View entire thread: How long have you been in business?
Posted by chl on 2007-11-03 22:57:05 Post Subject: How long have you been in business?
I am looking into starting a mobile and drive thru business in my area and I believe I have a good opportunity to even move toward a full coffee/espresso shop in the future. Naturally there are many variables that need to work out for me to get there but feel the possibilty is there. My question is after reading many of these post in the forum I have noticed that the web links to many businesses associated with the posts are no longer vaild. So have these businesses failed? or have the never transpired.
I am curious of those who post on here how long has your business been open and how does your future look. I am looking to build something long lasting.
So post a note or drop me a line and let me know where you stand....
Thansk for all the info this forum has been a wealth of knowledge
cheers
Charles
lewiscoffeecompany@comcast.net
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Posted by chl on 2007-11-03 22:57:05 Post Subject: How long have you been in business?
I am looking into starting a mobile and drive thru business in my area and I believe I have a good opportunity to even move toward a full coffee/espresso shop in the future. Naturally there are many variables that need to work out for me to get there but feel the possibilty is there. My question is after reading many of these post in the forum I have noticed that the web links to many businesses associated with the posts are no longer vaild. So have these businesses failed? or have the never transpired.
I am curious of those who post on here how long has your business been open and how does your future look. I am looking to build something long lasting.
So post a note or drop me a line and let me know where you stand....
Thansk for all the info this forum has been a wealth of knowledge
cheers
Charles
lewiscoffeecompany@comcast.net
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View entire thread: Illy Francis!Francis! X5 membership program...problem
Posted by Coffee Guy on 2007-03-24 14:31:12 Post Subject:
Well said CafeBlue. Programs like this are mostly to the benefit of the supplier and not the customer, i.e. machines like these are made a dime a dozen and generally do not hold up to continued use like a commercial machine, therefore, breaking down much sooner. Most purchase these type of machines trying to duplicate what they experience from a professional coffee/espresso shop, and when reality hits that it's just not the same then buyers remorse set in. Good point about good will, however, a warranty is a warranty, and most will not back off on this issue. CiaoNY I would suggest that if you want to find a commercial type machine to look on places like eBay or Craig's List and find something of higher quality (used) and something that is 110V, and maybe a pour over type. They are out there. In most cases they do not come with a warranty and you usually have to buy as is, but you might run into something good...Good luck...
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Posted by Coffee Guy on 2007-03-24 14:31:12 Post Subject:
Well said CafeBlue. Programs like this are mostly to the benefit of the supplier and not the customer, i.e. machines like these are made a dime a dozen and generally do not hold up to continued use like a commercial machine, therefore, breaking down much sooner. Most purchase these type of machines trying to duplicate what they experience from a professional coffee/espresso shop, and when reality hits that it's just not the same then buyers remorse set in. Good point about good will, however, a warranty is a warranty, and most will not back off on this issue. CiaoNY I would suggest that if you want to find a commercial type machine to look on places like eBay or Craig's List and find something of higher quality (used) and something that is 110V, and maybe a pour over type. They are out there. In most cases they do not come with a warranty and you usually have to buy as is, but you might run into something good...Good luck...
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View entire thread: build out/equipment costs for 1400 sq ft coffee shop
Posted by lighthouse coffee on 2008-06-01 12:53:12 Post Subject: drive-thru
What John P has said might be much more when it comes to a sit down coffee shop the handycap bath rooms plus the extra expence of more help in the sit down area . The extra equiptment (pro dishwasher) and more.
$2100 a month and you have to build?Do you have the cash or will you be making payments + the rent?
What size is your drive-thru ?
(What If the spot you move from leases to another drive-thru?)
I had a sit down coffee/espresso shop .I now have a drive-thru.
My guess is about $100,000 plus.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/skinnygun/drive.jpg
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Posted by lighthouse coffee on 2008-06-01 12:53:12 Post Subject: drive-thru
What John P has said might be much more when it comes to a sit down coffee shop the handycap bath rooms plus the extra expence of more help in the sit down area . The extra equiptment (pro dishwasher) and more.
$2100 a month and you have to build?Do you have the cash or will you be making payments + the rent?
What size is your drive-thru ?
(What If the spot you move from leases to another drive-thru?)
I had a sit down coffee/espresso shop .I now have a drive-thru.
My guess is about $100,000 plus.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/skinnygun/drive.jpg
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View entire thread: Auto or Semi?
