Fresh Cup Magazine | March 2017

STEADFAST COFFEE | COMPETITION PREP | KID-FRIENDLY CAFÉS | SERVICE MODELS | FARM-TO-TABLE TEA

March 2017 » freshcup.com

CAT & CLOUD COFFEE Santa Cruz, California P. 30 T H E M AGA Z I N E FO R S P E C I A LT Y C O F F E E & T E A P R O F E S S I O N A L S S I N C E 1 9 9 2

FEATURES MARCH 2017 Fresh Cup Magazine » Vol. 26 » No. 3

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FROM FARM TO TEACUP Farm-to-teacup brews offer local flavors previously missing from blends crafted in the United States. With a wide range of ingredients to choose from, teamakers are limited only by their imaginations. P. 56

BY JODI HELMER

DO YOU KNOW BILL LOMBARDO?

IS YOUR CAFÉ KID FRIENDLY?

The CEO of Monin Gourmet Flavorings talks flavor trends, clean labeling, and the next pumpkin spice. P. 38

Sometimes simply smiling and welcoming a frazzled set of parents is all it takes to show your kid-friendly colors. P. 40

BY ELLIE BRADLEY

BY ELLIE BRADLEY & CHRIS LUCIA

PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS: TO DO OR NOT TO DO?

QUESTIONING THE QUEUE

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New service models in specialty coffee and how they’re changing ideas about workflow. P. 46

What are the benefits and challenges of running public education programs? Will they help your company grow? P. 68

BY MICHAEL BUTTERWORTH

BY WILLONA M. SLOAN

March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

DEPARTMENTS MARCH 2017 Fresh Cup Magazine » Vol. 26 » No. 3

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Illy in San Francisco; Knoxville CoffeeChamps; The World Tea Encyclopaedia

Coloring Outside the Lines

by Susan Johnston Taylor

A Day in the Life of a Competitive Barista

by Garrett Oden

THE FILTER

IN HOUSE

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NINE BAR

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FROM THE EDITOR 22

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36

Everything’s Coming Up Rosettas

Steadfast Coffee Nashville, Tennessee

by Ellie Bradley

Afternoon Tea

by Amy Dubin

Thinking Beyond the Bean

by Ellie Bradley

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BEHIND THE BAR

THE WHOLE LEAF

THE WHOLE BEAN

CONTRIBUTORS 76

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE People and products

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30

All Stirred Up

Cat & Cloud Coffee Santa Cruz, California

by Elizabeth Chai

CAFÉ OUTFITTER

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CAFÉ CROSSROADS

78

CALENDAR Trade shows and events

80

ADVERTISER INDEX

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FC

FROM THE EDITOR Everything’s Coming Up Rosettas

COMPETITION SEASON IS UPON US, A TIME WHEN

CONNECT WITH US

/FreshCupMagazine

@FreshCupMag

@FreshCupMag

ON THE COVER: CAT & CLOUD COFFEE Chris Baca and Jared Truby, aka “Trubaca,” prepare drinks at Cat & Cloud, their café in Santa Cruz, California.

ELLIE BRADLEY, EDITOR ellie@freshcup.com

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Photo by Elizabeth Chai

EDITOR P HOTO BY CYNTHIA MEA DO RS; TO P R IG HT PHOTO BY JAY K EYWO OD

seasoned veterans and wide-eyed newcomers meet in the arena, giving their best performances for panels of judges in hopes of moving on to bigger stages. (Check out Garrett Oden’s Nine Bar column on page 34 for a behind-the-scenes look at competition prep.)

Trade show season is also upon us, when industry pros mingle with new business owners eager to soak up every ounce of knowledge their brains—and branded tote bags—can hold.

It’s an exciting time of year: new relationships are forged, champions are crowned, and innovations are revealed. This month’s issue celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit that fuels these events and paves the path to industry progress.

We look inside Santa Cruz’s Cat & Cloud Coffee (Café Crossroads, page 30), launched by industry veterans Chris Baca and Jared Truby, who made it their mission to offer coffee truly “for everyone.”

On page 22, we go behind the bar at Steadfast Coffee; owners Nathanael Mehrens and Sean Stewart slung espresso all around Nashville before launching the café and roastery. Steadfast prides itself on efficiency and consistency, and making specialty coffee an approachable experience for any customer.

Creating a café environment that’s welcoming for everyone goes beyond staffing baristas willing to walk customers through the menu.

In “Is Your Café Kid Friendly?” we look at what it means to create a welcoming atmosphere for families—in your menu, your layout, and even in your attitude (page 40).

Many inspired ideas also happen outside the café, as Jodi Helmer shows us in “From Farm to Teacup,” on page 56. Helmer describes how teamakers across the United States have taken inspiration from the farm-to-table movement to create tea blends using ingredients grown on local farms.

From examining new concepts in service models, to forecasting the industry’s next flavors, to rethinking the centuries-old tradition of afternoon tea, we rely on diverse voices to question the status quo, introduce new ideas, and shed light on the latest trends.

As we enter a busy season of events, I encourage you to reach out to our team with thoughts, ideas, comments, questions, or feedback—or come find us on the trade show floor and say hello. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, our entrepreneurial spirit is inspired by you, our readers, and we’d love to hear from you.

FRESH CUP MAGAZINE ~~~FRESH CUP FOUNDER~~~ WARD BARBEE 1938-2006 ~~~FRESH CUP PUBLISHING~~~ Publisher and President JAN WEIGEL jan@freshcup.com ~~~EDITORIAL~~~ Editor ELLIE BRADLEY ellie@freshcup.com Associate Editor CHRIS LUCIA chris@freshcup.com ~~~ART~~~ Art Director CYNTHIA MEADORS cynthia@freshcup.com ~~~ADVERTISING~~~ Sales Manager MICHAEL HARRIS michael@freshcup.com Ad Coordinator DIANE HOWARD adtraffic@freshcup.com Marketing Coordinator ANNA SHELTON anna@freshcup.com ~~~CIRCULATION~~~ Circulation Director ANNA SHELTON anna@freshcup.com ~~~ACCOUNTING~~~ Accounting Manager DIANE HOWARD diane@freshcup.com ~~~EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD~~~ DAVID GRISWOLD

ANUPA MUELLER

Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers

Eco-Prima

CHUCK JONES

BRAD PRICE

Jones Coffee Roasters

Monin Gourmet Flavorings

JULIA LEACH

BRUCE RICHARDSON

Toddy

Elmwood Inn Fine Teas

COSIMO LIBARDO

MANISH SHAH

Toby’s Estate Coffee

Maya Tea Co.

