Best Barista

1. Aaron (Sully) Sullivan, Wandering Goat, 268 Madison St., 541-344-5161, WanderingGoat.com.

2. Jaci Bothman, Farmers Union Coffee Roasters, 152 W. 5th Ave., FarmersUnionCoffee.com.

3. Shyla Jenkins, Meraki Coffee Co., 1203 Willamette St., 541-844-0254, DrinkMeraki.com.

Aaron “Sully” Sullivan has brought his chill demeanor and “brew-ti-ful” smile to the Wandering Goat for the last seven years — though he’s “bean” a barista for 20. The self-proclaimed “cold-brew kinda guy” says that it’s the perfect job to connect with the community, do art and hang out with his co-workers, each of whom are an “amazing slice of humanity.”

When he applied to the Wandering Goat, his application asked about his approach to customer service. He wrote, “Give the customer what they want, but don’t give them everything.” Sullivan says this means having real conversations and “interacting with customers like another human being,” as opposed to typical “canned” customer service transactions. “I think that’s why people come to the Wandering Goat, too,” he says. “We’re not going to give you the bullshit response. We’re just here to serve you really awesome coffee. And maybe, you know, I think some of the best in Eugene.” Little did he know when he was interviewed, that Wandering Goat is also voted the Best Coffee in Eugene. — Savannah Brown

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!