Posted by mrgnomer on 2006-05-03 17:32:13 Post Subject: Re: super v. sub auto
While supers are nice and convenient they will never be able to match the old hand crankers in quality. This is not to say that a super is not right for you. I have been a barista/roaster/shop owner/retailer/wholesaler/ etc. for many a year and have worked with everything from the big brass daddies to the fully auto-could train a monkey to do this sort. The question you need to ask is what sort of employee can I expect to hire? Will you actually shell out the bucks to get a real barista that will care about the shot or will you simply be paying six bucks an hour and expect a teen-ager to make your shop magic. Old style machines will produce the best shots...new ones will produce the same shot(good or bad) every time but stiffle any creativity a good barista could offer you. The only time I have seen a ned for a super was while working outside in the elements. In Texas wind and humdity are your main enemies and supers solve at least one of those.
What equus007 says sounds very reasonable. I don't have any experience on super automatics or even automatics but from what I've read the manual control one has with a semi automatic produces the better espresso.
Maybe it's because barista skills are necessary with a semi automatic. Dose, distribution, tamp, pressure, water temp: the essential variables of a good pull have to be understood and monitored by the operator and therefore a better espresso results. I've had espresso at cafes with automatic machines and the operators either don't seem to know how to pull a good shot or are pulling for cup volume. No tamp to speak of and lungo pours that are more like strong, bitter coffee than espresso.
In the end I guess one has to decide which is more important; shot quality or volume. If I were to run a coffee/espresso shop my focus would be on quality and I'd be pulling shots with semi automatic machines. Ideally the clientele would patronize my shop not for speedy service but really good espresso. Sure, the out the door line ups might never happen but that would be the price to pay for offering quality over volume, IMHO.
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Posted by mrgnomer on 2006-05-03 17:32:13 Post Subject: Re: super v. sub auto
While supers are nice and convenient they will never be able to match the old hand crankers in quality. This is not to say that a super is not right for you. I have been a barista/roaster/shop owner/retailer/wholesaler/ etc. for many a year and have worked with everything from the big brass daddies to the fully auto-could train a monkey to do this sort. The question you need to ask is what sort of employee can I expect to hire? Will you actually shell out the bucks to get a real barista that will care about the shot or will you simply be paying six bucks an hour and expect a teen-ager to make your shop magic. Old style machines will produce the best shots...new ones will produce the same shot(good or bad) every time but stiffle any creativity a good barista could offer you. The only time I have seen a ned for a super was while working outside in the elements. In Texas wind and humdity are your main enemies and supers solve at least one of those.
What equus007 says sounds very reasonable. I don't have any experience on super automatics or even automatics but from what I've read the manual control one has with a semi automatic produces the better espresso.
Maybe it's because barista skills are necessary with a semi automatic. Dose, distribution, tamp, pressure, water temp: the essential variables of a good pull have to be understood and monitored by the operator and therefore a better espresso results. I've had espresso at cafes with automatic machines and the operators either don't seem to know how to pull a good shot or are pulling for cup volume. No tamp to speak of and lungo pours that are more like strong, bitter coffee than espresso.
In the end I guess one has to decide which is more important; shot quality or volume. If I were to run a coffee/espresso shop my focus would be on quality and I'd be pulling shots with semi automatic machines. Ideally the clientele would patronize my shop not for speedy service but really good espresso. Sure, the out the door line ups might never happen but that would be the price to pay for offering quality over volume, IMHO.
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View entire thread: Auto or Semi?
Posted by ElPugDiablo on 2006-05-04 15:16:46 Post Subject: Re: super v. sub auto
While supers are nice and convenient they will never be able to match the old hand crankers in quality. This is not to say that a super is not right for you. I have been a barista/roaster/shop owner/retailer/wholesaler/ etc. for many a year and have worked with everything from the big brass daddies to the fully auto-could train a monkey to do this sort. The question you need to ask is what sort of employee can I expect to hire? Will you actually shell out the bucks to get a real barista that will care about the shot or will you simply be paying six bucks an hour and expect a teen-ager to make your shop magic. Old style machines will produce the best shots...new ones will produce the same shot(good or bad) every time but stiffle any creativity a good barista could offer you. The only time I have seen a ned for a super was while working outside in the elements. In Texas wind and humdity are your main enemies and supers solve at least one of those.
What equus007 says sounds very reasonable. I don't have any experience on super automatics or even automatics but from what I've read the manual control one has with a semi automatic produces the better espresso.