BRUCE MILLETTO

LARRY WINKLER

Bellissimo Coffee Advisors

Torani

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CONTRIBUTORS MICHAEL BUTTERWORTH Is waiting in line becoming a thing of the past? Michael Butterworth explores new service models in “Questioning the Queue” on page 46, including cafés using bar service, mobile point-of-sale models, and color-coded coasters. Butterworth is a barista and trainer at Louisville’s Quills Coffee and founding editor of the Coffee Compass.

ELIZABETH CHAI Santa Cruz, California, may have a laid-back surf vibe, but it’s home to some pretty serious coffee. Chris Baca and Jared Truby opened Cat & Cloud Coffee in Santa Cruz last fall, packing years of experience into their surf shack–style café. Elizabeth Chai tells their story in Café Crossroads on page 30. Chai is a Portland-based freelance designer, illustrator, and photographer.

AMY DUBIN Ever wonder why they call it “high tea?” Amy Dubin tells us the answer in this month’s Whole Leaf, along with the history of afternoon tea, and how the tradition has found a place in modern tea culture (page 28). Dubin is the founder of Janam Tea, a tea shop dedicated to single-estate Indian teas. She also curates afternoon tea at Garfunkel’s in New York City.

BRIAN HELFRICH Coffee competition season is upon us, when baristas, roasters, and expert tasters put together their best performances for panels of judges. Brian Helfrich attended the Knoxville, Tennessee qualifier; he gives us a rundown of the weekend’s events in the Filter (page 18). Helfrich is co-owner of Summit Coffee in Davidson, North Carolina.

JODI HELMER You’ve probably heard of the farm-to-table movement in restaurants, but did you know it also encompasses tea?

Jodi Helmer walks us through the basics of teas and tisanes using local ingredients as inspiration for creative flavors (“Farm to Teacup,” page 56). Helmer is a North Carolina–based freelancer who writes about the intersection between food, farming, and business (while drinking copious amounts of Earl Grey).

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GARRETT ODEN Barista competitors spend countless hours preparing routines and agonizing over decisions such as ingredients, brew ratios, and presentation script.

Garrett Oden takes us inside one barista’s journey in Nine Bar, going behind the scenes with barista Randall Jackson as he describes his experience preparing for CoffeeChamps (page 34).

Oden is a barista at Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas.

WILLONA M. SLOAN It can be hard enough to find the time and space to train staff members, let alone customers. Many companies have found success in opening their training labs to the public, but it may not be practical for everyone. In “Public Coffee Education,” Willona M. Sloan examines the logistics of offering coffee classes to customers (page 68). Sloan is a freelance writer based in Washington, DC. SUSAN JOHNSTON TAYLOR Coloring used to be an activity reserved for kids, but lately it’s seen a surge in popularity among adults. Café owners have tapped into the coloring book craze by hosting community coloring nights, drawing in new business. Susan Johnston Taylor takes a closer look at coloring in the café (In House, page 26). Johnston is a freelance writer who’s covered small business for the The Atlantic’s CityLab, the Boston Globe, Cheers Magazine, Dance Retailer News, and Pizza Today.

CORRECTIONS Photos of Houndstooth Coffee’s Sylvan | 30 location were taken by Robert Yu for last month’s Behind the Bar. Mikaela Wallgren, author of January’s Nine Bar column, placed second in the World Brewers Cup Championship.

The FILTER A Fine Blend of News and Notes

P HOTOS BY KIM WH IT E

ILLY + SAN FRANCISCO

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rieste, Italy–based coffee purveyor Illy continued their expansion in San Francisco, California, with two new cafés. The thirdgeneration, family-owned company now offers its selection of high-quality, ethicallysourced coffee at locations on 200 Montgomery Street and 90 New Montgomery Street.

Set within San Francisco’s historic Mills Building, the 200 Montgomery Street café is the company’s largest to date. Outfitted in Illy’s signature color palette of red and white, the flagship store features modern design elements from contemporary artists including Jeff Koons and James Rosenquist.

Customers can choose from private or communal seating areas and take advantage of adjoining retail space offering a range of drip coffee machines, drinkwares, and coffees from Illy’s single-origin and 100 percent arabica lines.

and celebrating relationships,” Sheldon says. “In Illy style, guests are surrounded by beauty and as a result their senses are stimulated and an ordinary experience transforms into an extraordinary one.”

In addition to an artful coffee experience, customers of the 90 New Montgomery Street location will find themselves immersed among a collection of the city’s cultural institutes, including the Academy of Arts and the San Francisco Modern Museum of Art. Illy now has seven San Francisco locations.

—Ellie Bradley

In Illy style, guests are surrounded by beauty and as a result their senses are stimulated and an ordinary experience transforms into an extraordinary one.

“Inspiration is Illy’s expertise and Illy Caffè bars are a portal to coffee culture, where inspiration can thrive,” says Barry Sheldon, COO and president of Illy Caffè North America.

Customers of the Illy Caffès are treated to an Italian café experience, guided by baristas trained at the company’s University of Coffee. The beverage menu is accompanied by a robust selection of chef-made sweet and savory dishes, including freshly made soups and salads, and classic Italian desserts—like the bomboloni and the Illymisu, a tiramisu made with Illy espresso.

“Our Illy Caffè bars are a destination for stimulating conversation

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KNOXVILLE COFFEECHAMPS

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he 2017 US CoffeeChamps kicked off in late January with an event in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Everyman Espresso stood out among a hyper-competitive field.

The New York City–based operation, which has two cafés in Manhattan, won both the Barista Championship and Brewers Cup Championship.

The Knoxville regional was one of two qualifiers for the US CoffeeChamps, the finals of which will be held in Seattle, Washington, this April in conjunction with the Global Spe-

Yirgacheffe region that’s long been a staple of the CCC catalog.

Lewontin’s espresso extraction had notes of clementine, nectarine, and praline. He let the cups sit to the side before serving the judges to ensure the drinks were consumed at the ideal temperature. For his signature beverage, Lewontin added to his Idido espresso some macerated lime peel, nectarines, and mango with white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.

Lewontin scored 287.5 points with a clean and powerful performance, and he knew the moment he called “time” that he nailed it, pumping his fist to the crowd.

The newly structured format brought the best out of veteran competitors, saw the emergence of first-time participants, and helped set the field for the national competition this April. cialty Coffee Expo. It’s a new format, again, for the Specialty Coffee Association competition circuit. Last year, all competitors made their way to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete in either the Eastern or Western Conference Qualifying Event. This year, there was no geographic separation—competitors could choose to participate either in Knoxville or in Austin, Texas. The Austin qualifier was held in early February.

