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News: “Revival Market is the toast of the town”

Source: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/7632653.html

Revival Market is the toast of the town
Coffee bar is an example of grocery’s push for local goods
By GREG MORAGO FOOD WRITER
June 29, 2011, 5:26PM

“…

Revival continues to explore ways to distinguish itself as both a market and a marketplace, thanks to the efforts of co-owners Morgan Weber and Ryan Pera. Revival’s coffee program is a good example. Java fans will be happy to know that Revival is the only place in town where you can buy beans from three of Houston’s small-batch roasters: Amaya Roasting Co., Greenway Coffee Co. and Fusion Beans. Those boutique purveyors have joined the store’s coffee stock, which also includes Katz’s Coffee and Fontana Coffee Roasters.

With top-notch Houston-roasted beans available, expanded offerings at its coffee bar and serious bean-head baristas working behind the counter, Revival is the city’s new coffee mecca.

“A lot of people who know coffee already know about it, so they come,” said barista Fabio Pontes.

But those who aren’t in the know might be surprised to learn that the coffee bar occasionally has local coffee masters pouring as guest baristas. Recently Max Gonzalez of Catalina Coffee (which features Amaya beans) rocked Revival’s coffee bar. Coffee sales doubled that day.

Revival’s coffee bar also is unique in that it is serving an espresso tasting “flight” that includes strong plain espresso, an Americano (espresso with water) and cappuccino (espresso with milk). The bar also cold steeps its coffee for iced coffee, as opposed to brewed coffee that is iced. The difference in flavors is astonishing.

The coffee program is, like its food offerings, Revival’s way of supporting the best of local purveyors and food artisans. The store already has become the place where the best locally sourced products can be found…”

GCQRI: Wild Arabica Confirmed in South Sudan

GCQRI-Borlaug mission to South Sudan confirms presence of wild arabica and potential for development
http://gcqri.org/2011/02/08/gcqri-borlaug-mission-to-south-sudan-confirms-presence-of-wild-arabica-and-potential-for-development/

The Global Coffee Quality Research Initiative(GCQRI) has embarked on a mission to South Sedan to find wild arabica.

The GCQRI was established to combat the potential loss of specialty coffee and to prolong and ensure its survival.. sort of.  The trip to Sudan was successful, and we may now start to see a tiny ultra-niche market product come out of the project.

we feel as if there is a special economic opportunity to develop a small-holder specialty coffee sector in Boma.  Granted, there will not be a great production from this area but the possibility of developing a Boma brand is especially attractive and could become a ultra-niche specialty coffee with a very high value meriting air transport out of Boma and into the marketplace.

I suggest clicking the link to read more.  It’s rather fascinating.

GCQRI is headquartered in College Station, TX.

Reminder – Manual Brewing Workshop in 4 days!

Brown is hosting a workshop focusing on manual brewing by the cup, which continues to find an ever-wider audience. This is a free and open workshop for serious home consumers as well as coffee professionals.

The goals for this gathering are simple:

-To continue growing the coffee community in Texas

-To provide some outlines of popular manual brewing devices

-To help level-set baristas with best practices around manual brewing

-To introduce a game-changing device for the industry that’s soon to be on the market: the Luminaire Bravo-1

Hope you can make it out for a fun evening with great coffee, great coffee people and some of the latest and greatest coffee equipment around.

REMEMBER?

Starbucks Baristas Told to Slow Down – WSJ

Starbucks Corp. is telling its harried baristas to slow down—which may result in longer lines.

Amid customer complaints that the Seattle-based coffee chain has reduced the fine art of coffee making to a mechanized process with all the romance of an assembly line, Starbucks baristas are being told to stop making multiple drinks at the same time and focus instead on no more than two drinks at a time—starting a second one while finishing the first, according to company documents reviewed recently by The Wall Street Journal.

Baristas are also supposed to steam milk for each drink rather than steaming an entire pitcher to be used for several beverages. Other instructions include rinsing pitchers after each use; staying at the espresso bar instead of moving around; and using only one espresso machine instead of two, according to the documents. (lots)more…

Is Starbucks trying to prove that it has a soul?  Is it trying to convey the notion that they actually care about the quality of their drinks?  Yes.. but that isn’t the question at the heart of the matter.  The real question isn’t whether or not a notion is being conveyed.  The real question is whether or not the notion being conveyed is true.

Just for kicks, I googled (is it a real word yet?) “Wall Street Journal Starbucks” and this was the result.

