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USBC Semifinals (where are they?) and The Finalists Are Announced

I realize I didn’t post a run-down or primer for the semi-finals round. Apologies!

Unfortunately(or fortunately?) It’s one of those times in which tangible life beckoned.

Anyway, without further ado, here are the finalists. The final six. The elite. The worthy. And so on.

Nick Griffith, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea

Pete Licata, PT’s Coffee Roasting Company

Chris Baca, Ritual Coffee Roasters

Heather Perry, Coffee Klatch

Kyle Glanville, Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea

Drew Catlin, Ritual Coffee Roasters

I couldn’t help but notice that all but one of these competitors is from California.

I also couldn’t help but notice that there are two representing Intelligentsia, and two representing Ritual.

Pete Licata took second last year, and Heather, as we all know, took gold (and went on to take silver at the WBC).

This will be a good round to watch! (and at only 2.5 hrs long, it should be managable, I think).

They are scheduled to begin at 12:00pm CST. You can watch it LIVE by following this link.-> http://www.ustream.tv/channel/2008-united-states-barista-championship-live-feed

NOTE!: You can also watch the recorded semi-finals round. Just click the feed above, and click on the recorded video links under the viewing window.

If you want to keep up with photos from the event, there is a group for the SCAA show on flickr which can be found here: http://flickr.com/groups/scaa2008/

Enjoy!

USBC Round 1 Day 1 is History: Round 1 Day 2 Primer

Today two of our Texas Trio ran in the first round.

Clancy Rose was the 6th competitor of the day. I missed seeing his performance, but I heard from others that he did really well. Go Clancy!

I did happen to catch the end of Ashlind’s performance, however, and she’s been practicing! She’s had a rougher run at this than almost everyone else in the running, but she’s been putting in the time and definitely has the spirit to persevere.

I really enjoyed Scott Lucey’s performance, personally, and Chris Deferio rocked my socks.

Tomorrow is the second day of the first round. Patrick Pierce got a by-in to the semi-finals round as the reigning champion of the South Central region.

To see the official SCAA Conference and Exhibition update blog, click here->http://scaa.wordpress.com/

In case you haven’t discovered it yet (and assuming you care), there is a live-feed being broadcast straight from the competition floor. To view it, click here!->http://www.ustream.tv/channel/2008-united-states-barista-championship-live-feed

To see the schedule of competitors for Day 2 (that’s Saturday, for you folks), click here (PDF)->http://scaa.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/usbc2.pdf

If you only want to catch the prime cut, Sunday is the day to watch.

I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely loving the ability to watch the competition LIVE. I wish I could be there, but since I can’t, this is a GREAT next best alternative.

Ex-USBC Champ Bronwen Serna will be competing 3rd tomorrow. (scheduled to go on at 10:00am)

Reigning USBC Champ Heather Perry (and second place in the WBC, with the title of “Best Espresso”) will go on 10th tomorrow (scheduled for ~12:40pm).

Ex-USBC Champ Phuong Tran is slated to go on at ~3:00pm.

The famous foodie/shaved ice junkie/Barista extraordinaire/PF.net Podcast partner Jay Caragay is the last competitor of the day scheduled to go on at 6:27pm.

If today’s schedule was any indication, things are going to be running a bit quick, so plan to begin watching earlier than the competitor you want to watch is scheduled to go on.

Tomorrow should show some excellent footage for those interested in maybe competing in the future.

Enjoy!

Texas Coffee People: Now Straight to your Email Inbox

Ladies and Gentlemen, we now offer Email subscription service.

Lord knows I have a hard time keeping up with everything I mean to read. I stay busy, and love it when I can get updates via email. It makes it easier to keep up with things when I seem to be too busy to remember to check for updates.

I thought, why don’t we offer this for Texas Coffee People readers?

Why not indeed.

Well, now we do. Just click the orange email feed icon.

Or, just Click Here.

Enjoy the hot juicy succulent content fresh to your Inbox once a week.

Email updates sent every Sunday evening, so you can read them first thing Monday morning.

What a way to start your week off right: with a cup of coffee reading about coffee.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

WBC on Espresso Bar: Tracking Industry Competitions and Events

This is a great new probject from a gentleman named Mads-Ole Bak who lives in Denmark. The concept is to have all information about all national competitions all over the country consolidated into just one easy to find and navigate location. Brilliant!

He had this to say:

The purpose of the site is to make a thorough coverage of all the competitions that will be going on during the SCAE Wonderful Coffee exhibition in Copenhagen this summer.

We will have access to the competitions and SCAE have agreed to cooperate with us during the event, so we (hopefully) can make a very interesting site for everyone who would like to follow the competitions but are not able to be in Copenhagen.

In addition to the World championships, we would also like to collect a lot of information about all the national competitions. It has proven pretty difficult to find out who won the national championship. So we hope that some of you would like to help us if you know anything about national competitions that we should bring on WBConEspressoBar.

