View entire thread: Coffee's variant caffeine levels
Posted by Rowley on 2003-10-22 16:50:56 Post Subject: Coffee's variant caffeine levels
It is difficult to gauge the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, even when brewed with all the exact same measurements and equipment.
This is the first article I have seen with the actual numbers from a study scientists have done from some major coffee retailers, Starbuck and Dunkin' Donuts.
It also has a few interesting paragraphs on the addictiveness of caffeine, an interesting subject to hear about.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20031022.115646&time=12%2002%20PDT&year=2003&public=1
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by Rowley on 2003-10-22 16:50:56 Post Subject: Coffee's variant caffeine levels
It is difficult to gauge the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, even when brewed with all the exact same measurements and equipment.
This is the first article I have seen with the actual numbers from a study scientists have done from some major coffee retailers, Starbuck and Dunkin' Donuts.
It also has a few interesting paragraphs on the addictiveness of caffeine, an interesting subject to hear about.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/spew4th.pl?ascribeid=20031022.115646&time=12%2002%20PDT&year=2003&public=1
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: PR: Negotiate a better lease at the World Tea Expo
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-06-03 12:52:03 Post Subject: PR: Negotiate a better lease at the World Tea Expo
KAMUELA, HI (PRWEB) June 4, 2007 – Attendees of the 2007 World Tea Expo in Atlanta this month can discover how to select an ideal retail business location and productively negotiate lease terms by attending Andrew Hetzel's two speaking sessions "Retail Location and Leasing Strategies" and "Negotiation and Bargaining," both on Saturday, June 9.
"Choosing a good location and then securing the site with preferable lease terms are two of the most important factors that will determine the ultimate success or failure of a retail business," says Cafemakers founder Andrew Hetzel. "Drawing on my 14 years of international retailing experience, I developed these two presentations to address the most critical issues that can help small tea and coffee retailers to succeed."
The World Tea Expo that will be held June 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is the largest tea trade conference in the world, showcasing hundreds of exhibitors of tea and related products. For more information or to register, visit http://www.worldteaexpo.com .
About Andrew Hetzel
Andrew Hetzel is the founder and president of Cafemakers, a retail specialty coffee business consultancy based on the Big Island of Hawaii. Cafemakers provides business guidance and beverage improvement services for restaurants, hospitality businesses and multiunit coffee business operators throughout the United States and worldwide. Mr. Hetzel is a frequent speaker at culinary and beverage conferences, a judge for the World Barista Championship and Ultimate Barista Challenge organizations and writer for Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
Mr. Hetzel is formerly the founder and CEO of a multi-million dollar multinational retail services company whose clients include some of the most influential and respected names in their industries: 3M, Aveda, Burger King, Brinker International, DaimlerChrysler, Calvin Klein, Hard Rock Cafes and Hotels, Hugo Boss, Procter & Gamble, Skechers USA and Sears. More information is available online at http://www.cafemakers.com .
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-06-03 12:52:03 Post Subject: PR: Negotiate a better lease at the World Tea Expo
KAMUELA, HI (PRWEB) June 4, 2007 – Attendees of the 2007 World Tea Expo in Atlanta this month can discover how to select an ideal retail business location and productively negotiate lease terms by attending Andrew Hetzel's two speaking sessions "Retail Location and Leasing Strategies" and "Negotiation and Bargaining," both on Saturday, June 9.
"Choosing a good location and then securing the site with preferable lease terms are two of the most important factors that will determine the ultimate success or failure of a retail business," says Cafemakers founder Andrew Hetzel. "Drawing on my 14 years of international retailing experience, I developed these two presentations to address the most critical issues that can help small tea and coffee retailers to succeed."
The World Tea Expo that will be held June 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta is the largest tea trade conference in the world, showcasing hundreds of exhibitors of tea and related products. For more information or to register, visit http://www.worldteaexpo.com .
About Andrew Hetzel
Andrew Hetzel is the founder and president of Cafemakers, a retail specialty coffee business consultancy based on the Big Island of Hawaii. Cafemakers provides business guidance and beverage improvement services for restaurants, hospitality businesses and multiunit coffee business operators throughout the United States and worldwide. Mr. Hetzel is a frequent speaker at culinary and beverage conferences, a judge for the World Barista Championship and Ultimate Barista Challenge organizations and writer for Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
Mr. Hetzel is formerly the founder and CEO of a multi-million dollar multinational retail services company whose clients include some of the most influential and respected names in their industries: 3M, Aveda, Burger King, Brinker International, DaimlerChrysler, Calvin Klein, Hard Rock Cafes and Hotels, Hugo Boss, Procter & Gamble, Skechers USA and Sears. More information is available online at http://www.cafemakers.com .
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: PR: '08 Convenience Retailing Conference to Feature Coffee
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-12-26 16:26:40 Post Subject: PR: '08 Convenience Retailing Conference to Feature Coffee
Kamuela, HI (PRWEB) December 27, 2007 -- Something new is brewing for the February 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference in San Antonio, Texas. For the first time in the event's history, Andrew Hetzel of leading retail coffee consultancy Cafemakers will teach attendees the "ins and outs" of specialty coffee.
"I'm delighted by the way that convenience retailers have welcomed this opportunity to learn more about specialty coffee and the techniques that can improve beverage quality and flavor in convenience store settings," says Hetzel.