The top link is the current news.  The second link is a direct non-news link to the story.  The third link is a direct non-news link to WSJ’s coverage of Starbucks’ “Plunge Into Instant Coffee”.  Now, maybe it’s just me, but isn’t there something wrong with this picture?  The fact that Starbucks has been in a bit of an identity crisis lately is no real surprise.  A company cannot be all things to all people, and yet that is exactly what Starbucks appears to be attempting to do.

Let’s be clear.  I do not hate Starbucks.  A lot of great coffee professionals got their start at the Siren.  They have taken the idea of coffee as a non-commodity affordable luxury to places where it might not have been successfully introduced otherwise.  Their ubiquitous presence has caused a mass education of the masses, a readily available phony status symbol, an addiction to the combination of sugar, fat, and coffee to the point of a country getting mad at the seller of said products instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, and an enormous population of people who have come to believe that there is such a thing as an industry standard (a part of which is such a thing as the dreaded “Caramel Macchiato”).

It would be fantastic if the coffee giant were to suddenly focus on quality in a tangible sense.  I see this as more of a publicity stunt.  An attempt to make the public see them as something they maybe once were, but certainly are not now.

Frankly, I don’t give a rip if my double short wet cappuccino (leave a good inch of room, please) takes five seconds or fifteen minutes: as long as it is properly made.

The Dose: Podcast #1

I hope you enjoy it.  We had a lot of fun making it.

It can be found on iTunes. -> Click

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

2010 SCRBC Results

3rd Place:  Tyler Wells of Frank, Austin

2nd Place: Aaron Blanco of the Brown Coffee Company, San Antonio

1st Place: Lorenzo Perkins!!! of Caffe Medici, Austin

Congratulations to all of the finalists, the podium finishers, and to the 2010 South Central Regional Barista Champion, Lorenzo Perkins!

SCRBC List of Competitors

Just in case you were curious, here is the list of competitors for this year’s South Central Regional Barista Competition.

Day 1

Eason Tseng – OUT OF REGION  Taiwan

Clancy Rose – Cuvee Coffee – Austin, TX

Kirk Knipmeyer – Coffee Roasters of New Orleans – Kenner, LA

Jenna White – Caffe Medici – Austin, TX

Mark Sobhani – Wildfire Coffee Roasters - San Antonio, TX

Andrew McCaslin – Day Break Coffee – Lubbock, TX

Isaiah Sheese – Double Shot Coffee Co – Tulsa, OK

Drew Cambre – Society of New Orleans Baristas – Metairie, LA

Rey Ortiz – Wildfire Coffee Roasters – San Antonio, TX

Lorenzo Perkins Caffee Medici Austin, TX

Nathanael Long – Sugar Brown’s Coffee – Lubbock, TX

Derek Dyson – Topeca Coffee – Tulsa, OK

Greg Hill – Mojo Coffee House – New Orleans, LA

Day 2

Eason Tseng – OUT OF REGION – Taiwan

Sara Hauschildt – Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf – Austin, TX

Anderson Stockdale – Dee’s Coffee, S.N.O.B. – New Orleans, LA

Jonathan Meadows – White Rock Coffee – Dallas, TX

Aaron Blanco – The Brown Coffee Co – San Antonio, TX

John Cunningham – Topeca Coffee – Tulsa, OK

Mike McKim – Cuvee Coffee – Austin, TX

Tyler Wells – FRANK – Austin, TX

Sean Marshall – Fusion Beans – Houston, TX

Steven Wimberley – Caffe Medici – Austin, TX

Garth Bjorklund – Double Shot Coffee – Tulsa, OK

David Buehrer – Tuscany Coffee – Houston, TX

Matthew Long – Sugar Brown’s Coffee – Lubbock, TX

Now Hiring: Thunderbird Coffee – Austin

(via: Craigslist)

Do you dream of a job with a flexible schedule, fun co-workers, a healthy environment, and a product you can be proud of? Then Thunderbird Coffee may be the perfect place for you!

Want to know more? Here’s what some of the employees at Thunderbird Coffee have to say:

“Our regulars are awesome. Getting to know our customers is one of the best parts of the job.” –Becca

“I love having direct communication with the people I work for. It makes me feel like I actually matter.” –Mark

“I’ve never had a problem getting a day off when I needed it.” –Ryan

“The coffee is so good. I really feel proud of what I serve.” –Bob

“Not only is the coffee great, but we have really awesome beer.” –Ryan

If this sounds like what you’re looking for, come in to Thunderbird Coffee at 1401 Koenig on Sunday, August 30 at 12:00 noon for an audition with our hiring managers. Please also bring your resume and any references.