Please feel free to visit the site, register in our forum and post any information you might have in the “National Chapters” forum

We hope that you will find our site interesting and that we will be able to bring you a lot of good stuff during the competitions in June.

For some reason, national coffee associations have a hard time making competition information as easy to find as it could be.

It’s high time something like this came along.

Check it out, and sign up to join by visiting: WBConEspressoBar

Coffee Kisses: a novel idea

I received an email from a Mr. Robert Keller who happens to make and sell an interesting product.

Robert writes,

Hello Texas,

I want to be a friend of TCP. I have a coffee related product. I created a plug, learned how to manufacture it and now make them in California. True I am not a Texan but I do have friends and family that are Texan.

Kind Regards

Robert Keller
AttPlay Solutions

He calls them Coffee Kisses, but they look an awful lot like other products I’ve seen in the past.

The only real difference I can see is that these look to be a lot lower profile than other varieties I’ve seen.

Straight from the website:

A Simple Plug Designed to Fit Snug in
the Sip Hole of Your Travel Plug Lids.Less Mess $$$ Saves Time $$$
Protects your customers and baristas $$$
Gives a GREAT Coffee Experience !!!
Increases Customer Loayalty !!!
Makes You Money $$$

Designed To Fit Travel Cup Lids By:
Solo…
Sweatheart…
Insulair…
IMx…
Graphicup…
Dopaco…
Karat…
Chinet…
and Others.

You can also buy online from packs of 2, all the way up to packs of 1,000. In packs of 600 or more the plugs are only $.01 each. Such a simple investment for that extra bit of customer satisfaction.

http://mycoffeekisses.com

Mike McKim and Cuveé Coffee in Houston Business Journal

Grounds for enthusiasm – link

Houston Business Journal – by Susan Powell Special to Houston Business Journal

By dedicating himself to not only brewing a fabulous cup of coffee, but also sharing his passion for premium coffee with the world, Mike McKim has turned an avocation into a full-time occupation.

At his company’s headquarters in a small nondescript strip mall at 2810 Louetta Road in Spring, about a mile west of Interstate 45, it’s clear that McKim, CEO of Cuvée Coffee Roasting Co., is building a business aimed at other professionals.

The full-service operation imports the world’s finest beans, then roasts them to exacting standards.

more…

A big congratulations to Mike and Cuveé!

We’ve seen Brown and Gallo in the press before, and this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Cuveé in print.

Who’s next?

Starbucks to Acquire The Coffee Equipment Company

Starbucks entered into an agreement today to acquire The Coffee Equipment Company, inventor and producer of the famed Clover™ brewing system.

Starbucks had already acquired at least two or three Clovers to be used in test locations like Seattle and Boston.

Some speculated that Starbucks may possibly opt to purchase several more for larger scale use. No-one that I know of speculated that Starbucks would pursue the acquisition of the company that makes them.

Maybe we’ll see more of these brewers popping up in Starbucks locations. With just a little more luck, maybe we’ll see their baristas learning more about coffee extraction as well.

Wall Street Journal article.

TradingMarkets.com article.

(via)

Panther City Coffee: Now Closed (Ft. Worth)

http://www.panthercitycoffee.com/

The roaster retailer in Ft. Worth known as Panther City Coffee has officially closed its doors after months of being up for sale.

Panther City was one of very few places in the greater DFW area doing anything worth writing home about. They roasted in house on a Deidrich roaster that was situated out in plain sight near tables so patrons could watch, or just have a look at the equipment involved in making the coffee they were drinking become what it has.

They pulled shots on a La Marzocco Linea, and at least one of the baristas poured art regularly.

The equipment will be listed on e-bay shortly.

Panther City Coffee will be missed.

Kona Coffee Legislation Update

Here is an update on the situation that we posted awhile back on Kona coffee percentages allowed in “Kona Blend” labeled coffees that can be found here=> http://tx-coffee.com/2008/01/29/kona-coffee-and-kona-blends-a-plea-for-your-help/

Here is an update as found on the alt.coffee news group.

www.konacoffeefarmers.org • i…@konacoffeefarmers.org
GMO Coffee Decision Causes Outrage with Kona Coffee Farmers c
KAILUA KONA, HAWAII, March 7, 2008 – Sen. Tokuda (D-Kailua-Kaneohe),
Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs
decided not to support, or even provide a committee hearing on HB
1577O which would place a moratorium on field trials for genetically
modified coffee. Instead she is asking for a study to “develop
policies that best serve the needs of our agricultural community”.
The Hawaii County Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the
State Legislature to pass this legislation. “It is deeply
disappointing that once again the State Legislature overrides the
wisdom of our County leaders and the requests of Kona Coffee Farmers”,
said Bruce Corker, President of the Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
“It is troubling that the Legislative leadership has killed both the
GMO moratorium and the coffee truth-in-labeling bills in the back
room, rather than permitting testimony from Big Island farmers in the
open and democratic forum provided by committee hearings.”
“We respect the right of scientists to do research, but perhaps they
could apply their efforts to ridding us of the coffee twig borer which
is having a significant and detrimental impact on Kona Coffee. That
would be extremely helpful to Kona Coffee farmers”, said Corker.