In the highly acclaimed Barista Championship, competitors presented espresso and signature beverage services—milk-based drinks were removed from this year’s regional competition requirements.

Longtime competitor Samuel Lewontin took home first place in the barista competition with his performance featuring Counter Culture Coffee’s Idido, a washed coffee from the

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Cole McBride, a veteran competitor from Las Vegas (independent), finished in second place, followed by Kyle Ramage (Mahlkönig USA), Bethany Hargrove (Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters), and Matthew Barahura (Intelligentsia Coffee). It was a tough field, with fifteen competitors having previously participated in nationals. At least three qualifiers from the 2016 US Barista Championship failed to make it out of the Knoxville regional.

In the Brewers Cup Championship, Everyman’s Jenna Gotthelf took first place using Counter Culture Coffee’s Buziraguhindwa, a naturally processed coffee from Burundi. Gotthelf, who finished fourth in the Eastern regional competition in Kansas City last year, performed remarkably in the Open Service round to take home the top prize. Wade Preston, of Prevail Coffee

Roasters, took second in the Brewers Cup, followed by Jessica Rodriguez (Klatch Coffee), Greg Loring-Albright (Little Amps Coffee Roasters), and Alex Meece (Steadfast Coffee).

In the other competitions over the weekend, Samuel Demisse of Keffa Coffee won the Cup Tasters as the only person to correctly defeat all six triangles.

Demisse is a legend of sorts in Cup Tasters; he’s finished in the top five in the US three times, but has yet to take home first place nationally. Steve Cuevas of Black Oak Coffee Roasters finished in second place, while Steven Latham gave Everyman Espresso some more hardware with his third place finish.

Lastly, in the newly structured Roaster Championship, thirty competitors all tackled the same compulsory coffee from Kenya, and Cameron Heath of Revelator Coffee took home the top prize. Given a blend of SL28 and SL34 varieties, Heath hand sorted them before roasting only SL28 beans and running away from the field. Eric Stone of Mudhouse Coffee Roasters and Hugh Morretta of La Colombe rounded out the top three.

The newly structured format brought the best out of veteran competitors, saw the emergence of first-time participants, and helped set the field for the national competition this April. The second regional in Austin added a number of competitors to the lists of finalists, all who will compete next month at the US Coffee Championships in Seattle.

Brian Helfrich is a regular contributor and co-owner of Summit Coffee in Davidson, North Carolina.

BATTLE’S TEA ENCYCLOPAEDIA

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ill Battle has traveled the world for almost two decades, establishing connections with tea suppliers, producers, and consumers on every continent. And now, Battle has compiled the tea knowledge he’s acquired over the last twenty years into the World Tea Encyclopaedia, his new 379-page book available in hardcover from Troubador Publishing.

The World Tea Encyclopaedia provides an approachable and accessible foray into the wide and often underexplored world of tea, without the “snobbishness”—as Battle puts it— that often comes packaged with food and drink connoisseurship.

The book describes, in detail, how and where tea is grown, prepared, and consumed. “The world of tea is a glorious one, redolent with variety and opportunity,” Battle writes in the introduction. “The self-evident blessings of a naturally conceived product should be the answer to our fear of what is regularly hidden in today’s ingredients lists.”

Readers can expect to be guided through the process of selecting which tea is perfectly suited for them, the whole time learning about the vast and occasionally subtle nuances of Camellia sinensis—more commonly known as the tea bush.

With evocative images, detailed maps of tea-growing regions, and insight that can only be gained from years of experience in the tea industry, the World Tea Encyclopaedia provides an in-depth look at tea for enthusiasts of all experience levels.

Ever wondered why tea bushes are only grown in certain parts of the world? Battle explains. Interested in how different tea-producing regions transport their harvested leaves from the farm to the factory?

You guessed it—he also covers that in his book, along with every conceivable detail in between.

“The diverse array of tea from across the world that is available

at the click of a mouse or a visit to the local tea shop needs to be better known and understood,” Battle says.

With the World Tea Encyclopaedia, that understanding is right at readers’ fingertips.

—Chris Lucia FC

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BEHIND the BAR Steadfast Coffee » Nashville, Tennessee »

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hen Nathanael Mehrens talks about how things work at Steadfast Coffee, two themes quickly emerge: efficiency and consistency. The Nashville, Tennessee, café is designed to be a hub for the community, where all sorts of coffee drinkers are welcome—whether or not they know the milk-to-espresso ratio of a traditional macchiato.

“One of the things that we’re striving for—and seems like we’re succeeding in—is being really personable and making sure that we’re not scaring people away from the specialty coffee experience,” Mehrens says.

Mehrens opened the café in May 2015 with fellow owners Jessie Cunningham and Sean Stewart. Mehrens and Stewart

Reserve Label: The Mahlkönig EK 43 on the front bar is used for decaf espresso, or when a “super special” coffee is on the menu.

By Ellie Bradley

are veterans of the Nashville coffee scene, including time at Crema, where Stewart helped launch the roasting program and Mehrens worked as a barista manager and quality control guy. The two had always talked about opening their own spot, and eventually found the right location and financial partner.

Steadfast offers simple coffee and food menus. “We’re trying to streamline things and put as much focus on the quality of the coffee and the interaction as we can,” Mehrens says.

Customers are greeted by a barista stationed at the café’s Modbar, where orders go directly to the barista instead of being taken at the register down the bar. By allowing customers to interact directly with the barista preparing their drink, Mehrens says they hope to minimize the

Batch-Brew Love: A backto-back Fetco XTS allows baristas to work from either side of the bar.

Brew Bar: Steadfast offers wine, cocktails, and a range of beers on tap.

Customers can choose from a rotating selection of six to eight beers.

FC

The Mythos, the Legend: Two Mythos ClimaPro grinders are used for most of the shop’s espresso; one holds espresso for milk pairing, the other contains a “showcase” offering. Steadfast co-owner Nathanael Mehrens says they love the ClimaPro for its consistency and efficiency.

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EKK 43: No, it’s not double vision. The Mahlkönig EKK 43 features two independent grinders, situated back-to-back for ultimate efficiency. This grinder preps coffee for the nearby Fetco.

A Modern Greeting: Steadfast’s two-group Modbar welcomes customers as they enter the café. The barista manning this station takes the drink order, making it easy for them to answer questions and educate customers about the menu.

At Your Service: A built-in ice well holds everything the baristas need to finish a beverage. The prep area also houses service trays for brewed coffee, espresso, and tea, as well as extra ingredients for garnishing specialty beverages.