Described as a unique learning platform for retailers to pursue personal and professional growth while networking among industry leaders, CRC's 2008 symposium boasts an impressive lineup of featured speakers, including: Dr. Stephen Covey, founder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey, Steve Wosniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, and 2008 presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney.
Attendees of Mr. Hetzel's C-Store Specialty Coffee Success session, sponsored by Sara Lee Foodservice, will have the opportunity to experience professional coffee tasting, learn the basics of specialty coffee preparation and hear case examples that highlight critical success factors necessary to implement successful specialty coffee programs in convenience stores.
The 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference will be held at the San Antonio Grand Hyatt on February 11-13. For more information and to register, visit the conference website at http://www.convenienceretailing.com
About Andrew Hetzel
Andrew Hetzel is the founder and president of Cafemakers, a coffee industry business consultancy based in Hawaii. Cafemakers provides strategic business counseling, marketing and quality improvement services for coffee retailers, roasters and trade associations worldwide.
Named one of the top young business entrepreneurs in the State of Hawaii by Pacific Business News in 2007, Mr. Hetzel is a frequent speaker at food and beverage conferences, a judge for coffee competitions and a writer for coffee industry trade publications. For more information, visit http://www.cafemakers.com
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by cafemakers on 2007-12-26 16:26:40 Post Subject: PR: '08 Convenience Retailing Conference to Feature Coffee
Kamuela, HI (PRWEB) December 27, 2007 -- Something new is brewing for the February 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference in San Antonio, Texas. For the first time in the event's history, Andrew Hetzel of leading retail coffee consultancy Cafemakers will teach attendees the "ins and outs" of specialty coffee.
"I'm delighted by the way that convenience retailers have welcomed this opportunity to learn more about specialty coffee and the techniques that can improve beverage quality and flavor in convenience store settings," says Hetzel.
Described as a unique learning platform for retailers to pursue personal and professional growth while networking among industry leaders, CRC's 2008 symposium boasts an impressive lineup of featured speakers, including: Dr. Stephen Covey, founder and vice chairman of FranklinCovey, Steve Wosniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, and 2008 presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney.
Attendees of Mr. Hetzel's C-Store Specialty Coffee Success session, sponsored by Sara Lee Foodservice, will have the opportunity to experience professional coffee tasting, learn the basics of specialty coffee preparation and hear case examples that highlight critical success factors necessary to implement successful specialty coffee programs in convenience stores.
The 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference will be held at the San Antonio Grand Hyatt on February 11-13. For more information and to register, visit the conference website at http://www.convenienceretailing.com
About Andrew Hetzel
Andrew Hetzel is the founder and president of Cafemakers, a coffee industry business consultancy based in Hawaii. Cafemakers provides strategic business counseling, marketing and quality improvement services for coffee retailers, roasters and trade associations worldwide.
Named one of the top young business entrepreneurs in the State of Hawaii by Pacific Business News in 2007, Mr. Hetzel is a frequent speaker at food and beverage conferences, a judge for coffee competitions and a writer for coffee industry trade publications. For more information, visit http://www.cafemakers.com
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Economic Crisis and the State of the Bean
Posted by cafemakers on 2008-10-27 21:24:23 Post Subject:
I've written a number of article about this topic recently on my blog and have done 3-4 interviews with trade and national publications that should be coming out in the next couple of weeks, but here's a quick summary of my position on the state of our economy:
1) Large volume coffee retailers are most likely to be impacted by a widespread economic downturn, simply as the result of their market breadth;
2) Specialty coffee is somewhat insulated as an affordable luxury. Practically anyone can afford to pay $3-$4 for a cup of specialty coffee and most consumers are willing to do so, in some cases as a result of, economic crisis. This may appear counterintuitive, but small luxury purchases are often made in lieu of big capital spending during times of uncertainty as a form of psychological release. Those companies with the most unique and desirable products will fare best;
3) Business that invest in the efficiency of their operations during lean times will be well positioned to benefit from economic recovery at a later date; and
4) It's a buyer's market. Weak business are failing (they would have failed anyway, just over a longer period of time); sellers and landlords are being squeezed to meet credit obligations so there are some good deals to be had on coffee shops and chains.
I really can't think of a better time to build a new business in our industry than now. You'll be lean, mean and ready to devour the competition in coming years... assuming that you do it well.
Best of success,
Andrew
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by cafemakers on 2008-10-27 21:24:23 Post Subject:
I've written a number of article about this topic recently on my blog and have done 3-4 interviews with trade and national publications that should be coming out in the next couple of weeks, but here's a quick summary of my position on the state of our economy:
1) Large volume coffee retailers are most likely to be impacted by a widespread economic downturn, simply as the result of their market breadth;
2) Specialty coffee is somewhat insulated as an affordable luxury. Practically anyone can afford to pay $3-$4 for a cup of specialty coffee and most consumers are willing to do so, in some cases as a result of, economic crisis. This may appear counterintuitive, but small luxury purchases are often made in lieu of big capital spending during times of uncertainty as a form of psychological release. Those companies with the most unique and desirable products will fare best;
3) Business that invest in the efficiency of their operations during lean times will be well positioned to benefit from economic recovery at a later date; and
4) It's a buyer's market. Weak business are failing (they would have failed anyway, just over a longer period of time); sellers and landlords are being squeezed to meet credit obligations so there are some good deals to be had on coffee shops and chains.