Due to the high volume of applicants we got last time, we are making it our priority to see as many people as possible and call the best and the brightest back for further discussion.

DO have a great attitude!
DO bring your resume and references.
DO be ready to tell us why YOU are the best person for the job!

DO NOT come in any time before Sunday, August 30, at 12:00 noon.
DO NOT call or e-mail about this position.
DO NOT worry. If we can’t see everyone who shows up on Sunday, we will schedule another audition date.

Positions are limited, and applicants will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please show up on time!

• Location: Thunderbird Coffee
• Compensation: 6.55/hr+tips, 7.50/hr +tips

Product vs. Atmosphere

For many people, the idea is pretty straightforward in regards to restaurants and food.

1.  If the food is fantastic, but the place is a dump (i.e. – renouned barbecue joints), people will come back in droves.

2.  If the food is forgetable and the service was good, it tells you something about the place.

3.  If the food is wonderful, the service is great, but the ambience is lacking, you will notice, but you will still return.

4.  If  the ambience is fantastic, the service is great, but the food is mediocre, the odds are good that you will not return because while it scored highly on the peripherals, it missed it where it counts.

Why is this different than in part 2, where the business will still survive?  Expectations.

In scenario 4, it seems that the ambience and service were building up to a glorious climax of fantastic cuisine.  The food did not deliver, and thus, the entire experience is anti-climatic.  They will not have bad things to say, necessarily, but the odds of their returning are very slim.

This is very easily understood by most people.  You don’t get innovative high end cuisine from Applebee’s , but you also don’t expect it when going in, even if your neighborhood location has great service.

Translated to specialty coffee retailing, one can use the same logic.  If a fortune is spent on the ambience, and the service is knock-your-socks-off-great, one should expect the coffee to be on level as well.  More often than not, the coffee fails to deliver the satisfaction of a culinary climax to the experience, yet many of these places ride the wave of niche market branding.  The niche of Specialty Coffee.

Many have gotten away with it for a long time in part, I believe, because the mediocrity found at well-known ubiquitous chains became the standard for the average consumer.  Serve the same with a better cultural feel, and it’s low-hanging fruit:  gauranteed success.

So why are we seeing some of these places going out of business these days?

The economy is partially to blame.  This is a factual truth.  The big chains are feeling the effects as is evidenced by their menu changes and shifts in marketing strategy.  People are still willing to spend money, but now they are paying more attention to the value of what their money is getting them.  In short, they are more concerned with the quality of the products they are buying.  (key word: products)

While the service may have stepped up a notch, and while prices may have been reduced, some retailers may find their sales still dropping.  Take the new French “fooding” approach.  Give them more for their money.  Great coffee can be easily approachable for the average joe (no pun intended).

This doesn’t have to mean spending more money(although it could).  I am often amazed at how many retailers don’t actually take the time to learn about coffee before opening a company that specializes in making and serving it.  Many have been convinced that selling culture is the way to run a coffee house, but what good is that for people who drop in on their way to work in the morning?  All those people want is a great cup of coffee done well, and done in a timely manner.  This means that what is important for a profitable coffee retailer is, above all, the quality of their products.

Yes, atmosphere is important, but in a hierarchy of factors, I would argue that it takes a back seat to product quality.  After all, you’re not selling atmosphere.  Atmosphere is intended to draw people in to buy products.  It is secondary.

In a time when it is important to really focus, why not take a look at your shop’s coffee and training program.  Is it enough?  Have you shopped your competition?  What can you learn from each other?  It may be time to reevaluate things, and to start focusing on the heart and soul of your business.  Your products.

For Hire: Jerry S. Caunca, Philippines

I received an email from a gentleman in the Philippines named Jerry Caunca who is looking for work as a Barista.

Jerry writes,

(paraphrase)…I‘m from the Philippines.  I want to go to Canada or the United States.  I have been a coffee barista for 5 years here in the Philippines.

His resume is quite interesting.  He has been a barista (coffee professional is probably more accurate.  He has some background in roasting as well.) for a few years, and has been in the service industry for his entire career.  He seems to enjoy serving and interacting with people.

Any roaster and/or retailer looking to take on some fresh talent should probably take a look at his resume and contact him.  His phone number is in his resume.

Jerry S. Caunca’s Resume (PDF)

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