Flamed orange peel, anyone?

intimidation factor that many specialty-coffee newcomers often experience. “We want to try and be as accommodating and as friendly as possible,” Mehrens says.

The barista-first model is also efficient; guests usually have their drink in hand by the time they’ve finished at the register. While many customers opt to stay and hang in the shop, those in a rush can still enjoy great coffee without compromising their schedule.

The horseshoe-shaped bar is packed with other efficiency-oriented details. Spirit Teas are pre-dosed and stored on magnetic strips in the prep area; sheet pans hold all the glassware and can be easily removed for cleaning; and an ice well built into the counter holds milk, dairy alternatives,

P HOTOS BY ADAM M ILIKIN

Magnetic Attraction: Steadfast holds tea in equal esteem to coffee.

The selections of Spirit Teas are pre-dosed and stored on a magnetic strip under the counter.

Bonavita Variable Temperature Kettles ensure proper prep temperatures, while scales and timers help enforce quality control. “We’re taking just as good of care of those teas as we are our coffee,” Mehrens says.

and sparkling water—no bending down to pull jugs of milk from the fridge.

While the Modbar serves up tasty shots of espresso, Steadfast relies on two Fetco XTS brewers to churn out the shop’s batch brew. A special coffee or a special occasion might warrant some pour-over action, but otherwise batch brew is the only filter coffee offered, for the sake of quality and consistency.

Having a small, quality-first menu and streamlined process allows Steadfast to deliver a finished product to each customer—taking service to the next level. Baristas personalize each cup of coffee, even adding cream or sugar to customer specifications. “Giving them a finished product is something that we care about,” Mehrens says. FC

One Size Fits All: To improve overall efficiency, Mehrens says they decided to limit options for to-go sizes. While smaller cups are available for macchiatosized drinks, most other takeaway beverages are served in twelve-ounce cups.

Sidecar Bar: A hanging shelf holds ingredients for limited cocktail offerings, like the Wolfpack— Matchless coffee soda, Ramazzotti, and mint.

Holy Sheet: Instead of standard shelving, Steadfast opted to use sheet pans to store glassware. Lipped edges keep the glasses in place, and each pan can be easily removed and cleaned.

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Café OUTFITTER:

All Stirred Up

To experience the subtle complexities of coffee or tea, you might encourage customers to limit their use of added dairy or sweeteners. But as much as you praise the nuances of your Tarrazú micro-lot, one fact remains: a lot of people like cream and sugar in their coffee or tea. Offer customers something better than dairy alternatives filled with hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Consider giving these sweet and creamy add-ins a place on your condiment bar.

1) A KNOW BRAINER Know Brainer is the “thinker’s creamer” and uses organic butter from grass-fed cows and non-GMO MCT oil to help kick-start metabolism and improve cognitive function. Know Brainer comes in five flavors, including lactose-free Vanilla Bean, Hazelnut, and Mocha. myknowbrainer.com

1

2

3) ALL NUTS, NO DAIRY Want to offer guests a creamer with the richness of half-and-half, but without the dairy? Nutpods are made from almonds and coconuts and can be used as a standard creamer substitute, or frothed for use in specialty drinks. Containing only natural ingredients, Nutpods come in three flavors: French Vanilla, Original, and Hazelnut. nutpods.com

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2) STRAIGHT FROM THE HIVE Nature Nate’s Packets contain only one ingredient: 100 percent raw and unfiltered honey. These convenient squeeze-packs are perfect for customers seeking an alternative to refined sugar.

Compact and portable, Nature Nate’s honey can be taken on the go, or savored with a cup to stay. naturenates.com

4) LEAN ON ME Many creamers taste sweet, but come packed with artificial ingredients. Leaner Creamer cuts out the dairy, gluten, and sugar to provide a creamer alternative made with natural ingredients, including coconut oil, hoodia, and citrus aurantium extract. Conveniently packaged in powdered form, Leaner Creamer is shelfstable and stores safely at room temperature. leanercreamer.com 5) POUR SOME SUGAR ON ME What does sugar taste like without extensive processing? It just tastes like panela, the unrefined form of cane sugar popular in many coffee-producing regions. Just Panela cane sugar is minimally processed, leaving nutrients like magnesium, iron, calcium, manganese, and potassium.

The hand-crafted sugar is available in a variety of bulk sizes; boxes of six-gram sachets will soon be available for purchase. justpanela.com FC

In HOUSE

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n the second Tuesday of the month at Irie Bean Coffee Bar in Austin, Texas, I join patrons gathered around a large communal table stocked with markers, pastels, and gel pens in virtually every hue of the rainbow. Conversations unfold to a soundtrack of Beatles hits and the whirring of an espresso machine, as pages from a JuiceLand Coloring Book—inspired by an iconic local juice joint—spring to life with avocado greens, raspberry reds, and citrusy yellows. I use my coffee mug as an impromptu paper

weight, anchoring blank coloring pages from the breeze created by the ceiling fan spinning overhead.

The scene at Irie mirrors one unfolding at several other coffee shops across the country: coloring book nights aimed at adults. These events can attract patrons on slow evenings, boost sales, foster a sense of community, and give coffee shops the opportunity to connect with local artists.

Interest in coloring books for adults has exploded in recent years. Publisher’s Weekly reports that 3,500 International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) were issued to adult coloring books in 2016, up 108 percent from

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the year prior. Several coffee shops are capitalizing on this popularity by hosting recurring or one-time events.

Trident Booksellers & Café in Boston, Massachusetts, sells books, coffee, and food. Seeing an opportunity in coloring books, they organized several community coloring events.

“We look at what’s popular and plan events that we would be interested in going to,” says events coordinator Mackenzie Van Engelenhoven. “We noticed a big upswing in adult coloring books and thought it would be fun for people to come to the café and color.”

Trident’s most recent event celebrated the release of a coloring book from local illustrator Amanda Laurel Atkins.

“We provided all the supplies—crayons, markers, colored pencils—and featured pages from the book,” Van Engelenhoven says. “We had the book there for sale and had Amanda there to sign and talk about her art.” Most attendees ordered drinks and other goodies while coloring.

Trident’s Back Bay location makes it a popular destination for nearby college students and young professionals.

“It’s a good de-stressor and a good way to let off some steam,” Van Engelenhoven says, adding that coloring book nights may eventually become a more regular occurrence.

Rose City Coffee Company in Portland, Oregon, hosted its own coloring event last May with local artist Dawn Furstenburg. Five dollars from each pound of whole bean coffee sold at the event and 20 percent of all art sales benefitted Women of Wisdom Portland, an organization supporting HIVpositive women.