I really can't think of a better time to build a new business in our industry than now. You'll be lean, mean and ready to devour the competition in coming years... assuming that you do it well.
Best of success,
Andrew
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: s Seattle’s Best Coffee Any Better than Starbucks?
Posted by felani on 2008-03-05 06:55:43 Post Subject: s Seattle’s Best Coffee Any Better than Starbucks?
Whenever people talk about coffee, it seems that they like to make some kind of comparison between their favorite brands or blends with what Starbucks offers. Perhaps it is because Starbucks is such an easy brand to compare to since practically everyone worth their weight in coffee beans has had a piping hot cup of coffee at Starbucks at some point in time. Whatever the case, here is yet another comparison of a brand of coffee versus the current coffee champion – Starbucks.
While Starbucks is the reigning king of the hill in Seattle, there is actually another, slightly lesser known coffee company that has come from the same northwestern coffee capital of America. Known as Seattle’s Best Coffee, they have been around for nearly forty years and have been making an amazing cup of coffee ever since. Although Seattle’s Best Coffee has gone through a variety of name changes, including brands like Stewart Brothers Coffee, it has keep the same amazing blends on its menu throughout – so they must be pretty darn amazing.
In 1998, Seattle’s Best Coffee became one of the first coffee retailers to actually sell a blend that was specifically made up of organically grown beans – a major selling point for many people. This blend became so successful that it propelled Seattle’s Best Coffee to a position as the third most prominent coffee retailer in America for a time, competing with the ever present Starbucks and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
So, despite the extensive history behind Seattle’s Best Coffee, is it really the better bang for your hard earned buck? Well, that really depends on taste. Sure, it costs quite a bit less when you buy it in their stores and even when you purchase a bag of beans at the grocery – but ultimately the taste really has nothing to do with the price. Give it a try, see how you like it, and then make your own decision about whether or not Seattle’s Best Coffee is really Seattle’s best coffee.
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by felani on 2008-03-05 06:55:43 Post Subject: s Seattle’s Best Coffee Any Better than Starbucks?
Whenever people talk about coffee, it seems that they like to make some kind of comparison between their favorite brands or blends with what Starbucks offers. Perhaps it is because Starbucks is such an easy brand to compare to since practically everyone worth their weight in coffee beans has had a piping hot cup of coffee at Starbucks at some point in time. Whatever the case, here is yet another comparison of a brand of coffee versus the current coffee champion – Starbucks.
While Starbucks is the reigning king of the hill in Seattle, there is actually another, slightly lesser known coffee company that has come from the same northwestern coffee capital of America. Known as Seattle’s Best Coffee, they have been around for nearly forty years and have been making an amazing cup of coffee ever since. Although Seattle’s Best Coffee has gone through a variety of name changes, including brands like Stewart Brothers Coffee, it has keep the same amazing blends on its menu throughout – so they must be pretty darn amazing.
In 1998, Seattle’s Best Coffee became one of the first coffee retailers to actually sell a blend that was specifically made up of organically grown beans – a major selling point for many people. This blend became so successful that it propelled Seattle’s Best Coffee to a position as the third most prominent coffee retailer in America for a time, competing with the ever present Starbucks and the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
So, despite the extensive history behind Seattle’s Best Coffee, is it really the better bang for your hard earned buck? Well, that really depends on taste. Sure, it costs quite a bit less when you buy it in their stores and even when you purchase a bag of beans at the grocery – but ultimately the taste really has nothing to do with the price. Give it a try, see how you like it, and then make your own decision about whether or not Seattle’s Best Coffee is really Seattle’s best coffee.
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: World Cup Shanghai
Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-07-17 07:28:39 Post Subject: Another Coffeeforums member in the news...
Just reading my daily Communicafe report and came accross this article-
China - Cafemakers’ President to speak at Asia Tea & Coffee Conference
Andrew Hetzel, president of leading retail specialty coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC, will speak at the 2006 Tea & Coffee World Cup Exhibition & Symposium on Thursday, September 28, in Shanghai, China. The session, entitled "Specialty Coffee Brand Marketing" will highlight the importance of branding and present strategies used by top regional and global specialty coffee retailers to successfully develop and market
I was thinking of heading up to Shanghai for the T&C World cup, who else beside Andrew will be going??
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-07-17 07:28:39 Post Subject: Another Coffeeforums member in the news...
Just reading my daily Communicafe report and came accross this article-
China - Cafemakers’ President to speak at Asia Tea & Coffee Conference
Andrew Hetzel, president of leading retail specialty coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC, will speak at the 2006 Tea & Coffee World Cup Exhibition & Symposium on Thursday, September 28, in Shanghai, China. The session, entitled "Specialty Coffee Brand Marketing" will highlight the importance of branding and present strategies used by top regional and global specialty coffee retailers to successfully develop and market
I was thinking of heading up to Shanghai for the T&C World cup, who else beside Andrew will be going??
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Attention StarBucks, please come to South Africa
Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-06-29 21:03:47 Post Subject:
What Boodles says is interesting. I have quite a few expatr friends here in Indo who are South African...all say the same thing, there really IS a lack of good quality specialty coffee retailers in RSA. Its odd...in many ways South Africa is similar to NZ and Australia, both countries have fantastic cafes and really good quality coffee. I for one would not be adverse to setting up a small place in a plce such as Capetown!
