Number of Coffees?
- Thread starter tlowing
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SunriseCoffeeLasVegas
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- Sep 7, 2008
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I do one country of origin every week and people seem to like that. Keeps the cogs down and waste.
Fresh Roaster
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- Jun 30, 2006
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I'd have to disagree with that approach. Variety is the spice of life. If you have only one or two selections and the place down the street has ten, you're going to be behind the eight ball right from the start. It's like a grocery store offering only one brand in each product category. You then become a simple coffee stop and not a potential coffee experience. You basically offer your competition a source for marketing their differentiation (variety and experience).
SunriseCoffeeLasVegas
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- Sep 7, 2008
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well, thats what the roaster says...
You can carry different variety but, your cogs go up with all the waste.
drip can only last for an hour after that it turns sour.
depending on the amount of different drips you want to carry that multiplies your waste.
then, you start leaving them in the pots because of the waste and then it tastes bad and the customers turn away.
Have one (or two if you must) really good drip coffee and replenish to keep it fresh.
but, that's just my view. customers like good coffee. period.
You can carry different variety but, your cogs go up with all the waste.
drip can only last for an hour after that it turns sour.
depending on the amount of different drips you want to carry that multiplies your waste.
then, you start leaving them in the pots because of the waste and then it tastes bad and the customers turn away.
Have one (or two if you must) really good drip coffee and replenish to keep it fresh.
but, that's just my view. customers like good coffee. period.
tletourneau
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- Sep 9, 2008
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We do Columbian Supremo daily and a second different origin every day and keep it the same through the week (IE Kenya Monday, Costa Rican Tuesday and so on). We only carry seven beans plus espresso so that works well for us. If someone wants something that we're not doing drip that day we offer it in a french press as an upsell.
SunriseCoffeeLasVegas
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- Sep 7, 2008
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I was gonna say the same thing.
I have done that with people who know their coffee and if you know your coffee you will want in a french press or kona drip(my new favorite)
when I pull out the kona drip for a sumatra tasting people go wild.
I have alot of sumatra lovers in vegas.
I have done that with people who know their coffee and if you know your coffee you will want in a french press or kona drip(my new favorite)
when I pull out the kona drip for a sumatra tasting people go wild.
I have alot of sumatra lovers in vegas.
caffe biscotto
Member
- Jan 18, 2008
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I'm a small bakery and hope to offer SO's soon. I'll probably keep it to one or two on a daily basis, a Kenyan and a Sumatran. No Decafs. Just stuff that I like. Can never please everyone, so why try.
The kiss theory is a good one. Ha ha. (keep it sweet & simple)
The kiss theory is a good one. Ha ha. (keep it sweet & simple)
SunriseCoffeeLasVegas
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- Sep 7, 2008
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what is SO's
Fresh Roaster
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- Jun 30, 2006
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SunriseCoffeeLasVegas said:
So imagine if you offered ten or more varieties! The tasters would really go wild and you would then be offering a "coffee experience". You are rationalizing the wholesaler's desire for maximized margin from selling you a lot of one or maybe two coffees in larger quatity and less variety.
This why people are starting to roast their own. You simply can't get a wholesale roaster to provide small quantities for any resonable price. But it does seem they've convinced many of you that a portion of their inexpensively produced high volume roasts is good enough for your business... (and a lot of others. No differentiation) :wink: I'll just agree to disagree because I know it's not true.
Conversely, I guess if you're selling like crazy and the money is flowing in like water with a two or three coffee program it's not an issue. One thing to examine is how much whole bean you sell. If you're not selling 20-30 pounds a week I'll pretty much guarantee it's because there's no variety or experience to be had. :wink: It's too easy to sit back and rationalize your program from a COG standpoint versus figuring out how to improve the program, and when it gets in the way of better product or potentially a source of incremental sales, it's a terrible detriment.
caffe biscotto
Member
- Jan 18, 2008
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Hi Sunrise-
I thought I'd be cool and abbreviate single origins. I've seen it like that before. Yeah, just pure origins, no blends...
I thought I'd be cool and abbreviate single origins. I've seen it like that before. Yeah, just pure origins, no blends...
tletourneau
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- Sep 9, 2008
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I just imagine varities how much I would end up writing up as spoilage because of lack of sales. I'm a new shop in a small town with a limited advertising budget. Until more people know I'm here and I have a customer base to support it the method we use allows a fair variety while using enough product quickly enough to not be stale. If I carried more I worry about freshness at my sale levels.
I'd like to roast my own and will consider it once the sales justify the expense but for now wholesale makes the most sense for me. My wholesaler has resonable prices for 5lb lots and up and a large variety of beans, the beans we serve we serve because I like them and know (through limited market research such as blind tastings and comment cards preformed before we opened) that they will have a reasonably broad appeal. Once the business is there to support more than I'll look at it.