“I am outraged”, said Cecelia Smith, spokesperson for the KCFA, “this
Bill was backed by the entire Hawaii coffee industry, who came
together in a unique consolidation, yet our representatives ignore
us”. Smith continued, “What do we need to do to get effective
Agricultural legislation to protect what we are doing right now, in
the fields?”
roast beans to kona to email
farmers of Pure Kona

As posted by Cecilia Smith, of Smithfarms in Kona.

Is Bottomless Coffee Really a Good Idea?

All humor aside, sometimes I really do wonder.

Although offering bottomless cups of coffee can be quite popular with patrons, it may not be the best solution to getting paying customers inside your doors.

Consider this:
Your coffee costs you probably anywhere between $4.50 and $9 per pound wholesale. This is not commodity grade stuff. Why bother to source Specialty Coffee suppliers in the first place if there is no emphasis on the quality of the coffee in the retail environment?
Let’s discuss this in terms of perception. A customer comes in. They pay their $1-$2. They get their cup, and head to the air-pot… again… and again… and again. At this rate, what is it they’re paying for? Are they paying for the coffee, or are they getting free coffee when they rent some table space for hours on end? Even if they do perceive that they are paying for the coffee, what kind of a message does this send out about the caliber of the coffee being sold?

The point being made is that coffee sold this way is perceived to have little to no value at all. Obviously, if you are a Specialty Coffee retailer, your coffee is far from worthless.

Now, then. I am assuming that part of the reason we all got into this business is to share our love for great coffee with other people, and to help boost the overall appreciation of what it is we do. Does selling coffee for practically nothing contribute to this cause? In a way, yes. But what’s the result?

Tossing out bottomless coffee as a menu item has its benefits. For one thing, less waste. You don’t need to brew an entire air-pot because a bottomless coffee customer needs a “warm-up”of a coffee that just ran out… half an hour to closing time. (If this happens, and you DO sell bottomless coffee, it is better to serve the customer than to attempt to conserve another pot of coffee).

Better still, is brewing by the cup. There are many solutions to accomplishing this goal, such as a Pour-over Stand, French Presses, Chemex (another pour-over), Siphon Brewers (aka vacuum pots), or the gigantic investment of equipment known as Clover.

There is more than one benefit to the cup-at-a-time concept. For one thing, the perceived value of a cup of coffee increased, and thus, so does the potential pricing. Second, how does “no wasted coffee” sound? Everyone in this business knows that a cup of coffee costs change to the business, but what does this add up to if you compound the average volume of coffee thrown away in just one day? Don’t look at it in actual cost, look at it in terms of potential income costs. For most retailers, this is quite a number! Last in this rather short list of benefits is the quality of the coffee. In a hands-on approach to brewing coffee, the barista can actually manipulate various factors to brew a better cup of coffee. With an automated drip brewer, you’re pretty much limited with the barista’s interaction in the process.

This hand-crafted cup of coffee that tastes divine is certainly something worth paying for. This is not your average off-the-shelf cup of Joe, and your customers will be able to see and taste that with their own senses. Higher profit margins per cup, less waste, and a higher perceived quality of the products being sold by your company. Sound like a winning combination? You bet it does.

Now let’s have a look at the other side of this coin. I know there are many retailers who offer bottomless coffee because it encourages their customers to stay for longer. The longer they stay, the more likely they are to buy other items like pastries, bottled water, and food items like panini (or other sandwiches), soup, or salad (if these items are offered). The money is not made on the coffee in these situations, but on the mark-up of the various consumables that a “camper” is likely to purchase during their stay.

When this is the case, then the time has come to ditch the title of “coffee retailer” in favor of something along the lines of “Cafe”. At this point, you are no longer selling coffee. You are practically giving it away in an effort to attract more customers to your company’s focus: food. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It’s best to know where you stand, and to be honest with yourself, and your customers. If you are not primarily a Specialty Coffee retailer, make this reflected in the name of your business, and your company’s presentation to the public.

How about another perspective. Starbucks does not sell bottomless coffee, nor do they offer refills at a discount (or even at all). You have to wonder if there’s a reason for this. If nothing else, please realize that if Starbucks can do it, so can a quality focused independent retailer. The difference is that the independent retailer has more flexibility to really milk the single cup pricing for all its worth.

What’s best for your bottom line may not line up with real possibilities. What’s best for promoting coffee and its producers is probably not best for drawing customers in to purchase food items, and visa versa. Your coffee is special, and deserves to be marked according to its value. I encourage you to find the courage to promote the coffee for the sake of great coffee. There is profit to be made in doing so, and the industry as a whole can only benefit from an increased consumer awareness of quality coffee.

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