Cappuccino size different from Lattes?

[momof3qc]

I'm trying to purchase cups and price my drinks. Because I have absolutely no experience in coffee shop how-tos, I feel so lost! Could someone tell me what size cups they offer their cappuccinos and lattes in? I've found 4oz cups to be used for cappuccinos... is this standard for lattes as well? Or should I completely forego the 4oz and go with 8oz and up? Does anyone (besides Muddy Cup) use only one size coffee cups?

Thanks so much for your input,

Kim Walker
Buddy's Ice Cream Café
Montreal, Canada

 

[Jackson]

I recommend using 12, 16 and 20 oz. for everything hot. There are plenty of cup brands on the market that will use the same lid for all three sizes. If you go smaller than 12 oz., you will probably need another lid as well. This will slow down your baristas and force you to have a much bigger inventory of paper products. If you go bigger than 20 oz., you will be forced into having several drinks over the $4.00 range. If your local competion has 22 or 24 oz drinks it might be ok. In my town, mom and pops that are over $4.00 for a mocha are considered expensive. I pay $3.39 for a 20 oz latte, and I do not mind. My favorite coffee house serves two shot capps in a 12 oz cup.

 

[kimbica]

cup sizes

I agree with Jackson; the 12, 16, and 20 0z sizes give plenty of flexibility. The cappucinos will all fit into the 12 oz cups if they are traditionally made, with the same amount of steamed milk as foam. You may want to do 2 shot, 3 shot, and 4 shot drinks ad not offer single shot drinks at all. In my market there is little demand for small drinks and single shots. In the NE and NW you can still find them, along with 8 oz drip coffees, but here in the desert it is all about volumes of liquid. The bigger, the better. Don't worry too much about the prices you need to charge on the large drinks uness you get significantly higher than Starbucks - then you need to re-evalulate your COGS and your supplier choices to see why you are so priced out, since many cost factors are in your control to some extent.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide to do!

Kim Sciabica
Crave Espresso Bar, Tucson (opening late this year!)

 

[ElPugDiablo]

I'm trying to purchase cups and price my drinks. Because I have absolutely no experience in coffee shop how-tos, I feel so lost! Could someone tell me what size cups they offer their cappuccinos and lattes in? I've found 4oz cups to be used for cappuccinos... is this standard for lattes as well? Or should I completely forego the 4oz and go with 8oz and up? Does anyone (besides Muddy Cup) use only one size coffee cups?

Thanks so much for your input,

Kim Walker
Buddy's Ice Cream Café
Montreal, Canada

single shot capp 5 oz ceramic cup or 6 oz paper cup $2.00
double shot capp 8 oz cup $2.75

double shot latte 12 oz cup $3.25

 

[momof3qc]

Still confused... KIM?

Boy, I'm usually much sharper than this - I swear! I think I'm just reading too much... I surf endlessly looking for a coffee education.

Kim - I appreciate your outlook and think that the mentality is the same in my area - bigger is better. But what has me confused is the amount of espresso in each recipe. Isn't a single shot only one ounce of espresso? If so, how can a cappuccino be 1/3 of each espresso, milk and foam and become an 8oz drink? Theoretically, a 16oz latté (half espresso half steamed milk, right?) would then require about 8 shots? I know this isn't so.. where am I going wrong in my thinking? And do I put ounce for ounce of espresso/syrup?

Thanks for helping!

Kim
Montreal

 

[Jackson]

I guess one good thing about living in a cowtown is I can get bargin priced espresso drinks!

A 16 oz latte normally comes with 2 or 3 shots of espresso, the rest milk and a little foam.

 

[kimbica]

drink sizes

Hey Kim,

You aren't going crazy, it is true that a traditional cappucino is quite small - this is why they are rarely popular in the US. In Italy and other countries they are often served in small, 4-5 oz ceramic cups. Yes, a shot of espresso is between .75 and 1.5 oz. And yes, a cappucino will not fill any of the typical cups used in the US and possibly also Canada. I would ask unfamiliar customers if they would like a wet or dry capp, to ascertain what they really expect in a drink. Some will no doubt give you a quizzical look, but if they do not know what you mean they probably want something closer to a latte than a cappucino. Many shops make this "lattecino" more often than not, with few complaints. (Unless the epresso blend is itself quite mild, in which case it could get lost in too much milk.) In a 12 oz latte, I recommend 2 shots espresso, then foamed milk to almost fill the cup, with a dollop of microfoam on top. This may be a little more milk than classical definition, but is popular in many markets. You would add another shot for each increase in size; 16 oz lattes would get 3 shots, 20 oz get 4. Some people just don't quite fill the cups, others give more foam on top to fill the space. See what your customers have to say. They will offer opinions if you ask for them. (also sometimes when you don't.) Don't forget that flavor syrups take room too; they are popular here and can be present as much as 2 oz in a large size.


If you are uncomfortable serving cappucinos in half empty cups, try a small size just for them, as long as space permits their storage.

good luck and feel free to pm me!

Kim
Crave Espresso Bar, Tucson AZ