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For a good deal of human history, if you wanted something done you had to do it yourself.

As societies became more stratified, we developed division of labor. Today, things are so specialized people over 60 comment this current generation can’t do anything for themselves.

Despite the fact that kids are writing code that powers the platforms these commenters are posting on, they nonetheless grumble that kids can’t read cursive. And, pointing at the proliferation of coffee shops, they complain, “Kids today can’t even make a cup of coffee!”

John Puckett may not subscribe to all of that, but John does have a coffee shop in Uptown New Orleans where he won’t make you a cup of coffee.

Green Beans

The Current Crop Roasting Shop on Magazine Street doesn’t sell cups of coffee. It only sells coffee beans. And what’s more, you can’t even take these coffee beans home and make yourself a pot of coffee. Because they’re green beans.

What you can do at Current Crop Roasting Shop is, roast the beans yourself. You pick the beans you like from a wide selection, and you use one of John’s coffee roasting machines to roast ‘em the way you like ‘em.

Onesie

Of course, even if you’re the handiest DIY person on earth, you can’t make everything yourself. Though Celia Isabel is doing a pretty good job of making a bunch of it. Celia’s company, NOLA Tawk makes home goods, gifts, tabletop decorations, pet accessories, and children’s clothing. NOLA Tawk’s top-selling items are children’s sleepwear and onesies.

They make all their products here in New Orleans. They sell some directly to consumers online, but mostly they wholesale them to stores and sellers across the country.

Onesie Green Beans

It’s nice to do something for somebody else. Giving someone a birthday or housewarming present, or buying a child a pair of pajamas - makes you feel good. On the other hand, it’s nice to do something for yourself. Like indulging your appreciation of coffee by roasting your own coffee beans.

There aren’t too many conversations that cover the ground between the two poles of human behavior – indulgence and altruism - represented by coffee beans and onesies.

Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at NOLA Pizza in the NOLA Brewing Taproom. You can find photos from this show by Jill Lafleur at itsneworleans.com.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.