Sincerely,
The Official NYC Coffee Fling Committee
All Posts (18)
Sort by
Sincerely,
The Official NYC Coffee Fling Committee
Background: Mugsies is nestled in the downtown district of a small community in western Pennsylvania about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. It caters to a hybrid customer base of college students from the fairly prestigious Westminster College and rustic local farmers. On weekends, the relatively small cafe can often be crammed, as the shop regularly features several local musicians such as Adrienne Nightingale, David Bailey, and Randy Niles. For several years, Mugsies has served as a central hub for its community and has even drawn customers from surrounding communities such as Sharon, Mercer, and New Castle.
The Store Ambiance: I visited Mugsies on a Tuesday afternoon in late May--probably not the ideal time to get a good feel for the atmosphere, but it was the best I could manage. I entered through the back of the store via the parking lot. The front of the store (pictured below) can be seen from the street. As I walked through the narrow hallway into the cozy cafe area, I noticed the row of merchandise along the wall to my left. There was quite an impressive array of branded Mugsies merch, including t-shirts, tumblers, and pens. Also, there was whole bean coffee, a variety of teas, and CDs and books from local artists and authors. Along the wall on either side of the cafe hung pictures with themes ranging from music to coffee to rural neighborhoods. At the front of the store was a large glass facade and a small stage upon which bands played (at times other than Tuesday afternoons presumably). In the center of the cafe were about seven or eight small tables with chairs for dining. Along the walls of the cafe were some comfy chairs for lounging. To my right as I stepped into the cafe was the counter/espresso bar. The woman taking my order was friendly and open to conversation. On the walls behind the counter were two to four menu boards listing all of the items available for sale. The other customers in the cafe were more representative of an old-time diner than a chique coffee shop--many of them being older. I only saw one of the ten to fifteen customers using laptop and I sat down beside an Amish man. The conversation in the cafe created a quiet murmur conducive to a relaxing afternoon reading the magazine I'd brought with me.
The menu: The items available at Mugsies were those typical of a community coffee shop. The coffees on house, roasted by Wolf Creek Roasters in Grove City, PA, were decaf, dark roast, pecan flavored, and Costa Rica Terrazu. Also on the coffee menu were: shot in the dark, cafe au lait, cappuccino, cafe au breve, espresso, machiatto, americano, latte, and mocha breve. Other non-coffee beverages were: Italian soda, Italian slushie, soda, water, fruit tea smoothie, frozen hot chocolate, red bull, Arizona iced tea, chai (many varieties), smoothie, tea, etc. Flavors available to accompany beverages were too many to take down but a few were: banana, blackberry, coconut, almont, praline, Irish cream, white chocolate, caramel, and French vanilla. To eat, Mugsies also served traditional coffeehouse menu items such as paninis, salads, bagels, muffins, and cookies.
What I had: I had two items from the menu. As has become my custom, the first item was a cup of coffee. I chose the Costa Rica Terrazu they had on house. I have never been disappointed by a Costa Rican coffee and the roast that Mugsies offered was no exception. It was smooth with light acidity, a medium body, and deep notes of buttery cocoa with light creamy berries. I'd never heard of Wolf Creek Roasters but I'd highly recommend them if the Costa Rican is any indication of their other work. The second menu item I chose was a cappuccino made with whole milk. The espresso-to-milk ratio was a little less than I had expected it to be but the beverage was nevertheless crafted fairly well. There was a light foamy texture on top and the flavor was smooth and buttery. A good solid cappuccino.
