Vincent (Gao Chuan), the founder of a thriving coffee roasting company, has always been passionate about bringing the perfect cup of coffee to his customers. He is fascinated by the complex aromas and flavors of coffee beans from around the world. After years of experimentation and education, Vincent developed a unique approach to roasting that balanced science with art, resulting in coffee that is consistently delicious and of the highest quality. 

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Career Background

Vincent is the founder, creator, and CEO of Manta Ray coffee roasters. He has extensive hospitality experience having run two of his own cafes in the past. Following this and seeking to delve deeper into the coffee industry he spent 8 years learning to roast coffee. A majority of this time was with Code Black coffee roasters in Brunswick. Essentially, he is a long-term industry professional finally taking on the challenge of creating his own roastery.

Given that Manta Ray is still a micro roastery in the process of establishing itself he takes on varied roles. As they say about small businesses, ‘everybody has to wear many hats’. He is hands-on in welcoming people to his roastery. You will see him greet you at the front door at times. 

As the owner, he assumes responsibility for overseeing all aspects of operations, which encompass roasting, sampling, sourcing, and procuring green coffee, as well as managing logistics, deliveries, maintenance, and account management. This also entails recruiting and training personnel and developing workflows to ensure seamless coordination among all teams. Essentially, he serves as the head of all operations.

A Day at Manta Rays 

One of the things that Manta Ray takes very seriously is the quality of coffee it is producing, both on its own brew bar as well as the coffee being bagged and dispatched to our customers. Every day a core part of what Vincent does is tasting and quality control. This can be behind the bar or within the roastery. Once this is taken care of the tasks for the day are dictated by the demands of the showroom (front cafe) and the orders. 

Regularly, Vincent is cupping samples, liaising with suppliers, directing operations within the roastery, and roasting himself. If you are lucky, you can even find him pouring lattes and handing them off to customers. 

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Balance in the Work and Life of Vincent

One of the things about Manta Ray coffee roasters is that they try to hire people that love coffee. 

“When you love your work it isn’t so hard to work long hours and just keep on going.”

For Vincent getting home to the kids each night and spending time with his wife and family is a great motivator to get more things done more efficiently. 

Vincent: The best way to balance work and personal life is to leave work at work and be present, each moment, in what you do.

Vincent Favourites

Vincent’s most favourite time of the day is quality time with kids at the playground. Trips to the zoo. Family time is a favourite hobby apart from tasting coffee from all over the world. If you want to get to know Vincent, get to know Wang Shuo. We’re talking about ‘I am your Dad.’ (我是你爸爸）& ‘Ocean Flame’(一半海水，一半火焰). 

A Message for Future Generations

“We would love to give advice but are unsure if we have anything else to add. We are still learning just as much as everyone else. If anything, work hard and love what you do!”

Why coffee? What made you pursue this business? 

“Why climb Mount Everest?” 

“Because it is there.” — George Mallory 

What is your favourite coffee?

Plunger. It’s a full immersion way to brew coffee where everything is revealed. Besides, it’s an easy way to brew. 

Today, his coffee roasting company is a beloved roastery among coffee lovers, and Vincent is recognized as a true pioneer in the industry. Meet Vincent and step into his Manta Ray Cofee Roasters. 

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Hey there! I'm Chuck, the Editor-in-Chief at Local Threads. We’re on a mission to showcase founders of start-ups and help them shine and tell the world about themselves, their products, and their vision in life. We see value in the stories of big brands and their founders as well. Their success can be a source of inspiration for start-ups.