Maybe it's because barista skills are necessary with a semi automatic. Dose, distribution, tamp, pressure, water temp: the essential variables of a good pull have to be understood and monitored by the operator and therefore a better espresso results. I've had espresso at cafes with automatic machines and the operators either don't seem to know how to pull a good shot or are pulling for cup volume. No tamp to speak of and lungo pours that are more like strong, bitter coffee than espresso.
In the end I guess one has to decide which is more important; shot quality or volume. If I were to run a coffee/espresso shop my focus would be on quality and I'd be pulling shots with semi automatic machines. Ideally the clientele would patronize my shop not for speedy service but really good espresso. Sure, the out the door line ups might never happen but that would be the price to pay for offering quality over volume, IMHO.
I agree. The drinks made by caring barista will always be better than drinks made by super automatic button pushers.
The humidity becomes a factor when you have reground coffee waiting in the grinder to be used up. Ground coffee does absorb moisture. In the full automatic machines, grinding takes place for immediate extraction following grind. So, bye bye humidity.
I disagree. Beans absord and exude humidity just like ground coffee, albeit at a slower rate. Because ground coffee absord and exude humidity faster, this is why there should be no pre ground coffee in the doser waiting to be used. Beans should be grind to order, and ground coffee in the doser for more than a few minutes should be dumped.
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Posted by ElPugDiablo on 2006-05-04 15:16:46 Post Subject: Re: super v. sub auto
While supers are nice and convenient they will never be able to match the old hand crankers in quality. This is not to say that a super is not right for you. I have been a barista/roaster/shop owner/retailer/wholesaler/ etc. for many a year and have worked with everything from the big brass daddies to the fully auto-could train a monkey to do this sort. The question you need to ask is what sort of employee can I expect to hire? Will you actually shell out the bucks to get a real barista that will care about the shot or will you simply be paying six bucks an hour and expect a teen-ager to make your shop magic. Old style machines will produce the best shots...new ones will produce the same shot(good or bad) every time but stiffle any creativity a good barista could offer you. The only time I have seen a ned for a super was while working outside in the elements. In Texas wind and humdity are your main enemies and supers solve at least one of those.
What equus007 says sounds very reasonable. I don't have any experience on super automatics or even automatics but from what I've read the manual control one has with a semi automatic produces the better espresso.
Maybe it's because barista skills are necessary with a semi automatic. Dose, distribution, tamp, pressure, water temp: the essential variables of a good pull have to be understood and monitored by the operator and therefore a better espresso results. I've had espresso at cafes with automatic machines and the operators either don't seem to know how to pull a good shot or are pulling for cup volume. No tamp to speak of and lungo pours that are more like strong, bitter coffee than espresso.
In the end I guess one has to decide which is more important; shot quality or volume. If I were to run a coffee/espresso shop my focus would be on quality and I'd be pulling shots with semi automatic machines. Ideally the clientele would patronize my shop not for speedy service but really good espresso. Sure, the out the door line ups might never happen but that would be the price to pay for offering quality over volume, IMHO.
I agree. The drinks made by caring barista will always be better than drinks made by super automatic button pushers.
The humidity becomes a factor when you have reground coffee waiting in the grinder to be used up. Ground coffee does absorb moisture. In the full automatic machines, grinding takes place for immediate extraction following grind. So, bye bye humidity.
I disagree. Beans absord and exude humidity just like ground coffee, albeit at a slower rate. Because ground coffee absord and exude humidity faster, this is why there should be no pre ground coffee in the doser waiting to be used. Beans should be grind to order, and ground coffee in the doser for more than a few minutes should be dumped.
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View entire thread: BunJava - New Coffeeshop - Floorplan
Posted by lighthouse coffee on 2008-05-09 01:20:53 Post Subject:
tlowing were is your ice cream freezer? I had a sit down coffee/espresso shop and put in a 8 flavor ice cream freezer not only do you sell by cones,hot fudge sundays, there are ice cream mochas.
I now have a drive-thru coffee/espresso and ice cream mochas are 40% of sales.I run different flavors as specials each week with 6-7 regular flavors at all times.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/skinnygun/ICECREAMMOCHA.jpg
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Posted by lighthouse coffee on 2008-05-09 01:20:53 Post Subject:
tlowing were is your ice cream freezer? I had a sit down coffee/espresso shop and put in a 8 flavor ice cream freezer not only do you sell by cones,hot fudge sundays, there are ice cream mochas.
I now have a drive-thru coffee/espresso and ice cream mochas are 40% of sales.I run different flavors as specials each week with 6-7 regular flavors at all times.http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/skinnygun/ICECREAMMOCHA.jpg
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