Rising Through the Ranks with Mohammad Reza

You don’t have to look far to be inspired. There are many striking personalities well within the coffee industry that shine through their hard work and determination to make something of themselves. Mohammad Reza Khademalhoseini started his journey washing dishes more than a decade ago. Fast forward to today, he is heading multiple verticals for one of the biggest coffee roasteries in Oman.

Read his coffee journey and don’t forget to take part in the giveaway to win a Copper Coffee Jar Box from Copper Roastery, a celebration of the finest single-origin coffees meticulously sourced and curated for filter brewing by Reza himself.

Can you tell me about yourself and how you started your coffee journey?

I was introduced to coffee 15 years ago when I was working for a Brazilian brand in Tehran, Iran. It was an ice cream shop where we served illy coffee. I worked for Raees Cafe and this is where I started my career by washing dishes. After 9 months of grinding, I got an opportunity to work at the coffee bar and learn the ins and outs of the espresso machine. I was trained to understand the methodologies behind the extraction of espresso and coffee as a beverage, and later promoted to head barista. The coffee, in my opinion, was similar to Starbucks, but I was eager to explore the specialty coffee industry.

My next chapter began when I got an opportunity to interview at Sam Cafe more than a decade today. I was told to start from scratch in the salad and sandwich department, which meant I had to pause my coffee journey. It was a sacrifice I had to make to be part of a new industry. I knew I would eventually get back to brewing coffee, it was yet another moment to prove myself with hard work and determination and eventually become the face of the brand, which I did in less than 2 years.

I was promoted to the General Manager position and grew the brand under my leadership for the next 2 years. Shortly after, I was appointed as the General Manager at Address Cafe. It was a first-of-its-kind first food hall in Iran. Meanwhile, I didn’t stop learning about coffee and became a Q Grader in 2019. Let’s just say I was one of the youngest person in my country to get this certification.

Address Foodhall became one of the best-selling coffee shops in the capital. I was not only buying the really good coffee but selling my own coffee in Tehran. After 4 years, it was now time for me to focus on my own coffee shop called MRK Coffee Roasters. I then decided to immigrate to Oman for a better quality of life. I have now been working at one of the biggest coffee roasters called Copper Roastery. I am the Director of Coffee and my responsibilities include heading the roastery, research and development, sales, quality, and green bean buying.

You have come a long way, from working as a dishwasher to now a Coffee Director. Did you always know you were going to be in the coffee industry or did you have other plans when you started your career?

Ever since I got to know about coffee, I was drawn to it. It became a priority in my life, and knew I had to make it a part of my career going forward.

You have also competed in coffee competitions. Needless to say you have been through a lot of training and now you are a judge in these competitions. Can you list a few pointers that judges are looking out for someone who is new to competing?

Yes, I was a judge in the 2024 UAE Brewers Cup that took place in ADIFE, Abu Dhabi, a Sensory Judge for the 2024 UAE Barista Championship and Visual Judge for the 2024 UAE Latte Art Championship at World of Coffee Dubai 2024.

Let’s start with the Brewers Cup. The most important thing in Brewers cup is to make sure your presentation, the explanation of the coffee, and the tasting notes, texture, body etc. should match the cup you will brew for the judges. The work flow and consistency are also important.

For the Barista Championship, there should be consistency across your espressos, milk beverages, and signature drinks for four sensory judges. The presentation should offer a unique perspective across your drinks, work flow, time management etc.

Lastly, I cannot thank SCA UAE enough for giving me this opportunity.

You are a Q Grader in one of the leading roasteries in Oman. There must be a lot of pressure in sourcing great coffee.

The most important factor in Oman is to offer coffee that is top-notch in quality and very competitive in pricing. The demand for buying coffee in Oman is less compared to the UAE. Buying greens becomes tricky and you have to approach it carefully as the market demands.

What is your methodology when it comes to training other coffee professionals and entrepreneurs?

For those who want to increase their coffee knowledge and to grow within the industry, I share useful videos and tips on my YouTube channel.

Would you advise coffee professionals to start roasting? How can one switch from brewing coffee to roasting coffee? What are the important fundamentals to consider?

The fastest way to learn anything is to learn from a mentor. Understanding the basics in roasting is best understood by roasters who have been practicing their craft for a long time. They know when to apply their knowledge in different circumstances. The approach for a student would be to learn the way the experts operate, apply their principles and practice in real time. You can also take additional courses to really understand the art of roasting to eventually becoming a true master yourself.

What are you working on right now and your plans for the future?

I have plans to visit coffee origins next such as India, China, Indonesia etc. and want to learn more about the processing side in coffee.