Rose City’s café walls feature work from a different artist each month; in May they featured Furstenburg’s art to help promote the event. Owner Christie Gryphon says Furstenburg has books in shops carrying Rose City Coffee, which gave an additional incentive to support the author.

“Our goal is to be involved in the community,” Gryphon says of the Women of Wisdom event. “That one was really fun, and during our staff meeting we talked about having another one.”

About a year ago, Reverie Coffee Roasters launched weekly coloring events at their café in Wichita, Kansas. “My wife had been telling me to do it for a long time because this is what she’s into,” says owner Andrew Gough.

Gough knew there was an existing demand for coloring events; a brewery down the street hosted its own coloring book events on Sundays and overflow patrons would sometimes bring their coloring books and art supplies to Reverie when the brewery ran out of space.

“When the first one happened, it was insane,” Gough says. “It was so big, it became almost a nuisance.

We have capacity around sixty-five, so sometimes there were over fifty people coloring.” Over time, Reverie switched to monthly instead of weekly meetings but still sees plenty of coloring book enthusiasts. “The craze has worn off a bit,” he says.

Even so, Gough likes how the earlier coloring events helped create community and made his shop more lively in the evenings. “For the most part, people were really friendly,” he says. The events brought strangers together in the spirit of community and a shared interest. “That was the best part, because it was an opportunity for people who don’t know each other to hang out.”

The popularity of adult coloring books may fade—only time will tell.

But for businesses looking to engage customers in new ways, coloring events offer yet another avenue to facilitate community connection and exercise creativity in the café. FC Susan Johnston Taylor is a freelance writer who covers small business.

PH OTO C OURTESY O F R EVERIE C O FFEE ROA STERS; ILLUSTRAT IO N BY CYNTHIA MEAD OR S

Coloring Outside the Lines » By Susan Johnston Taylor

Fresh Cup Magazine « freshcup.com

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The WHOLE LEAF

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hen’s the last time you took part in an afternoon tea service? Have you thought about offering one in your café? The midday tradition is alive and well in the United Kingdom, complete with ornate desserts and fine china. While this may not easily blend with caffeine habits in US cities, with creativity and intentionality, afternoon tea can have a successful run in any café.

In the mid-1840s, Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, found herself rather hungry in the time between her light luncheon and supper, which was served late into the evening thanks

Low tea, or afternoon tea, was a fancier presentation served earlier in the day. Some say “low” refers to both time of day, and the height of the tables upon which tea was served. to the advent of kerosene light. She asked for some sandwiches and tea as a snack in the middle of the day and enjoyed it so much, she began to invite other socialites over to share in the midday treat. Thus, the fashion of taking afternoon tea was born.

High tea, low tea, afternoon tea, cream tea, and meat tea are all terms that referred to a meal in which tea was also served. Tradition depended on class. If you were wealthy, it would be traditional to have scones, clotted cream, jam, finger sandwiches, and a selection of sweets with your tea in the middle of the day. Commoners had their tea with meat, bread, and sides as more of a dinner.

This commoner version took the name high tea because it was served

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later in the afternoon, closer to dinner. Low tea, or afternoon tea, was a fancier presentation served earlier in the day. Some say “low” refers to both time of day, and the height of the tables upon which tea was served. Anyone referring to afternoon tea as “high tea” is technically incorrect, and actually referencing “low tea.” However, in recent times these terms have become nearly interchangeable.

The tradition has traveled all over the world since Russell first ignited the trend. Afternoon tea as we know it today is a leisurely dining experience, allowing time to relish scrumptious, savory, and sweet goodies and pots of steaming hot tea.

In London, abundant options for afternoon tea mean fierce competition, resulting in many inventive presentations. Aiming to delight and surprise with small details, the lengths to which chefs go are outrageous.

Guests of a science-themed afternoon tea at London’s Ampersand can enjoy Saturn-shaped bonbons and chocolate dinosaurs while sipping beverages from beakers. Fashion-inspired creations dominate afternoon tea at London’s Berkeley Hotel; menu items include cookies shaped like high heels, and puddings topped with wild chocolate decorations, like a skirt with a leg sticking up.

Diners can also expect ornate details in a London tea presentation.

Pastries are little works of art, offering visual delight to accompany rich flavor profiles. London’s Capital Hotel serves treats meticulously topped with details like tiny chocolate snowflakes. Inside the city’s Sketch building, which houses several eateries, afternoon tea condiments are served in miniature ceramic bathtubs and sandwiches are wrapped in paper and tied with satin ribbon.

In the United States, afternoon tea has never quite reached the same level of popularity. People taking part in

afternoon tea are typically tourists or locals celebrating special occasions. Tea houses in New York, New York, offer beautiful presentations with a robust selection of baked goods. You’ll see more cupcakes, muffins, and eclairs, and slightly larger portion sizes than you would in a British afternoon tea.

But afternoon tea isn’t just for tourists or bridal showers. It can be for anyone, on any day. With less competition for business in the States, café owners don’t need to worry about over-the-top presentation. Instead, they can focus their efforts on providing a tea experience focused on intention and quality.

Designing an afternoon tea service to fit modern culture is a task we’ve set out to accomplish at Garfunkel’s.

We want to make an elegant tea service more accessible, less stuffy, a little sexier, and just as scrumptious as some of our London counterparts.

Our tea is served on glass plates, atop mirrored tables on the second floor of a historic building filled with velvet couches. We offer only singleestate Indian tea, which sets us apart from even the London teahouses, and provides a new experience for many customers. We want people to take a digital detox, connect with their companions, and find a bit of an escape in this hectic city.

Afternoon tea is all about intention.

Offering guests information about teas, adding flourish to plates, and creating a unique environment all make the fashion of taking tea during the day more alluring. Whether it’s providing a cozy setting, cutting-edge cutlery, or exotic teas, it’s important for each café or teahouse to find an angle on tea presentation and carry it through, focusing on each aspect of the experience.

How will you create a memorable afternoon tea for your customers? FC Amy Dubin is founder of Janam Tea, and host of afternoon tea at Garfunkel’s Speakeasy in New York City.

P HOTO BY JOS EPH GO NZALEZ

Afternoon Tea » By Amy Dubin

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Café CROSSROADS

Cat & Cloud » Santa Cruz, California Story and photos by Elizabeth Chai

Baca and Truby have blogged, forum-posted, Tweeted, YouTubed, Instagrammed, Snapchatted, Kickstarted, and podcasted their way into the hearts of thousands of followers with their thoughts on espresso and the coffee industry.

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I

n the middle of America’s West Coast, there’s a little California beach town called Santa Cruz.

