Cat & Cloud Podcast

On September 30th, 2016 we opened the doors of our first cafe and roastery on Portola street, Santa Cruz. Ten years later, we're still here, thanks to the enduring love and support our community has shown us.
In this birthday special, we sit with Chris, Jared, and Charles to reflect on everything from road trips to Santa Barbara with green coffee in the trunk before the brick & mortar days, to the 16-month permitting journey and sealing the floor the night before inspection, to what we got right & wrong over the years, and how our mission & values have always been at the core of who we are.

In addition to the ten year anniversary, Chris has an announcement: he's stepping away from day-to-day operations at Cat & Cloud, and the change takes effect on our birthday. While he's keeping ownership and moving into an advisory role, this also means that this will be his last podcast as a regular host. Chris takes a minute to say thank you to everyone who's listened, visited, and supported us along the way.
You can follow Chris's next chapter on Instagram and YouTube at @realchrisbaca.
Chris's departure from the podcast also highlights some exciting news: we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Cloud Podcast. We'll be introducing new segments, fresh industry voices, and candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture, and leadership development. 
We'll be taking a short hiatus while we're heads down, new episodes to launch Winter 2026.

Disneyland has been a long-time inspiration for us at Cat & Cloud in terms of their inspiring ability to completely immerse their guests in an experience. To compound this: they consistently do it at scale. This is something that a lot of small businesses struggle to maintain as they grow and owners are forced to take a step back from the front of house.
This is what has brought us back, year over year, to the Disney Institute, professional workshops taught by Disney spanning leadership, culture, and service. On this episode, Chris, Jared, and Marc chat about their takeaways from attending the workshop this September: the aversion to feeling like you're being "sold" an experience vs. providing a "genuine" one, Disney's approach to evaluating successful experiences that don't have monetary data associated with them, and Chris & Jared's thoughts about the course having done it several times in the past.

Originally aired March 10, 2025
Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.
This week: We're pulling a Chris Baca and Charles Jack (Chuck) conversation from last year discussing the C Market. Chuck covers what the C Market is, why coffee prices are at an all time high, and his thoughts on why and how to get away from a market based approach to setting prices. 
Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Originally aired March 11, 2024
Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.
This week: what does it look like from a team member's perspective to experience a coffee origin trip? Jorge Madrigal, one of the most cross-trained members on the team, details his trip to Colombia. Along the way, Chris and Jorge touch on a recurring theme of what expertise and care look like at every step in the system, and how it all ties in to putting relationships and experience first.
Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.

Originally aired March 11, 2024
Some exciting news: as we approach Cat & Cloud's 10 year anniversary, we are gearing up to launch some changes to the Cat & Could Podcast. New segments. Fresh industry voices. Candid insights into all things craft, hospitality, culture and leadership development. While we're heads-down, we're pulling some of our favorite episodes from the archive.
This week: Doing the Right Thing, a Cat & Cloud After-hours episode. Jared, Chris, and Charles get into a wide range of topics spanning the business, with a single through-line: what does it actually mean to do right by people?
Stay tuned for fresh content Winter 2026.