Nobuki Shimode, a Starbucks store manager in Japan, said his favorite cup of coffee was poured by his mother.
It was the morning before an important test at school, and Shimode’s mother walked into his room with a fresh cup of coffee to get him ready for the day.
"She smiled and said, 'Well done, so far. I'm so proud of you,'" he said. "That coffee wasn’t perfect, but it was the best cup I've ever had. Why? Because it made me feel warm. Even after I drank it, something stayed with me.”
That experience influenced Shimode’s performance at Starbucks’ inaugural Global Barista Championship, a three-day competition in Las Vegas where 12 employees from around the world showed off their skills in latte art, storytelling and more for the chance to be crowned champion. Shimode said he wanted to create a coffee that gives his customers the same warm feeling he found in his mother's coffee.
Shimode, who was named global champion on June 11, had just eight minutes during the final competition to craft two lattes topped with art, pour four cups of coffee from a French press and craft his signature beverage for a panel of judges. All the while, a crowd of roughly 14,000 cheered him on, including more than a dozen friends, family members and co-workers waving a banner and customized signs.