Well I like to think my volumes are currently low for the reasons mentioned above and not for a lack of varity. Not all of us can afford to do in-store roasting out of the gate even if we'd like to. But that's just my opinion.
SunriseCoffeeLasVegas
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- Sep 7, 2008
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I can consider the roaster's point of view. I do not sell alot of whole bean. It is available and it is usually to people who know their coffee and realized that sumatra just got released.
For the most part, my drip customers are no nonsense daily addicts who stop in before work, get a fresh (very fresh) cup of coffee that they usually (85%) drink straight black.
Most of the time, they think I'm too cheerful for 7am and won't really want to conversate until after three sips of their fresh coffee.
I think if they did buy whole bean it would sit there because if they did have the time to brew their own coffee they wouldn't utilize my store nor my drive thru.
I think people would appreciate other kinds of SO's (wink*) and I'll have it available in french press or kona drip for their optimum pleasure!
Having ten different kinds might seem good but, won't you just confuse your half sleepy customer anyways?
Have a off the menu stock. I have ten different items off menu that people order consistently. they seem to like that...
And word of advice...taste ALL your drinks. wanna make sure it's good enough for your customers. remember special orders...they like it.
how they like their drink (sweet not to sweet) that is more important than carrying ten different drips.
we don't carry premixed powders. our coffee house makes everything from scratch and people notice.
that is the key to specializing than "the other" coffeehouse. not ten different drips.
make the best darn coffee, ask them about their day, and always ask for suggestions.
that's how I found out that are sign sucked and no one knew we were open, the drive thru wasn't visible. and keep our quality high and so many more things that have helped me.
Good Luck! keep me posted and when you get the chest pains..it's not a heart attack, just from stress.
For the most part, my drip customers are no nonsense daily addicts who stop in before work, get a fresh (very fresh) cup of coffee that they usually (85%) drink straight black.
Most of the time, they think I'm too cheerful for 7am and won't really want to conversate until after three sips of their fresh coffee.
I think if they did buy whole bean it would sit there because if they did have the time to brew their own coffee they wouldn't utilize my store nor my drive thru.
I think people would appreciate other kinds of SO's (wink*) and I'll have it available in french press or kona drip for their optimum pleasure!
Having ten different kinds might seem good but, won't you just confuse your half sleepy customer anyways?
Have a off the menu stock. I have ten different items off menu that people order consistently. they seem to like that...
And word of advice...taste ALL your drinks. wanna make sure it's good enough for your customers. remember special orders...they like it.
how they like their drink (sweet not to sweet) that is more important than carrying ten different drips.
we don't carry premixed powders. our coffee house makes everything from scratch and people notice.
that is the key to specializing than "the other" coffeehouse. not ten different drips.
make the best darn coffee, ask them about their day, and always ask for suggestions.
that's how I found out that are sign sucked and no one knew we were open, the drive thru wasn't visible. and keep our quality high and so many more things that have helped me.
Good Luck! keep me posted and when you get the chest pains..it's not a heart attack, just from stress.
John P
Active member
- Jan 5, 2007
- 1,057
- 4
Sometimes he's an a$$, but Freshroaster is right. You have to differentiate. Quality, freshness, variety.
I'm not about large volumes... but I've never had a problem with profit.
I think for coffees roasted, four -- plus one espresso. Available to be roasted... twelve or so.
I have four coffees roasted for the siphon at all times, these rotate every two weeks, or sooner if needed. I have a total of eighteen coffees and one decaf espresso on hand and available to be roasted at all times. Of these eighteen coffees, four are exclusively used for espresso blending, as well as at least three others that are put into the mix. Three I haven't busted out yet, but they are available at special request. The only green coffee I buy in large amounts is what I use for the espresso. My other coffees are always Single Origin, micro-region or a single farm Estate, and everything is roasted on site. I only sell whole bean, and I roast on site.
Everything we do is fresh by the cup, and having the ability to deliver a variety of fresh roasted coffee at a moment's notice is something special.
I'm not about large volumes... but I've never had a problem with profit.
I think for coffees roasted, four -- plus one espresso. Available to be roasted... twelve or so.
I have four coffees roasted for the siphon at all times, these rotate every two weeks, or sooner if needed. I have a total of eighteen coffees and one decaf espresso on hand and available to be roasted at all times. Of these eighteen coffees, four are exclusively used for espresso blending, as well as at least three others that are put into the mix. Three I haven't busted out yet, but they are available at special request. The only green coffee I buy in large amounts is what I use for the espresso. My other coffees are always Single Origin, micro-region or a single farm Estate, and everything is roasted on site. I only sell whole bean, and I roast on site.
Everything we do is fresh by the cup, and having the ability to deliver a variety of fresh roasted coffee at a moment's notice is something special.