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by Alun_evans on 2006-06-29 21:03:47 Post Subject:
What Boodles says is interesting. I have quite a few expatr friends here in Indo who are South African...all say the same thing, there really IS a lack of good quality specialty coffee retailers in RSA. Its odd...in many ways South Africa is similar to NZ and Australia, both countries have fantastic cafes and really good quality coffee. I for one would not be adverse to setting up a small place in a plce such as Capetown!
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Not an addict.. but it doesn't help me stay up late any more
Posted by Rowley on 2004-11-29 10:42:07 Post Subject:
hehe, ok for you, great for coffee retailers.
Anyone can manage their coffee consumtion without any major problems, although technically some scientists say caffeine withdrawl is a legitimate mental disorder. So when cutting back on the coffee take baby steps. =D
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by Rowley on 2004-11-29 10:42:07 Post Subject:
hehe, ok for you, great for coffee retailers.
Anyone can manage their coffee consumtion without any major problems, although technically some scientists say caffeine withdrawl is a legitimate mental disorder. So when cutting back on the coffee take baby steps. =D
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Milk prices to reach 5$ per gallon
Posted by crema123 on 2007-07-27 21:43:16 Post Subject:
I read a stat in Fast Company the other day that said something to the effect of 10,000 people using their own coffee mugs instead of paper would eliminate 27 cars from the road per year. Don't quote me on that, the the emissions trucking all the packaging to coffee retailers is significant in itself (not to mention deforestization, etc).
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by crema123 on 2007-07-27 21:43:16 Post Subject:
I read a stat in Fast Company the other day that said something to the effect of 10,000 people using their own coffee mugs instead of paper would eliminate 27 cars from the road per year. Don't quote me on that, the the emissions trucking all the packaging to coffee retailers is significant in itself (not to mention deforestization, etc).
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Cafes...do you buy "pre roasted" via UPS, etc.???
Posted by alsterling on 2006-09-23 19:34:30 Post Subject:
Andrew, I couldn't agree more with you when describing the roasting and retailing of coffee as two distinct businesses. I'll definitely read the article.
Just from initial observations, I quickly figured out that the notable roasters have either made roasting a business unto itself, or have created a seperate business unit within their "mature" coffee retailing business.
A few coffee retailers have shared that they want to move their roasting activity out of the retail area and into a lease space. They, and I, are not convinced that having a roaster in the shop has a significant impact on sales.
Considering retail cost per square foot being so high, I see a roaster and sacks of green as taking up alot of costly space. On top of all that, being distracted during a roast with questions by well-meaning clients can cause other issues. The thought being, roasting demands attention and time, and is probably most efficient when housed in a seperate and "cost appropriate" space.
Best, Al
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by alsterling on 2006-09-23 19:34:30 Post Subject:
Andrew, I couldn't agree more with you when describing the roasting and retailing of coffee as two distinct businesses. I'll definitely read the article.
Just from initial observations, I quickly figured out that the notable roasters have either made roasting a business unto itself, or have created a seperate business unit within their "mature" coffee retailing business.
A few coffee retailers have shared that they want to move their roasting activity out of the retail area and into a lease space. They, and I, are not convinced that having a roaster in the shop has a significant impact on sales.
Considering retail cost per square foot being so high, I see a roaster and sacks of green as taking up alot of costly space. On top of all that, being distracted during a roast with questions by well-meaning clients can cause other issues. The thought being, roasting demands attention and time, and is probably most efficient when housed in a seperate and "cost appropriate" space.
Best, Al
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: How do I know if my water filter is too much!
Posted by beefybean on 2006-03-29 11:26:09 Post Subject:
This is one of the least understood areas of coffee, by the coffee retailers. I have been looking into this for my own shop and there is some good info out there, but it is not what I would call a "mature" subject, in the way that espresso temperature, pressure, bean roast, etc. are.
Yes, you do need minerals in your water. Filtration will not take them out. Nano filtration and reverse osmosis will. RO can strip it back too far. Softeners take out the scale, but replace it with sodium. Antiscaling systems inject phosphates into the water, reducing the ability for scale to form.
For home use, a good sediment and carbon filtration system should be sufficient. Especially for brewed coffee. If you are making lots of espresso, you might consider doing something to reduce or inhibit the scale. The boilers take the hit on scaling up.
Cirqua offers systems that "re-formulate" water. For a few thousand and up, they will filter, RO, and then remineralize to targeted Total Dissolved Solids (TDS - hardness, scale) and ph.
Ideal TDS for brewers may not be ideal for expresso machines. I'm still working on this one, and on my own system design. Input that I have collected:
sodium - bad for taste in ice
scale - bad for espresso machine, bad for ice machine and flavor of ice
scale - needed for proper extraction of coffee
polyphosphates - bad for me, Cirqua calls it bad, but that is competitive marketing. popular technology, approved for use in food, no objective input on flavor available, but I don't want it in my brew.
RO - good for ice, pure RO can etch equipment over time, e.g. boiler.
Articles in FreshCup, other trade magazines are marketing platforms for the equipment suppliers. They do provide some good targets on TDS, ph. But no solutions other than their advertisers.
