ceramic battlefield to the sink is fatal.
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(1 of 3)When the company's innovation czar is on vacation, the humble blueberry matcha is bornābecause sometimes good ideas come from poor timing and boss absenteeism.
The real innovation wasnāt the blueberry matcha, it was the art of abandoning control and letting chaos rule the coffee menu.
Turns out running a startup means playing matchmaker for friendships and policing chair etiquette. Welcome to corporate matchmaking.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 9/4/2026 | Author: Tim Paradis
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