The Store Ambiance: I visited Mugsies on a Tuesday afternoon in late May--probably not the ideal time to get a good feel for the atmosphere, but it was the best I could manage. I entered through the back of the store via the parking lot. The front of the store (pictured below) can be seen from the street. As I walked through the narrow hallway into the cozy cafe area, I noticed the row of merchandise along the wall to my left. There was quite an impressive array of branded Mugsies merch, including t-shirts, tumblers, and pens. Also, there was whole bean coffee, a variety of teas, and CDs and books from local artists and authors. Along the wall on either side of the cafe hung pictures with themes ranging from music to coffee to rural neighborhoods. At the front of the store was a large glass facade and a small stage upon which bands played (at times other than Tuesday afternoons presumably). In the center of the cafe were about seven or eight small tables with chairs for dining. Along the walls of the cafe were some comfy chairs for lounging. To my right as I stepped into the cafe was the counter/espresso bar. The woman taking my order was friendly and open to conversation. On the walls behind the counter were two to four menu boards listing all of the items available for sale. The other customers in the cafe were more representative of an old-time diner than a chique coffee shop--many of them being older. I only saw one of the ten to fifteen customers using laptop and I sat down beside an Amish man. The conversation in the cafe created a quiet murmur conducive to a relaxing afternoon reading the magazine I'd brought with me.
The menu: The items available at Mugsies were those typical of a community coffee shop. The coffees on house, roasted by Wolf Creek Roasters in Grove City, PA, were decaf, dark roast, pecan flavored, and Costa Rica Terrazu. Also on the coffee menu were: shot in the dark, cafe au lait, cappuccino, cafe au breve, espresso, machiatto, americano, latte, and mocha breve. Other non-coffee beverages were: Italian soda, Italian slushie, soda, water, fruit tea smoothie, frozen hot chocolate, red bull, Arizona iced tea, chai (many varieties), smoothie, tea, etc. Flavors available to accompany beverages were too many to take down but a few were: banana, blackberry, coconut, almont, praline, Irish cream, white chocolate, caramel, and French vanilla. To eat, Mugsies also served traditional coffeehouse menu items such as paninis, salads, bagels, muffins, and cookies.
What I had: I had two items from the menu. As has become my custom, the first item was a cup of coffee. I chose the Costa Rica Terrazu they had on house. I have never been disappointed by a Costa Rican coffee and the roast that Mugsies offered was no exception. It was smooth with light acidity, a medium body, and deep notes of buttery cocoa with light creamy berries. I'd never heard of Wolf Creek Roasters but I'd highly recommend them if the Costa Rican is any indication of their other work. The second menu item I chose was a cappuccino made with whole milk. The espresso-to-milk ratio was a little less than I had expected it to be but the beverage was nevertheless crafted fairly well. There was a light foamy texture on top and the flavor was smooth and buttery. A good solid cappuccino.
Ok, so my 10 year plan was to open a Roastery and 5 or 6 coffeehouses each a couple years apart. Now 2 years 6 months 21 days into the plan. Opened coffeehouse number 2 at my new Roastery location NY Day 4 months 21 days ago right on schedule.
Just got the seller signed purchase contract back for number 3 today, scheduled to close next Friday May 28th. Wasn't looking for it, just fell in my lap May 4th. Which I atribute to constant quality focused hard work and the Man Upstairs stepping in to lend a hand. It's one of those situations and deals you can't pass up. Quality focused established shop that just needs some fine tuning, owners recently had major health challenges hit them and need to get out. Just have to finish hammering out the new lease with the leasing agent and out of state owner, ball currently in their court...
And couldn't be pulling all this off without another God send who arrived from Michigan to join the insanity last Dec 18th around 8pm. That would be Bry of course.
Narino and Cauca.
Acid- 7
Body- 9
Texture- root beer, effervescent, bubbly.
Flavor- what diner coffee wishes it could be. The classic Colombian profile or "diner coffee" as some call it is on display in a great way. We took two Colombian S.O. Estate coffees that each cupped nicely but were not the full package that we would like to offer as a single origin and combined them. The Narino has a sweet round acid, lots of lime and tangerine making for a very juicy, mouthwatering cup. Some nice berry flavors from the Narino as well, cherry, blueberry...the sweet juicy kind. The body is super clean but not weighty...at all. The Cauca on the other hand is all about body and texture. It has a muted lemon acidity, layered spices from cinnamon to tamarind, and a flavor best described simply as root beer. On it's own it is a bit dirty in texture and has the scent reminiscent of a latte that has cooled to room temperature- sweet, milky, nutty, spicy, cocoa, etc. The body on the Cauca is thick and syrupy with nice grit. Put the two together and the strengths are highlighted. Sweet mouthwatering lime acidity, spicy bubbly body, classic diner character with a long refreshing finish.