I have to say that Cirqua knows their stuff and this industry. I have been very impressed talking to them, but the pricing is high. Culligan can do the same thing, but did not know the business, and the pricing is high. Local water treatment shops thought I was crazy, "You want to take the minerals out and then put them back in? ...."
I currently have a system on the drawing board with under $1000 in parts that can provide over 500 gallons reforumlated water per day. Way more than enough. I haven't built it yet and, what scares me most, is that I have not had to maintain it yet. One mechanical item is rated at 100gpd, and I will be placing a heavier demand on that. Still trying to find out what the design factors are that give it the 100 gpd rating.
Here is probably the best document that I have found on water. Several pages, exhaustive detail of what and why. If my system works, it had better or that Cirqua system goes up by the $1000 wasted, I'll post it.
If anyone else has some definitive answers, please let me know. What I have is only opinions and conjecture obtained from articles and other postings.
Charlie
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by beefybean on 2006-03-29 11:26:09 Post Subject:
This is one of the least understood areas of coffee, by the coffee retailers. I have been looking into this for my own shop and there is some good info out there, but it is not what I would call a "mature" subject, in the way that espresso temperature, pressure, bean roast, etc. are.
Yes, you do need minerals in your water. Filtration will not take them out. Nano filtration and reverse osmosis will. RO can strip it back too far. Softeners take out the scale, but replace it with sodium. Antiscaling systems inject phosphates into the water, reducing the ability for scale to form.
For home use, a good sediment and carbon filtration system should be sufficient. Especially for brewed coffee. If you are making lots of espresso, you might consider doing something to reduce or inhibit the scale. The boilers take the hit on scaling up.
Cirqua offers systems that "re-formulate" water. For a few thousand and up, they will filter, RO, and then remineralize to targeted Total Dissolved Solids (TDS - hardness, scale) and ph.
Ideal TDS for brewers may not be ideal for expresso machines. I'm still working on this one, and on my own system design. Input that I have collected:
sodium - bad for taste in ice
scale - bad for espresso machine, bad for ice machine and flavor of ice
scale - needed for proper extraction of coffee
polyphosphates - bad for me, Cirqua calls it bad, but that is competitive marketing. popular technology, approved for use in food, no objective input on flavor available, but I don't want it in my brew.
RO - good for ice, pure RO can etch equipment over time, e.g. boiler.
Articles in FreshCup, other trade magazines are marketing platforms for the equipment suppliers. They do provide some good targets on TDS, ph. But no solutions other than their advertisers.
I have to say that Cirqua knows their stuff and this industry. I have been very impressed talking to them, but the pricing is high. Culligan can do the same thing, but did not know the business, and the pricing is high. Local water treatment shops thought I was crazy, "You want to take the minerals out and then put them back in? ...."
I currently have a system on the drawing board with under $1000 in parts that can provide over 500 gallons reforumlated water per day. Way more than enough. I haven't built it yet and, what scares me most, is that I have not had to maintain it yet. One mechanical item is rated at 100gpd, and I will be placing a heavier demand on that. Still trying to find out what the design factors are that give it the 100 gpd rating.
Here is probably the best document that I have found on water. Several pages, exhaustive detail of what and why. If my system works, it had better or that Cirqua system goes up by the $1000 wasted, I'll post it.
If anyone else has some definitive answers, please let me know. What I have is only opinions and conjecture obtained from articles and other postings.
Charlie
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Okay, I'm a little burned out...
Posted by javahill on 2006-08-04 21:13:59 Post Subject:
I spend way too much time behind my desk and it gets to be a drag after a while. The best way I found to get my energy back is to go our and visit our customers and other coffee retailers.
Getting exposed to other people's imagination, passions, needs, and ideas gets me going. I'd recommend that to anyone.
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by javahill on 2006-08-04 21:13:59 Post Subject:
I spend way too much time behind my desk and it gets to be a drag after a while. The best way I found to get my energy back is to go our and visit our customers and other coffee retailers.
Getting exposed to other people's imagination, passions, needs, and ideas gets me going. I'd recommend that to anyone.
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Financing the Dream
Posted by 13 Bean on 2007-03-06 10:30:30 Post Subject: Financing the Dream
Hello everybody;
My wife and I have been kicking around the idea of opening a coffee house for the last eight months or so. We recently attended Coffee Fest and have since kicked our research into high gear. We''re developing a business plan, learning about coffee and tea, checking out the local competition, etc.
I''m sure I''ll come up with a lot of questions for you all (as I can see many in my situation have before), but for now I''m interested in the bottom line:
Money.
Not making it, mind you. I haven''t quite gotten to that part yet. I''m talking about putting together the funds to open up a business. I know what a lot of the common advice is; I''m most not going to find a bank loan or a government grant. Opening a business on credit cards is inadvisable (like I could come up with a $250-300k credit line anyway). I know there are loans through the SBA. I know I should develop a business plan and get it in front of an angel investor or a venture capital firm.
I guess I''m interested in the real world practicalities of it all. For those of you who are current coffee retailers, would you mind sharing stories of your startup days with me? Where did the money come from? (How much, if you don''t mind me asking?)
How realistic is it that I''ll find an investor as a suburban guy without many connections?
Thanks in advance, I''ve greatly enjoyed my time poking around the boards so far.
