Yay or Nay? Coffee with added (real) flowers, chocolate, coconut, peach, etc???

[daisycoffee]

:heart:Hi Folks,

I'm a Newbie gobbling up all the exciting information on this website about how to start a small coffee roasting business (Ambex/Probat/US Roaster, propane/natural gas, used/new, automatic/hard core, apprenticeship/school, etc...). OMG what a rush. TMI. Love it all. More, more. In my 20 hours of reading, note taking and digesting so far, I have a question remaining.

In Canada there is a newer tea shop that is very trendy. If I'm allowed to mention it, it is Davids Tea, originating in Toronto, Ontario. They have a mind blowing assortment of teas that are flavoured with organic or fair trade or artificial ingredients. From buddha's blend to kiwi's big adventure to pink flamingo, they seem to have it all. And it's not just a trend - people love it, and pay megga bucks (even in Canadian dollars! lol )for a 50g bag, me included. (No, I have no affiliation with them whatsoever.)

So here's my overwhelming question for all you coffee aficionados please:

Why doesn't that exist with coffee? Other than the obvious response -- "because that's blasphemy!! It is disrespect to the bean!!"

But, if you can answer without shaking, do you think a newbie roaster like me could find a niche in the competitive marketplace of artisanal, fair trade/organic, excellent quality coffee roasting by following that model? (starting small, of course...)
If not, why not, please? If so, why hasn't it been done yet (or has it?)

Thank you so much. I'll sip my locally roasted-single origin-unflavoured-unsyruped coffee (Peterborough has two really excellent small roasters!) and await your kind wisdom. :images:

Daisycoffee-To-Be

 

[peterjschmidt]

Being a coffee only/non-tea drinker, my initial thought is that teas get the bonus flavors because tea by itself is not so wonderful.

But I know what can't be right, and might just be my own cloistered bias.

It may be that teas are more easily infused, or blended with other flavors, and most likely that the brewing method (steeping) lends itself to adding other flavors. There are obviously flavored coffees, made by adding flavored oils to the roasted beans. The market for those appears small, as most true coffee lovers want their coffee to taste like coffee.

 

[chast]

Nothing beats a good Irish Breakfast tea!!! Blends are different and various flavors can be had as with coffee. We have a large group of customers that want flavored beans and why not? We use organic Kosher approved oils and get a decent markup over regular bean sales. We are located in the NE and the amount of iced coffees we sell daily is ridiculous and if we offer one of the flavored beans as iced, it is gone within an hour. On a slow day, 5 gallons of iced coffee is served in this cold weather and most ask if we have a flavored bean brewed. Whoopie Pie is the most popular! Another area these would not sell, but if the customers are requesting and willing to pay our price, it buys us new toy!!