Farmed by Eduardo Macaubus in the Brazilian Highlands, Minas Gerais.
Acid- 6
Body- 7
Texture- cleaner than last years. Like orange juice with a bit of dust from peanut skins.
Flavor- Last years single origin we featured from Marimbondo was all about the hazelnut. This coffee from Eduardo Macaubus follows suit but just not as obviously. The front features a tingle of sweet orange acid with a small amount of orange rind to add some bite. Hazelnut and toffee flavors reside in the medium plus body. The finish stays clean further highlighting the sweet nut characteristic. Crowd pleasing poundable coffee.
I thought I'd re-post a portion of my blog / facebook notes on cash drawer accountability here.
Every day here at SelbySoft, we receive calls asking about shortages in the cash drawer. While a number of these are simple mistakes by the crew, theft is an issue as well. If we can make our cash handling employees accountable for the mistakes and shortages, then we are on our way to eliminating them.
So, the question is how can we help? It all starts by deciding who has access to cash in drawers and how we can minimize that.
Let's start by defining how you probably handle the drawer in your location:
- Do you allow anyone in the store to handle the cash?
- Do you have a dedicated cashier that must ring up every order?
- Do you have a couple people that you trust?
Let's talk about how we can make it better and more secure with SP-1
First, we lock down the cash drawer. In SP-1 you can assign a cash drawer to an employee. This helps insure employee accountability because only that employee can access the cash.
The inconvenience with this is that the cashier may not always be at the front counter when the customer is ready to order. With SP-1 we can make this an easier situation in two ways:
- Set your system to allow anyone to start a ticket but only the approved employee code to close out a ticket. This provides you with the flexibility of having every employee being able to start an order (and then place it on hold) but only having one employee cash that customer out.
- Use multiple cash drawers. SP-1 allows up to five cash drawers per station! With this, you are actually assigning 1-5 employees to their own drawers. If employee one takes an order, drawer one opens, employee two takes an order and drawer two opens.
Competitors for the Latte Art Competition at Coffee Fest Minneapolis have been announced. Click on the url-link above "Bracket". Also attached as a jpeg image.
Step back in time to the 1920’s, a place with a Bohemian vibe and décor with a strong 20 something hangout and smooth espresso and you’re standing in Café 1923 coffeehouse in Hamtramck Michigan. Located on the corner of Dubois and Holbrook street, the experience is like being at grandma’s house; two rooms of comfort and warmth. If inside doesn’t seat you, the backyard has tables and chairs to enjoy.
The café is owned by Sean and Shannon Zukowski. The building was built in 1923 as a typical corner store. Originally created from Sean’s great-grandparents, Paul and Bernice Zukowski. It shut down in the 1980’s for little while and a few friends then re-opened it as a café. Barista Billy Shuman can be found there steaming, brewing and always lending an extremely knowledgeable and helping hand.
All the original structure was kept. The ceiling is gorgeous tin and copper ornate design tiles; there are bins under the order counter that pull open in an arch fashion that now hold paper products and other café needs; an old-timey brass meat scale hung on the wall outside of the once walk-in cooler, that is now the kitchen. Local artists diplay their work on various walls; cartoon illustrations, black and white photos, paintings, and the ever-so-proud news article framed for all to read on the wall at the coffee urn table.
Fresh gourmet sandwiches, Caesar salad, killer desserts, bagels with or without schmear, teas, chai, coffee, smoothies, and espresso drinks are available. Like a food or flavor challenge? One of the sandwiches ingredients listed on the menu board has sinus clearing horseradish. That, in itself, is worth the trip to try. Drinks can be made hot or cold. One drink that stands out there is the Coffee Milk. What is it you ask? Go and get a sip or call to ask as 313-319-8766. Seen next to the register is a sign that says, “it’s the beginning of the month, pay your tab.” Now there’s something you don’t see anywhere or anymore, not even at bars. The regulars get that privilege. Become a regular and that can be yours as well.
The neighborhood around it is as throw-back as the café. Watch your step, the sidewalks around it may jolt you to trip. But that’s perfect because this is a reason for a trip to make no matter where you live. www.cafe1923.com to take a tour online or get directions.