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by 13 Bean on 2007-03-06 10:30:30 Post Subject: Financing the Dream
Hello everybody;
My wife and I have been kicking around the idea of opening a coffee house for the last eight months or so. We recently attended Coffee Fest and have since kicked our research into high gear. We''re developing a business plan, learning about coffee and tea, checking out the local competition, etc.
I''m sure I''ll come up with a lot of questions for you all (as I can see many in my situation have before), but for now I''m interested in the bottom line:
Money.
Not making it, mind you. I haven''t quite gotten to that part yet. I''m talking about putting together the funds to open up a business. I know what a lot of the common advice is; I''m most not going to find a bank loan or a government grant. Opening a business on credit cards is inadvisable (like I could come up with a $250-300k credit line anyway). I know there are loans through the SBA. I know I should develop a business plan and get it in front of an angel investor or a venture capital firm.
I guess I''m interested in the real world practicalities of it all. For those of you who are current coffee retailers, would you mind sharing stories of your startup days with me? Where did the money come from? (How much, if you don''t mind me asking?)
How realistic is it that I''ll find an investor as a suburban guy without many connections?
Thanks in advance, I''ve greatly enjoyed my time poking around the boards so far.
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: fairtrade
Posted by jpscoffee on 2007-10-14 19:03:16 Post Subject:
what about other several million people who are consumers of non fair-trade coffee on daily basis and are possibly not even aware of that fact. Do you even know what fair trade coffee is? Have you any facts beyond the hype you are repeating?
How is possible to rise awareness around this issueWhat issue are you talking about?
Coffee industry is one of the most profitable industriesHow do you know this? At what level is it the most profitable? Are you a store owner? Are you a roaster? Are you a coffee broker?
Can medias such asTV, film or use of any other media help in increasing the consciousness about this problem??? What problem?
You seem to want to "save the world", but I think you need to do some research and get facts before you go forth. Read the press release below to shine a different light on "fair trade".
PRESS RELEASE
Fairtrade Coffee Does Little to Help Coffee Farmers in Developing Countries
Contact: Lura Forcum, Mercatus Center, (703) 993-4960 or lforcum@gmu.edu
Study available at www.mercatus.org/fairtradecoffee
Arlington, VA, June 21, 2007Buying Fairtrade coffee may ease your conscience and line the pockets of coffee retailers, but it does little to improve the lives of coffee farmers and laborers in developing countries. According to a study by Colleen Berndt, published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, coffee marketed as “Fairtrade” fails to provide financial benefit to farmers, while imposing significant costs. In her report, “Is Fairtrade in Coffee Production Fair and Useful: Evidence from Costa Rica and Guatemala and Implications for Policy”, Berndt - who is a lecturer in economics at San Jose State University argues that the program serves as little more than a hedge for coffee farmers.
What is the benefit of being a Fairtrade coffee farmer?
About three cents. In exchange for obtaining certification from the Fairtrade Labeling Organization’s (FLO), coffee farmers in developing countries can sell their coffee at a price that is about US$0.03 higher than the regular coffee market. However, coffee farmers only reap this benefit for about 20% of their coffee crop because that’s all that Fairtrade buyers currently purchase. The rest is sold on the unregulated market at a lower price.
While this isn’t helping coffee farmers much, it’s helping the very poorest participants of the coffee trade even less. Owners of coffee farms have some capital, but the migrant workers who provide most of the labor are far more impoverished. FLO requires that these workers be paid a minimum wage, but actual wages aren’t monitored so migrant workers probably aren’t seeing their fair share.
What are the costs of being a Fairtrade coffee farmer?
In order to sell to Fairtrade buyers, coffee farmers must organize themselves into cooperatives. The members must then follow FLO’s guidelines and pay the organization to monitor their compliance. In addition, the farmers, many of whom are barely literate, are required to keep detailed records about the co-op’s decision-making and distribution of profits in order to maintain certification.
There are other, less direct costs as well. Although FLO says that its goal is to help farmers become “financially secure and self sufficient,” its own requirements work against that goal. For example, co-op farmers are prevented from owning more than 12 acres of land and employing any full-time employees. While this may keep large coffee plantations from profiting from the price floor, it also discourages smaller coffee farmers from expanding their businesses.
How is Fairtrade acting as a hedge?
In developed financial markets, there are various tools to distribute risk. They range from simple crop insurance to more complex forms of risk buying and selling in futures and commodities markets. Coffee farmers lack access to these types of tools, which is what makes a Fairtrade co-op appealing. Fairtrade enables farmers to benefit from the price floor when the market is down, and sell to the unregulated market when prices are higher.
And since the co-op isn’t required to sell any amount of coffee to Fairtrade buyers, the farmers are inclined to sell their poor-quality beans where there is a price floor, and their higher-quality beans on the unregulated market. That’s something to think about the next time you order a venti-Fairtrade-mocha-ccino-frappe from your favorite coffeehouse.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a research, education, and outreach organization that works with scholars, policy experts, and government officials to connect academic learning and real world practice. The mission of Mercatus is to promote sound interdisciplinary research and application in the humane sciences that integrates theory and practice to produce solutions that sustainably advance a free, prosperous, and civil society.
This reminds me of how Al Gore looks so good on paper, but look at his actions according to this:
Two houses... different stories
An Inconvenient Truth: A Tale of Two Houses
House #1
A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern "snow belt" area. It's in the South.
