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Permalink Reply by Brady on July 27, 2008 at 7:00pm

Not "the show" as much as the craft, the art, the expression, the soul. Basically, everything that this community is about, as I understand it.

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Permalink Reply by Alun Evans on July 27, 2008 at 7:08pm

My experience with Super auto's is they do produce "consistency". That consistency is the same quantity of coffee and quality of coffee in the cup. However IMHO the quality of the shot needs to be qualified. It is no where near what you would get if you grind, tamp and pull the shot yourself. Here the Supers are the machines of choice for many cafe opperators- where easy of use, control of usage etc is the primary driver over qualty in the cup.

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Permalink Reply by Rob on July 28, 2008 at 5:45am

Changed "the show" to "art"...see how new I am? Hope no offence was taken. Just looking for feedback.
Thanks for advice regarding changing tables - we will definitely have them, as well as have everything "stroller friendly"! What type of childrens area or toy area do you have? Any suggestions for that set up? Thanks again,
Rob

Brady said:

Not "the show" as much as the craft, the art, the expression, the soul. Basically, everything that this community is about, as I understand it.

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Permalink Reply by Brady on July 28, 2008 at 11:32am

Hi Rob,

Rob said:

Changed "the show" to "art"...see how new I am? Hope no offence was taken. Just looking for feedback. (snip)

OK, that makes more sense. While the show of a skilled barista at work can be darn entertaining to watch, the results of the art (both taste and visual) in the cup are what motivates most of the baristas I know.

No offense taken here, and not saying that a super isn't a good choice for you. If you are looking to serve only the best espresso drinks, go with a staff of trained baristas using a good semi-auto. If your concept doesn't require this level of quality then "consistent and pretty good" is probably good enough. You could get the job done with a super and person behind the counter (and hire for other attributes). Just please don't call them baristas. Honestly (and unfortunately) I can think of a few shops that would serve better drinks if they went this route...

Hopefully someone else can chime in with better info on your Rex Royal.


Rob also said:

(snip) Thanks for advice regarding changing tables - we will definitely have them, as well as have everything "stroller friendly"! What type of childrens area or toy area do you have? Any suggestions for that set up? Thanks again, Rob

We decided against having a dedicated "kid area". We have lots of childrens' books, a "road rug", and a dozen or so little cars (the mini-Tonkas to be exact). The cars are appropriate for toddlers, are super rugged, and can be easily spray-sanitized after use. Everything is stashed away until needed and can be used anywhere in the store. Inevitably, the 4-year-old playgroup shows up right after a couple of laptops or a meeting, and we like having the flexibility to set the kids up anywhere in the store. The only thing we're lacking is a bit better acoustical treatment, but that's in the works. This works pretty well for us. I've seen shops that had sections with blackboard-painted walls or even whole playrooms, but we're really into flexibility.

Good luck!

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