Coffee People: Tasos Delichristos

Coffee people.
The Better Coffee Standard defines it precisely: everyone whose life and work are bound to coffee, at every stage of the coffee circle — including those working under coercion, economic dependency, or without pay. Their families. Those who keep them standing.

The industry never stops talking about coffee. It rarely stops to talk about the people behind it. Red Ink Coffee exists, in part, to change that.

Coffee People is a series of portraits. Four questions — their voices.

Who are you and what do you do in coffee?
I'm Tasos Delichristos, founder of The Underdog Coffee Roasters in Athens, Greece. I've spent more than two decades in specialty coffee as a barista, competitor, entrepreneur, and now primarily as a coffee roaster and business builder. Today my focus is sourcing, roasting, wholesale partnerships, exports, and developing a franchise model that makes specialty coffee more accessible without compromising quality.

Tell us about a moment in your work with coffee that you're genuinely proud of.
Winning the World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and coaching a World Barista Championship Runner-Up and two World Coffee in Good Spirits Champions as well, were defining moments in my career. But looking back, I'm even prouder of what came after: building businesses that created opportunities for people, roasting coffees that became part of someone's daily ritual, and watching customers, employees, and partners grow alongside us. Trophies stay on shelves; the impact you have on people's lives is what truly lasts.

What's one problem you see in your part of the coffee world — and why does it matter to you personally?
I believe specialty coffee sometimes forgets that it exists to serve people. We often become obsessed with trends, scores, competitions, and exclusivity instead of building businesses that customers genuinely want to return to every day. I've seen outstanding coffee businesses struggle because they focused more on impressing the industry than serving their communities.
That matters to me because coffee only has a future if it is both exceptional and economically sustainable. Farmers, importers, roasters, cafés, and baristas all depend on businesses that can survive and grow—not just earn recognition.

What would you change if you could — and what would better look like for you?
I'd like to see a specialty coffee industry that values collaboration over gatekeeping and long-term sustainability over short-term recognition. Success shouldn't be measured only by championships or social media attention, but by whether a business can thrive for decades while treating producers, employees, and customers fairly.
For me, a better coffee industry is one where quality and hospitality are inseparable, knowledge is shared openly, and independent businesses can grow profitably without losing their identity. Coffee should bring people together—not divide them into insiders and outsiders.

You are coffee people. Tell us.

Four questions. Any language. Any format.

1. Who are you and what do you do in coffee?
2. A moment you're genuinely proud of.
3. One problem in your part of the coffee world — and why it matters to you.
4. What would you change — and what would better look like?

Include a short bio and a photo from your work environment. Send your answers to redinkcoffee@thebettercoffee.org