House #2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American Southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of
the "environmentalist," Al Gore.
HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas ; it is the residence the of the President of the United States , George W. Bush.
An "inconvenient truth."
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by jpscoffee on 2007-10-14 19:03:16 Post Subject:
what about other several million people who are consumers of non fair-trade coffee on daily basis and are possibly not even aware of that fact. Do you even know what fair trade coffee is? Have you any facts beyond the hype you are repeating?
How is possible to rise awareness around this issueWhat issue are you talking about?
Coffee industry is one of the most profitable industriesHow do you know this? At what level is it the most profitable? Are you a store owner? Are you a roaster? Are you a coffee broker?
Can medias such asTV, film or use of any other media help in increasing the consciousness about this problem??? What problem?
You seem to want to "save the world", but I think you need to do some research and get facts before you go forth. Read the press release below to shine a different light on "fair trade".
PRESS RELEASE
Fairtrade Coffee Does Little to Help Coffee Farmers in Developing Countries
Contact: Lura Forcum, Mercatus Center, (703) 993-4960 or lforcum@gmu.edu
Study available at www.mercatus.org/fairtradecoffee
Arlington, VA, June 21, 2007Buying Fairtrade coffee may ease your conscience and line the pockets of coffee retailers, but it does little to improve the lives of coffee farmers and laborers in developing countries. According to a study by Colleen Berndt, published by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, coffee marketed as “Fairtrade” fails to provide financial benefit to farmers, while imposing significant costs. In her report, “Is Fairtrade in Coffee Production Fair and Useful: Evidence from Costa Rica and Guatemala and Implications for Policy”, Berndt - who is a lecturer in economics at San Jose State University argues that the program serves as little more than a hedge for coffee farmers.
What is the benefit of being a Fairtrade coffee farmer?
About three cents. In exchange for obtaining certification from the Fairtrade Labeling Organization’s (FLO), coffee farmers in developing countries can sell their coffee at a price that is about US$0.03 higher than the regular coffee market. However, coffee farmers only reap this benefit for about 20% of their coffee crop because that’s all that Fairtrade buyers currently purchase. The rest is sold on the unregulated market at a lower price.
While this isn’t helping coffee farmers much, it’s helping the very poorest participants of the coffee trade even less. Owners of coffee farms have some capital, but the migrant workers who provide most of the labor are far more impoverished. FLO requires that these workers be paid a minimum wage, but actual wages aren’t monitored so migrant workers probably aren’t seeing their fair share.
What are the costs of being a Fairtrade coffee farmer?
In order to sell to Fairtrade buyers, coffee farmers must organize themselves into cooperatives. The members must then follow FLO’s guidelines and pay the organization to monitor their compliance. In addition, the farmers, many of whom are barely literate, are required to keep detailed records about the co-op’s decision-making and distribution of profits in order to maintain certification.
There are other, less direct costs as well. Although FLO says that its goal is to help farmers become “financially secure and self sufficient,” its own requirements work against that goal. For example, co-op farmers are prevented from owning more than 12 acres of land and employing any full-time employees. While this may keep large coffee plantations from profiting from the price floor, it also discourages smaller coffee farmers from expanding their businesses.
How is Fairtrade acting as a hedge?
In developed financial markets, there are various tools to distribute risk. They range from simple crop insurance to more complex forms of risk buying and selling in futures and commodities markets. Coffee farmers lack access to these types of tools, which is what makes a Fairtrade co-op appealing. Fairtrade enables farmers to benefit from the price floor when the market is down, and sell to the unregulated market when prices are higher.
And since the co-op isn’t required to sell any amount of coffee to Fairtrade buyers, the farmers are inclined to sell their poor-quality beans where there is a price floor, and their higher-quality beans on the unregulated market. That’s something to think about the next time you order a venti-Fairtrade-mocha-ccino-frappe from your favorite coffeehouse.
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University is a research, education, and outreach organization that works with scholars, policy experts, and government officials to connect academic learning and real world practice. The mission of Mercatus is to promote sound interdisciplinary research and application in the humane sciences that integrates theory and practice to produce solutions that sustainably advance a free, prosperous, and civil society.
This reminds me of how Al Gore looks so good on paper, but look at his actions according to this:
Two houses... different stories
An Inconvenient Truth: A Tale of Two Houses
House #1
A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern "snow belt" area. It's in the South.
House #2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American Southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ; it is the abode of
the "environmentalist," Al Gore.
HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas ; it is the residence the of the President of the United States , George W. Bush.
An "inconvenient truth."
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Very important coffeee question
Posted by javahill on 2004-10-07 12:33:36 Post Subject:
Seattle's Best is a subsidiary of Starbucks. They have more flavored coffee and a larger food service business (colleges, convenience stores etc.), though they also have their own retail stores.
You're going to need to try hard to escape the scaly grasp of the green mermaid.
Gloria Jeans is a subsidiary of Diedrich's coffee. They always struck me as the "Crabtree and Eveyln" of coffee. Not a place for a grown man to get a cup of coffee. But for the people who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing they like.
Peets has some good stores. Check their web site for locations. You can also go to www.transfairusa.org and look up their listings of coffee retailers. You'll miss some who do not have fair trade certified coffee, but in terms of finding a good list, it is one of the easiest.