The waves are dotted with surfers, and the always-sunny streets are filled with easy-going walkers and skateboarders. Nicknamed “Surf City, USA,” the town is surf culture in its purest form—and unapologetically so. Home to Santa Cruz Skateboards and coffee powerhouse Verve Coffee, Santa Cruz has forged a culture completely its own.

Chris Baca and Jared Truby lived the Santa Cruz life during their combined thirteen years in founding leadership positions at Verve. In September of 2016, after a few years dabbling in other projects and locales, they returned to open their own café and roastery, Cat & Cloud Coffee.

You might already be familiar with the Baca and Truby duo, who seem to

operate as a single unit. (They’ve even used the combined-name moniker “Trubaca.”) Both are competition vets, and boast an array of regional and national Brewers Cup and Barista Championship trophies between them.

But even more recognizable since their departures from Verve, Baca and Truby have blogged, forum-posted, Tweeted, YouTubed, Instagrammed, Snapchatted, Kickstarted, and podcasted their way into the hearts of thousands of followers with their thoughts on espresso and the coffee industry, becoming known for their signature GoPro-fisheye angle on life as coffee professionals.

I visited Baca and Truby at the café, eager to learn more about how they arrived in this place, living their dream.

“We’ve had the Cat & Cloud dream since we met, but we didn’t know it would manifest in this way,” Baca starts.

“We got serious talking about it around 2014—that’s when the wheels started turning,” Truby finishes (yes, they finish each other’s sentences).

Situated on a busy corner of a commuter artery, the 1300-square-foot space is just a five-minute walk from the original Verve Coffee. The proximity isn’t weird—at least not for Cat & Cloud. Baca says he was confident there would be room for them in a place like Santa Cruz with so few specialty coffee options. He lives walking distance from both cafés and continues to be a regular Verve customer.

Like most coastal town buildings, Cat & Cloud is a single-story, ranchstyle building, easily passable for one of the town’s many beach houses or surf shops. It’s flanked by walk-up windows, palm trees, and patio seating. The glass doors and windows let in so much light the room glows,

showing off custom wood-tile countertops—built by Janine Stone of If You Give a Girl a Saw, and Mikey Gaumann—and a whimsical, colorful cat and boat mural by Nick Vargas. A picture window frames a Poseidongreen San Franciscan SF25 roaster and a small production area.

Though my visit was just a couple of months after their opening, the atmosphere was as comfortable and welcoming as if the café and roastery had been running for years. The entire staff was smiling, and it wasn’t unusual to see them bust out a dance move between making drinks. Customers were already regular enough to have first-name rapport with the staff.

The congenial atmosphere of Cat & Cloud reflects Baca and Truby’s playfulness. But the business partners are driven by much deeper convictions than drinking coffee and doing skate-

board tricks. Their individual desires to build something great from a foundation of coffee strongly influenced the design of Cat & Cloud.

“Our friendship was one thing for sure, but we’ve always had similar ideas about coffee,” Baca says. “We approach problem solving in very different ways. We often arrive at the same conclusions but have different trains of thoughts for doing it . . . which makes for a good teamwork situation.”

The Cat & Cloud duo plan to open three more stores, with an equity incentive built in for long-term employees to promote longevity. “We want to provide [our staff with the] ability to actually have a career in coffee without them having to step away from their passions,” Truby says. He expresses frustration that many people are forced to abandon jobs as roasters or baristas to make a more stable living in coffee.

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LOOK & LISTEN: Instagram: @CatCloudCoffee; @RealChrisBaca; @JTrubaca Podcast: Coffee Podcast by Cat & Cloud (nominated for 2016 Best Coffee Podcast Sprudgie Award) YouTube Channel: RealChrisBaca (nominated for 2016 Best Coffee Video Sprudgie Award)

“That’s why I’m doing this: to do something bigger than myself and provide for [my staff].”

While Truby has been inspired to action by people, Baca finds drive in being an ideas guy. “Creative expression is very important to me in work and life, so for me to feel fulfilled and know I’m having an impact on the world around me, I need to have the freedom to exercise my brain and turn crazy ideas into reality,” he explains. “I couldn’t find a place to make that happen so I had to create that for myself here.”

Jointly, they also felt compelled to pursue a distinct style of coffee.

“There’s a lot of good coffee out there, but nobody was providing exactly what we wanted,” Baca says. “To get what we wanted in a flavor profile, we had to create it ourselves.”

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What does that profile look like?

“When you drink the coffee, it has enough character to where you can tell it’s something special but you’re not forced to think about it if you don’t want to,” he explains. “You can totally drink the whole cup and not think twice about it, and go about your day.

But if you wanted to engage, that door is also open.”

Truby chimes in, explaining that many coffee companies suggest their coffee is “for everybody,” but fail to use it that way. “We like the idea of the coffee actually being ubiquitous,” he says.

Cat & Cloud designed a do-everything blend—called the Answer—to be used as their everyday batch brew, as well as one of their espresso offerings. “If you order coffee, it’s gonna be the Answer. If you order a milk

drink, it’s also gonna be The Answer,” Truby says.

Baca and Truby had their hearts set on doing things their way, so they set up their business—with third partner Charles Jack, their green buyer and numbers guy—without outside investment. The Cat & Cloud buildout has been paid for through a combination of personal funds, an SBAbacked bank loan, and crowd-funding via Kickstarter. “It’s nice to have 100 percent decision-making power,” Baca says. “Since we don’t have deep pockets, it forces us to run the business well. There’s no backup money.”

Truby adds that foregoing investors made for a risky endeavor; both men sunk everything they had into the business to be able to open the doors.

“It was real. It was super hard. But totally worth it.” FC

WHAT’S ON: • By the Cup (“BTC”): A coffee “shot” made on a La Marzocco Strada AV (3.5 bar pressure, 21 grams in, 60-second brew cycle).

• 1&1: Truby and Baca were the originators of the now ubiquitous 1&1, so naturally it’s on the menu. A splitshot served side by side as espresso and a single-shot macchiato.

• Make Out: 4.5 ounces espresso & milk • Flat White: 7 ounces double shot & milk • Creamy Beige: Espresso, half-andhalf, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, and espresso grounds; blended with ice.

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NINE BAR

T

he air was cool, but a bead of sweat glistened on Randall Jackson’s brow. He sipped yet another espresso, eyelids heavy and tastes buds nearly numb. A hint of unpleasantness caught his attention—the espresso still wasn’t quite right. He focused his gaze on the grinder, preparing to pull another shot, settling in for another grueling night of training.

Randall competed in last month’s CoffeeChamps competition in Austin, Texas. His training began long before his name appeared on the competitor list, during months spent dreaming up a barista routine that would dazzle the judging panel.

