Thabo first joined the Mayorga team in July, 2004, as a neophyte at coffee and the coffee business; though he drank the “generic stuff”, he hadn't yet made acquaintance with the nuances of coffee craftsmanship. But he was willing to learn. After more than two years of employment with the company and a promotion to manager of Mayorga's King Farm location in Rockville, MD, Thabo has a drastically different relationship to coffee: a well-trained palate, an artistic hand, and an easygoing, friendly style have brought Thabo new responsibilities, new insights, and new challenges.

Originally born in Francistown, Botswana, Thabo and his twin brother John spent their first nine years in their hometown. As the sons of diplomats, they traveled the world extensively; a three-year tenure in Kingston, Jamaica led to Albania, then Croatia, and then a journey to Bethesda, MD, for boarding school. He is currently enrolled at Montgomery College studying international business, and thrilled that, after an assignment in Afghanistan that prevented the family from living together, his father has joined them in the DC Metropolitan area and they are once again reunited.

He joined Mayorga as a barista in July of 2004, about six months after the King Farm location opened to the public. “It was a lot of hands-on learning,” said Thabo. “In order to become good at what you do, it takes dedication and simply doing it a whole lot. At King Farm, the atmosphere and demographic lend themselves to developing relationships with the customers-- we usually see the same people on a daily basis-- so you develop a real rapport with them, and learn how to prepare exactly what they like. Working here definitely challenges you as a person; you really have to come out of your shell and be personable in order to do the job well.”

In addition to his friendly service and managerial skills, Thabo is also an accomplished latte artist forever aiming to improve his craft. Again, as with most of the skills he acquired at Mayorga were learned by watching and emulating: “When I first started, there were so many baristas that were producing latte art on a consistent basis that I figured, 'Hey, if they're using the same milk and the same product as I am, there is no reason that I shouldn't be producing art as well. So I just began to try my hand at it and worked on it until I was making leaves, hearts, and apples myself.” That talent and persistence led, most recently, to an entrance in the CoffeeFest 2006 Mid-Atlantic Regional Barista competition. Though he wasn't entirely thrilled with his performance, Thabo is determined to re-enter next year and show what he can do.

Thabo isn't certain where his studies will take him in the future, but is truly enjoying his experience at Mayorga and plans to continue helping the company to grow. “This is a great company to work for,” he said. “It is small enough that you can eventually meet everyone, and large enough that you won't see each employee every day. I get a lot of support when I need it, and I am enjoying what I do and the people I work with.”