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Permalink Reply by Alex Maes on September 15, 2010 at 1:51pm

seasonality. green coffee buying practices. (fair trade vs. farm gate and other less known certifications)

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Vaaler on September 15, 2010 at 1:56pm

Alex Maes said:

seasonality. green coffee buying practices. (fair trade vs. farm gate and other less known certifications)

Absolutly, and I'll go into way more detail that's not usually mentioned.

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Permalink Reply by Chase Mann on September 15, 2010 at 3:33pm

Roast must go hand-in-hand with bean/crop for the best cup.

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Permalink Reply by John P on September 15, 2010 at 5:47pm

Jennifer,

First I have to commend you for doing what you can to educate consumers. But I have to disagree, there is always enough time. Each espresso, each cappuccino, every latte you make is a chance to educate the customer. Not only can you engage them with little tidbits about fresh grinding, fresh roasting, tamping, etc, but you also have time to give them some quick info on the espresso you're using... and after that, the quality and taste of what you have given them often does more than words can do... and likely leads to more questions.

We roast small batches and tend to change our espresso offering about every ten days. We tell every customer, or couple, "The espresso we are using today is... "(farm origin, flavor profile) whether it's a straight espresso or a caramel latte. People will ask about things like fresh grinding, crema, tamping, etc. because they don't normally see these things at most shops. Over time you build a foundation of coffee communication with your customers and they continue to come and educate themselves because they "get" what you are doing, and most importantly because you deliver in the cup.

If either the barista or the customer is in too much of a hurry, both are probably in the wrong shop. There's always time to educate. I think often times new owners or barista want the public to know everything all at once... if you are truly doing something wonderful, they will know everything they need to - the rest is just details.

Keep up the good work!

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Vaaler on September 15, 2010 at 6:20pm

John P said:

Jennifer,

First I have to commend you for doing what you can to educate consumers. But I have to disagree, there is always enough time.

We roast small batches and tend to change our espresso offering about every ten days. We tell every customer, or couple, "The espresso we are using today is... "(farm origin, flavor profile) whether it's a straight espresso or a caramel latte. People will ask about things like fresh grinding, crema, tamping, etc. because they don't normally see these things at most shops. Over time you build a foundation of coffee communication with your customers and they continue to come and educate themselves because they "get" what you are doing, and most importantly because you deliver in the cup.

If either the barista or the customer is in too much of a hurry, both are probably in the wrong shop. There's always time to educate. I think often times new owners or barista want the public to know everything all at once... if you are truly doing something wonderful, they will know everything they need to - the rest is just details.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks John. I didn't mean we don't have time. Just thought that covering these topics would simply be an extension to what we already educate customers about.

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Permalink Reply by John P on September 15, 2010 at 11:54pm

Sounds great! Let your customers know there will be a quiz at the end of the week!

Jennifer Vaaler said:

John P said:

Jennifer,

First I have to commend you for doing what you can to educate consumers. But I have to disagree, there is always enough time.

We roast small batches and tend to change our espresso offering about every ten days. We tell every customer, or couple, "The espresso we are using today is... "(farm origin, flavor profile) whether it's a straight espresso or a caramel latte. People will ask about things like fresh grinding, crema, tamping, etc. because they don't normally see these things at most shops. Over time you build a foundation of coffee communication with your customers and they continue to come and educate themselves because they "get" what you are doing, and most importantly because you deliver in the cup.

If either the barista or the customer is in too much of a hurry, both are probably in the wrong shop. There's always time to educate. I think often times new owners or barista want the public to know everything all at once... if you are truly doing something wonderful, they will know everything they need to - the rest is just details.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks John. I didn't mean we don't have time. Just thought that covering these topics would simply be an extension to what we already educate customers about.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Vaaler on September 16, 2010 at 10:05am

John P said:

Sounds great! Let your customers know there will be a quiz at the end of the week!

Haha well, I was thinking more along the lines of a crossword puzzle.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Yates on September 16, 2010 at 10:50am

Since I live in a rural environment, with many customers attuned to the agrarian lifestyle, I like to emphasize the relationship side of coffee. When they can put names and faces to their coffee, or at least country and region, it seems that the coffee is appreciated a little more. Another point I try to make is that great coffee doesn't HAVE to be intimidating or complicated. So breaking down the steps in extraction are important to me. Accessibility is another key factor. I recently started selling the Clever here at the bakery. I gave one of my recent purchasers my business card and told her that if she had any questions about how to brew, any at all, she was to call me, and I would try to walk her through it.

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