Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters: Career Insights with Tony Wong | That’s a Food Job! #128

Tony Wong is the Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery in Vancouver that supplies retail chains, independent cafes, and a growing e-commerce operation across Canada.

In this episode, we talk about what plant management actually looks like in a food and beverage manufacturing setting, how specialty coffee is actually made and how a food science background in quality can lead you into a path in operations.

Resources Mentioned

• Asana: Project management tool Tony uses to coordinate cross-functional teams and track tasks across the plant
• Lean Manufacturing: A production methodology originally developed at Toyota focused on eliminating waste and maximizing value — Tony recommends students look this up early in their careers

Watch the Episode Below

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro
• 02:21 – About Tony’s Food Job
• 04:36 – What Are KPIs?
• 06:00 – How Coffee Beans Are Processed
• 09:23 – Quality Control and Cupping
• 11:40 – About Coffee Roasting
• 17:00 – Quality and Safety Above Profits
• 19:23 – Tony’s Career Path: QA to Operations
• 21:37 – Why He Stayed in Operations
• 24:01 – Food Safety Background as an Asset
• 26:17 – Skills Needed in His Role
• 35:37 – Role Evolution and Financial Skills
• 38:01 – Learning from Subject Matter Experts
• 40:24 – Networking and Asking Questions
• 41:50 – Advice to His Younger Self