ISSUE 13
A Visit with Garrett Fowler
This month, we partnered with Offsite to design the bags for our new single origin roast, named ‘Human Resources.’
Garrett is the founder of Offsite, a company that brands itself as a new kind of talent agency for the creative and design community. Its strategy centers on community-first engagement, helping creative professionals connect with each other, their craft, and meaningful career opportunities.
When we stepped into Garrett Fowler’s SoHo apartment, it was immediately clear that every object had a past life and a second purpose. In the hallway, a small portrait of a baby was nailed into burlap, soft and worn at the edges. Nearby, a urinal transformed into a mosaic sculpture sat on a pedestal beside his keyboard, its porcelain shell lined with tiny images of men that formed a private panorama. Together, these pieces revealed the throughline in Garrett’s world. He believes in making the most of what you have, in finding beauty where others might not look, and in giving things a second life.
Stacks of books littered the table next to a wall of windows, accented by a neat pile of Polaroids from friends, strangers, and moments that caught his attention. As we chatted, Garrett mentioned ‘taste’ as something slow and personal. Patience. Trust. Not needing validation to know when something feels right. He referenced a Miles Davis line about spending years learning to play like yourself. It is the same idea he applies to interiors, design, and even to Offsite. Taste not as performance but as a human resource.
It felt fitting to talk about Human Resources here. Offsite often gets the “Oh, like HR?” reaction, which never tells the whole story. Offsite is about people who make things happen in the creative world. ‘Human Resources’ began as a playful nod to that misunderstanding, but our conversation with Garrett reminded us that it speaks to something bigger. It takes a village to bring a roast to life. Farmers who grow it, processors who prepare it, traders who move it, buyers who select it, roasters who shape it, and the creatives who bring it to the cup. Human effort is present at every step.
Introducing Human Resources
At RZ, we believe coffee sits at the center of creative routines. It’s a fuel, a ritual, a meeting point. In a post-pandemic world, coffee shops have become the new office. Places where someone writes a pitch, shares a portfolio, becomes a regular, or meets a future collaborator. Spaces like ours hold all of that. We’ve specifically designed our cafes to welcome curiosity and conversation.
The name ‘Human Resources’ became a way to honor those intersections. The people behind the coffee. The people who shape creative culture. The spaces that hold us while we work, meet, and imagine. Sitting on Garrett’s striped floor cushions, listening to him describe how taste is passed down from human to human, it felt clear that the name could not be more fitting.
As the year winds down, Human Resources is our reminder of the invisible network of people who move us forward. Every kindness, every introduction, every idea someone shares at a table inside Rhythm Zero. Human Resources is our Ethiopia single origin, now offered in all three of our cafes. Enjoy it in your daily order or pick up a bag to take home.
Bag Illustration & Graphic Design by Joe Schlaud & Benjamin Puffer