In the heart of downtown Ypsilanti, nestled between the library and an unoccupied building, is the coffee brilliance know as Bombadills. Bombadills has been there for five years now and is run by Peter Rinehart. It is a cozy place to eat, caffeinate, mix, mingle, and meet. It is brewing at 217 West Michigan Ave.
You might be lucky and get a front parking spot, if you’re a fan of parallel parking, or there’s a small lot behind the building. Seating is plenty with tables and wooden chairs and a cushy couch and armchair area. The interior has an urban look with Chocolate Brown, Evergreen, Golden Yellow walls, exposed duct work hanging from the ceiling, and the 19th century charm of the old building. One might think color psychology was a factor in choosing those colors; green has a calming effect on the psyche and yellow is known to trigger the appetite.
Rinehart offers a wide variety of drinks from the basic brewed coffee to the ever changing flavor of espresso drinks that can be created. The shelf behind the register holds about 50 different syrup flavors, both regular and sugar free. Drinks can be made hot or over ice with regular and soy milk. If you don’t want a drink that’s on the menu chalk board hanging on the wall, the very friendly and always accommodating staff will happily suggest something for you.
The selection of food is as varied as the syrups. Rinehart offers savory and sweets to consume. Soups, sandwiches, wraps, yogurt parfaits, and several cakes, cheesecakes, brownies, and cookies. He also caters to every diet lifestyle. There is always at least one vegan sweet offered. He has three to four brews of coffee to drink by the cup and buy for your home. He recently added coffee by the pound roasted by a local roaster in Ann Arbor. He keeps it all in the family because his sweets are also from two local bakeries. He also supports local artists; hanging on the walls, at any time, you’ll find photographs and/or paintings that can be purchased. In the past he has hosted poetry readings and music sessions from, of course, local musicians. Music hangs in the background chosen by the Barista that is working. So stop on in empty handed and leave with a coffee in hand and a smile on your face.
Check it at www.bombadills.com
To anybody that may be reading this, my name is Phillip Prass. As of today, May 9 of 2010, I am 20 years old and working at a Boston Stoker's coffee shop in Dayton. I came across Barista Exchange due to a work bulletin and registered almost immediately.
I've recently come to find a niche in the coffee industry, one where I hope to open a shop of my own.Hopefully this occurs down the west coast, but who knows.
I suppose the point of this blog is to introduce myself to anybody who would be interested in taking the time to get to know me. So, feel free to message me and we'll talk about whatever, from coffee to anything of interest.
Thanks
-P
This year, the WBC will be held in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe Conference and Caffé Culture Show, Europe’s largest specialty coffee expo.Special Coffee Kids/WBC efforts and events include:- An online auction of coffee-related items that will begin in June. All funds raised will benefit Coffee Kids’ projects for coffee-farming families.
- A Coffee Kids Reception will be held Thursday, June 24 at 6pm. The event will feature a quiz show with celebrity baristas, an open bar and a presentation from Coffee Kids Executive Director Carolyn Fairman.
- A coffee map featuring 20-25 of London’s must-visit coffee destinations will be compiled and distributed. All participating shops will collect donations and raise awareness of Coffee Kids.
In the latest Los Angeles Times Magazine, food writer Lora Zarubin goes on a bit of a tirade about the “fetishization” of specialty...Read more.
Read it online at www.freshcup.com
- Hottop KN-8288B Coffee Roaster donated by No Quarter Coffee (Retail value $720)
- Behmor Coffee Roaster donated by Joe Behm (Retail value $300) 15 lbs. El Salvador Cerro Las Ranas Pulp Natural (RFA) donated by Royal Coffee NY (Retail value $45)
- Bacchi Espresso Machine donated by Orphan Espresso (Retail value $395)
- 3-cup Tokio siphon, Hario Skerton Grinder, 12oz. Roasted coffee (roaster's choice) donated by Caffe d'Bolla (Retail alue $97)
- 5 lbs. Kenya Auction Lot donated by Café Imports (Retail value $83)
- 10 lbs. 2009 Panama Finca Esmerelda Especial donated by GCBC member mpoll (Retail value $300)