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by javahill on 2004-10-07 12:33:36 Post Subject:
Seattle's Best is a subsidiary of Starbucks. They have more flavored coffee and a larger food service business (colleges, convenience stores etc.), though they also have their own retail stores.
You're going to need to try hard to escape the scaly grasp of the green mermaid.
Gloria Jeans is a subsidiary of Diedrich's coffee. They always struck me as the "Crabtree and Eveyln" of coffee. Not a place for a grown man to get a cup of coffee. But for the people who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing they like.
Peets has some good stores. Check their web site for locations. You can also go to www.transfairusa.org and look up their listings of coffee retailers. You'll miss some who do not have fair trade certified coffee, but in terms of finding a good list, it is one of the easiest.
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: _Up and Coming_
Posted by fatboyflyer on 2006-06-20 15:11:28 Post Subject:
TYKES-
Not to be a nay-sayer, but just based upon personal experience, your customer numbers seem a bit high to me. I’ve worked at two specialty coffee retailers, one established and one start-up, both had higher traffic counts and lower numbers than you project. At my current shop (a two year-old start-up) we capture about .15% of the traffic, and we have a much higher pop density. That said—good luck. I hope you do well. One day I’ll have the cajones to start my own place.
morrisn-
Since no one answered, I’ll take a guess. A “fosfatoâ€
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by fatboyflyer on 2006-06-20 15:11:28 Post Subject:
TYKES-
Not to be a nay-sayer, but just based upon personal experience, your customer numbers seem a bit high to me. I’ve worked at two specialty coffee retailers, one established and one start-up, both had higher traffic counts and lower numbers than you project. At my current shop (a two year-old start-up) we capture about .15% of the traffic, and we have a much higher pop density. That said—good luck. I hope you do well. One day I’ll have the cajones to start my own place.
morrisn-
Since no one answered, I’ll take a guess. A “fosfatoâ€
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Barista and roasting training
Posted by Alun_evans on 2004-08-31 09:52:48 Post Subject:
Hey Java Lover welcome onboard. Congrats on the award as well! Agreed, and I think most of us who are in the business also hold similar sentiments to you. The phenomena which is specialty coffee has been in part driven by the Starbucks of the coffee retail world. Where I am Starbucks is like coffee 101...it gets the kids and the hip crowd (early adopters lets say) interested in the product then as this crowd learn more they search for alternatives and discover real specialty coffee retailers. Quality of product, quality of service...the small but simple things such as remembering a customers name, their birthday, what they do for a living and of course their regular drink all speaks volumes for the impression people have of you, your staff and your store.
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by Alun_evans on 2004-08-31 09:52:48 Post Subject:
Hey Java Lover welcome onboard. Congrats on the award as well! Agreed, and I think most of us who are in the business also hold similar sentiments to you. The phenomena which is specialty coffee has been in part driven by the Starbucks of the coffee retail world. Where I am Starbucks is like coffee 101...it gets the kids and the hip crowd (early adopters lets say) interested in the product then as this crowd learn more they search for alternatives and discover real specialty coffee retailers. Quality of product, quality of service...the small but simple things such as remembering a customers name, their birthday, what they do for a living and of course their regular drink all speaks volumes for the impression people have of you, your staff and your store.
Back to top | view poster's profile
View entire thread: Welcome, Introduce Yourself!
Posted by OzScotland on 2003-12-01 12:57:29 Post Subject: Vietnamese Mocha
Hi topher,
thanks for the reply.. well the coffee retailers in Vietnam seemed to have three distinct, brands of coffee. They all sell Robusta, Arabica and Mocha. The Mocha is great, smooth no hint of bitterness and a smell like chocolate. I'm not enough of an expert to really know all the details, I just know good and bad coffee, hoping to learn more from this site. My Vietnamese language skills aren't good either so I couldn't really ask.
As for Scotland I was born in East Kilbride, but mostly lived in Inverness and Glasgow... I had my own business a few years ago in Drumchapel, very close to clyde bank in fact... I also spent some summers in Dunoon as my older aunties and uncles live there!!
I'm currently in Loughborough in England studying again and have just discovered online coffee shopping, since i can't find a decent shop around here..
Were are you? do you roast you own coffee? I've always wanted to try it, but don't knbow enough yet.
well cheers for posting
cheerio for now Oz
Back to top | view poster's profile
Posted by OzScotland on 2003-12-01 12:57:29 Post Subject: Vietnamese Mocha
Hi topher,
thanks for the reply.. well the coffee retailers in Vietnam seemed to have three distinct, brands of coffee. They all sell Robusta, Arabica and Mocha. The Mocha is great, smooth no hint of bitterness and a smell like chocolate. I'm not enough of an expert to really know all the details, I just know good and bad coffee, hoping to learn more from this site. My Vietnamese language skills aren't good either so I couldn't really ask.
As for Scotland I was born in East Kilbride, but mostly lived in Inverness and Glasgow... I had my own business a few years ago in Drumchapel, very close to clyde bank in fact... I also spent some summers in Dunoon as my older aunties and uncles live there!!
I'm currently in Loughborough in England studying again and have just discovered online coffee shopping, since i can't find a decent shop around here..
Were are you? do you roast you own coffee? I've always wanted to try it, but don't knbow enough yet.
well cheers for posting
cheerio for now Oz
Back to top | view poster's profile