The dreaming stage was pure fun. Randall researched how to alter cow milk flavor by feeding a herd certain herbs. He bought xanthan gum and experimented his way into culinary foams. He watched dozens of past competitions, analyzing techniques and patterns.

When Randall’s name appeared on the competitor list (a lottery selection process), his whimsical ideas started to materialize. Grocery lists evolved into drink variations; bags of freshly roasted coffee transformed into rich espresso.

Without a coach or former competitor to support his journey, it was up to him to prepare for the event. Randall spent most nights working at Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas. With only one espresso setup, the only option was to practice his routine after business hours, late into the night.

As the competition approached, it was time for tough choices. Randall decided a savory drink wasn’t the right move for his first competition. Neither was a thick, sage-infused xanthan foam. He shifted his focus to a more familiar flavor landscape: chocolate, berries, and espresso.

His script evolved slowly, stitched together by a common theme: taking the judges back to a time when they knew little about coffee. He would

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share a newcomer-friendly signature drink with them to build a relationship, then draw them into the story of his coffee with the espresso.

The order of Randall’s drink service would symbolize the relationship between barista and customer and how it develops into a common appreciation for the coffee, its origin, and its story.

The script started coming together, his espresso was tasting good, and his signature beverage was close to what he imagined.

His ten-minute routine centered on a honey processed coffee from Finca Retana in Antigua, Guatemala. The coffee was the result of an experiment at the farm and featured a crisp acidity, sweet raspberry flavor, and light body. The team at Dallas’s Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters suggested the coffee to Randall and roasted it for him.

Randall’s signature drink was a soda shop tribute: a beverage made with espresso, butter ganache, dark chocolate, carbonated raspberry syrup, and lavender infused milk. A heavy, creamy body and a diverse and sweet flavor profile were designed to draw skeptical customers into the world of coffee— and to grab the attention of his judges.

The final weeks leading into competition were a far cry from the whimsical dreaming stage. Day after day, new challenges arose. The raspberry syrup didn’t taste right. The milk didn’t infuse long enough. The soda charger wouldn’t arrive in the mail. One of his glasses broke. Then another. With each new road block, the anxiety piled on.

Randall grew intimidated watching past competition footage, lying in bed, wide-eyed and stressed. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself.

He wanted to make his city and coffee shop proud.

Friday arrived, the day Randall would travel to Austin to compete.

Customers poured in to wish him luck during his bar shift. The support of his city fueled him, but the tension con-

tinued to build. The car ride to Austin dragged uncharacteristically long. He recited his script endlessly. He couldn’t eat. Another restless night.

The Saturday of competition, the Palmer Events Center buzzed with excited baristas, roasters, and fellow industry members. Randall felt the imposter syndrome hit hard in his gut.

He approached the machine for his morning practice time and began to dial in. He pulled a bad shot, then another. His mind reeled as he tried to remember how to brew tasty espresso.

The pressure of the day built and built, and before he knew it, his practice time was up.

Randall anxiously watched the morning hours pass by, then found himself before the judges. His station was set up, his espresso was dialed in, his head was spinning, and he began his routine with that terrifying word: “Time.”

“I don’t remember much of the competition,” he told me when we caught up a couple days later. “There was a lot more going on in the room than they show on the live stream. Brewers Cup in one corner, Cup Tasters in another.

Everything was surreal. Trying to take it all in was hard.”

As he walked me through his months of preparation, he looked at peace, glad that he could breathe without the weight of the competition on him.

“I’m definitely going to try again next year,” he says. “Definitely going in with more confidence. My idea was solid, but I wasn’t able to present it confidently all the way to the end, so it didn’t come out like I was hoping.”

Randall scored 169.5 points. Not a bad score for a first-time competitor, but not great either. He’s already got ideas for next year’s routine, but for now, he’s eager to take his girlfriend on a date, refocus on school, and get to bed at a reasonable time. FC Garrett Oden is a barista at Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas.

P HOTO BY NIC O LE O ’BANION

A Day in the Life of a Competitive Barista » By Garrett Oden

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The WHOLE BEAN Thinking Beyond the Bean » By Ellie Bradley

T

he ideal agronomy would be one that all of the products and subproducts of the plant have some value to the producer,” says Demetrio Arandia Muguira, president of Descamex, a Mexican decaf processor based in Córdoba, Veracruz.

Two years ago, Muguira and his team launched a project to develop a mobile coffee recycling unit. They partnered with Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (UAQ) and Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico en Electroquímica (CIDETEQ) to conduct research into the best alternatives for extracting caffeine and chlorogenic acids from the pulp of coffee cherries.

Though the caffeine yield from the pulp is relatively low compared to coffee beans, both the caffeine and chlorogenic acids can be extracted and sold. “The main consideration taken for the development was to try to get the best extraction possible,” Muguira says. “The purpose of this extraction plant is to allow the coffee producer to have an additional income from the subproducts of their farms.”

To accomplish this, the teams set out to build a unit that was relatively small, utilized a cost-effective process

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to extract the subproducts, and was transportable between regions, allowing the unit to be relocated according to harvest schedules.

Once cherries have passed through the wet milling process, semi-wet pulp is manually loaded into the mobile system, which operates in three phases.

First, the caffeine and chlorogenic acids are extracted from the pulp. Then, a decantation and distillation process is used to separate the caffeine and chlorogenic acids from the extract in liquid form. The caffeine and chlorogenic acids are recovered from the liquid, and the remaining pulp is dried.

Descamex used the unit on its farms for the first time this season and hopes to roll out a full operation next year. The pilot project is housed inside a trailer that can be pulled from one mill to another by truck.

Muguira’s company opted for a scientific approach to transforming byproducts into valuable resources, but it doesn’t take a team of engineers to reduce waste.

Distant Lands Coffee owns a collection of farms and mills across Costa Rica (and one mill in Colombia), where it’s common practice for farmers to sell their coffee to mills in whole bean form.

“We as a mill receive lots and lots and lots of coffee cherry,” says Scott Merle, vice president of sales for Distant Lands’ green coffee division.

The organization has several systems in place to combat coffee cherry waste and assist area farmers. The largest use of pulp? As compost, both on their own farms and for growers who bring cherries to the mills.

“Because coffee producers sell their whole cherries, they don’t have access to that byproduct,” Merle says.

Distant Lands adds a bit of lime to the pulp and mixes it into a compost, then sells it back to farmers at cost for use on their farms. Any remaining compost is used across the six farms owned by the company.

