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The Coffee Groundz: Houston, TX

I received an email today from Johnathan R. letting us know about their shop.

He writes,

Midtown location in Houston is up and running after much fine tunning. We also have a full bar as well. So if your in the area stop by and double your pleasure.
Thanks
J.R.

It seems they have a new location (the reason for the email). Their two locations are:

MIDTOWN
713.874.0082; 2503 Bagby, Houston, TX 77006
M–TH: 6 am to 12 am; F: 6 am to 3 am;
SAT: 7 am to 3 am; SUN: 7 am to 12 pm;

and

SUGAR LAND
281.313.2007; 2109 Highway 6, Sugar Land, TX 77478
M–TH: 5:30 am to 9 pm; F: 5:30 am to 10 pm;
SAT: 7 am to 10 pm; SUN: 7 am to 9 pm

Their website is http://www.thecoffeegroundz.com/

Joe Mama’s Coffee House Closed: Amarillo, TX

Joe Mama’s

Coffee House

is now closed. It was open for three months serving up great coffee (and food) to citizens of Amarillo, but alas.. it was not to last.

I’ve been told that a smaller retailer may open in the future for a smaller build-out attempt at a successful retailer.

Best wishes to Ray & Co. at Joe Mama’s.

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.

Looking for a live music act for your retailer?

I received a pretty interesting email (not like any we’ve received before) and I thought I’d share.

If most people prefer not to see these kinds of postings, just let me know and they won’t happen again. If you like these kinds of postings, again, let me know. TX-Coffee is intended to be a resource for the regional coffee industry.

Do you present live music at your cafe? I represent national touring artist and guitarist/singer/songwriter, Chris Ayer. Chris has just kicked off a spring tour that will bring him through the southeast, south, up through the northwest and back over to the east coast! There are a few dates I’m looking to fill in and I’m wondering if you would be interested in having him? Pricing is negotiable- small guarantee, cover charge, or tip jar. Please see his avails listed below and let me know if I can provide any further info.

–TX: March (8, 11-17)
–CO: March (17-20)
–UT: March (24-27)
–MT: March (30, 31)
–IA, NE: March (31), April (1, 2)
–IN, OH: April (7-9)
–PA: April (7-9, 11, 13-17, 20-23)
–DE: April (11, 13-17)
–NJ: April (13-17)

Proudly presenting Chris Ayer for your consideration in 2008:

(Electronic Press Kit available at www.Lyric-Entertainment.com password= lyric2007)
*Hard copy promo package available upon request.

Chris Ayer
[acoustic / folk rock]

Website: www.chrisayer.net
Myspace: www.myspace.com/chrisayer
Tour history: http://sonicbids.com/chrisayer

Chris Ayer’s clever lyrics and song structure is what separates this 25 year old as a singer/songwriter from the plethora of others. Chris tours nationally and won the Grand Prize in the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Competition Folk category for “Evaporate”. In November 2006 the song was also recognized by VH-1, winning Song Of The Month in their Save The Music Competition (Adult Contemporary Category). Chris was also Performing Songwriter Magazine’s “Do It Yourself” pick for March 2007. His latest album, This Is The Place, was recorded in Nashville and produced by Jason Gantt (The Chieftains, Brooks & Dunn, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill). Chris’s next studio album is set for release in summer 2008.

“Part street poet, part armchair philosopher, indie singer/songwriter Chris Ayer will leave you smiling whether you feel like smiling or not. You gotta love this guy… This Is The Place is a delightful discovery.” – BuddyHollywood.com, September 2007

“Ayer’s effort has it all–tight arrangements, excellent musicality and imaginative lyrics. If you’re looking for great music, this is the place indeed.” – Performing Songwriter Magazine, March 2007

Best Regards,

Alyssa C. Folden
Lyric Entertainment
t 510.647.5027
www.Lyric-Entertainment.com
www.Myspace.com/LyricEntertainment

Texas Tea and Coffee in McGregor, TX Closes Doors

Brad Cook informed us today that Texas Tea and Coffee in McGregor, TX has closed its doors.

Original found here: in the forums.

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.

Now Hiring: Art Six Coffee House, Denton, TX

Taken from a Myspace bulletin.

Hi friends.

We’re looking for the perfect person to join our team (and promise we’re not as corporate-corny as that statement)!

Foodservice/Customer Service experience a plus. Specialty coffee experience STRONGLY preferred. Weekend night availability a MUST.

Please apply in person!

Those of you who’ve submitted resumes in the past 3 months, please come back by and fill out an app!

Those of you who are Art Six customers and want to get brilliant service from the new employee…… please help by reposting!

Thanks,
Art Six
424 Bryan St. @ Scripture

“Located at 424 Bryan Street in Denton, Texas, on the corner of Bryan St and Scripture St. We’re just 2 blocks from UNT, 1 block from Fry St, minutes from the square and from TWU.”(from their myspace page)

http://www.myspace.com/artsixcoffee

Posting has been added to the “Jobs” tab.

The Daily Grind: Austin, TX

I received an email from Andrew Scribner (regular contributor to the forums) informing me about this new retailer.

He writes,

I spent the last week camping in a coffee shop that deserves special mention, I was hoping you might put them on the website. The place is called ‘The Daily Grind’ and is currenly owned by John & Juli Boeve, it used to be owned by the current owner of Republica Coffee Roasters. In my whole week there I witnessed top notch shot pulling and milk steaming, the drinks were wonderful. They have the best cold brew I’ve ever experienced, above and beyond anything else I’ve ever had. The inside is cozy and spacious at the same time, the staff are wonderful to chat with. It’s an easy 5 star rating on this one.

I told them about Texas Coffee People and asked them if it would be okay if I emailed you about them. It sounded like they were interested in joining the discussion .

I’ve attached a picture if you decide to give them a mention.

www.dailygrind620.com
The Daily Grind
16238 Hwy 620 North
Suite A
Austin, TX 78717

Phone: 512-388-0607

Thanks Andrew. They’ve been added to the list of Retailers.

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