Using pulp as compost is a relatively common way to repurpose milling byproducts. Distant Lands has also found uses for miel, the mucilage layer of the bean. “That should be considered a byproduct of the coffee because that’s either pollution or waste, or it needs to get reused somewhere,” Merle says, referring to the mucilage that’s trapped by mechanical equipment. “We recapture all that mucilage, all that miel, and we’ve been adding that back into the compost too.”

A machine packs the coffee parchment into discs, then feeds them into the furnace as a fuel alternative to wood.

Distant Lands also uses parchment removed by dry milling equipment to fuel the dryers—a process they’ve relied on for over fifteen years. “We’ve got specially designed biomass furnaces that we use to generate the heat needed to dry the washed coffee,” Merle says. A machine packs the coffee parchment into discs, then feeds them into the furnace as a fuel alternative to wood.

The projects spearheaded by Distant Lands and Descamex are just two examples of producers working to find better solutions for coffee byproducts at origin—there are many others, and even more developments on the horizon. Just as Muguira described the ideal agronomy, it’s the nature of farmers to be resourceful when it comes to finding new uses for byproducts; no one wins when there’s waste. FC Ellie Bradley is Fresh Cup’s editor.

P HOTO BY ELLIE BRA DLEY

By the time green coffee arrives in the hands of a roaster, it’s been stripped of every indication it was once the core of a plump fruit. Milling equipment removes the pulp, mucilage, and parchment from the bean, often leaving these byproducts as waste. Waste production is a concern because untreated pulp emits methane gas, and byproducts have the potential to harm soil and pollute local water sources.

In November, Anna Brones examined some of the ways coffee byproducts are being repurposed, including coffee flour, cascara tea, biofuels, and T-shirt ink.

We continue the discussion by examining a few related projects happening in coffee-producing countries.

ROAMING RECYCLER: A mobile coffee cherry recycling unit, designed by Descamex in partnership with two local universities.

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Do You KNOW?

Bill Lombardo » By Ellie Bradley

S

yrups welcomed many of us into the world of coffee; vanilla lattes, hazelnut mochas, and other tasty concoctions tempered coffee’s strong flavor for untrained palates. But syrup applications go far beyond basic beverages. Monin CEO Bill Lombardo shares insights into how flavorings are used, how new trends are forecasted, and which flavor will finally knock pumpkin spice from its reign as the flavor of fall.

This interview has been edited for clarity and space.

MONIN IS A FAMILY-OWNED COMPANY, WITH ROOTS IN FRANCE. HOW DO YOUR RECIPES AND PRODUCTS REFLECT THAT HISTORY?

We’re 105 years old—we’ve only been in this country for twenty years. If you know much about the French, two things are true for the most part: whenever possible, they buy things locally, fresh-grown, and in season—that’s always been part of the tradition which we inherited here.

The other is that they don’t compromise on quality; people want the best flavor, the best impact that they can find. Our company motto has been around for about ninety years: “Passion for Excellence,” and that’s been a cultural thread through the business right through to today.

WHAT’S SOMETHING NEW ON THE HORIZON FOR MONIN?

We’re doing some new products that we call concentrated flavor, which aren’t sweet at all—they have no sugar whatsoever. They’re certainly not made for the coffee trade, per se, but they’re finding their way into the coffee trade as people look for alternatives for flavoring without any added sugar, and being 100 percent natural.

HOW ELSE ARE YOU SEEING THESE CONCENTRATES USED?

P HOTO C OURTESY OF MO NIN GOURM ET FLAVO RINGS

We’re seeing a lot of initial applications in sparkling water where people are just taking carbonated water and adding this to it, then garnishing it with fresh herb, or mint, or berries. We’re also seeing people adding it to everything from salad dressings to sauces and marinades to condiments.

It’s very easy to make a flavored mayonnaise or a flavored ketchup, which is becoming in vogue now with the gourmet burger trend.

BLUEBERRY AND LAVENDER ARE CURRENTLY TOP-TEN TRENDING FLAVORS FOR MONIN. HOW FREQUENTLY DO FLAVORS SHIFT IN POPULARITY?

It shifts quite a bit; it’s surprising. Lavender was driven by lavender lattes—three years ago nobody would think they were going to buy a lavender latte. It came out of nowhere. We’ve always had lavender in our line and it wasn’t in our top 100 flavors three years ago. It went from there to

top ten in the span of less than two years just because of a couple people. All the sudden it just swept the country.

HAVE YOU SEEN MORE RAPID POPULARITY GROWTH IN FLAVORS SINCE THE ADVENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA?

No question about it. It definitely makes a trend that might otherwise be isolated to a small geographic area capable of spreading across the country almost instantly. People will say, “Well, that’s interesting, we should take a look at that.” There’s no question people are hunting and looking for new things. Ideas good and bad, I think they transit extremely fast. They either grow roots and catch on and blossom very quickly or they die quickly too.

WHAT’S A FLAVOR YOU’VE SEEN TAKE A TOTAL DIVE?

About eight or nine years ago, pomegranate took off and became the next big thing. We saw it coming, we saw the ads and the promotion stuff. We picked it up and launched it and it was off the chart. And then just as fast as it arrived, it pretty much withered.

HOW DO YOU SELECT NEW FLAVORS?

We’re always looking for that next wave. We do what we call a “flavor forward process,” which is fairly intricate, but basically revolves around identifying trends through a lot of different trend data and sources. Then we have seven beverage innovation and culinary people on staff here, and they put their heads together and generate anywhere from twenty to thirty concepts every six months, and then we screen those through about 10,000 consumers each wave.

Out of there we distill down those concepts through pre-established benchmarks—once we see one pop up above the benchmark then we will go develop them in terms of flavor panels and taste tests. If they fulfill the concept, then those become our launch platform for the future.

WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG FLAVOR FOR THE COFFEE WORLD?

One of the challenges we’ve had from the specialty coffee trade in the last year or year and a half is pumpkin. We actually have three different pumpkin syrups: pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice, and plain pumpkin. We also introduced just this last year a pumpkin puree. And everyone goes “Wow, this is awesome, but what’s next? What’s going to replace pumpkin a year or two from now? What is everyone going to be looking forward to when it comes to August or September?” We’ve been chasing that with our flavor forward process and we think we got the answer. I can’t tell you, of course. But we will be debuting a couple things later this year that I think will become the rising stars to challenge pumpkin over the next year or two. FC

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P HOTO BY AND REW BRA NCH

Kids’ menus, play areas, and booster chairs are positive signs a café welcomes customers with children. But being kid friendly is also an attitude. Do baristas roll their eyes when a stroller rolls through the door? Can menu items be modified for picky eaters? Accommodating families doesn’t require installing a playground on your patio. Sometimes simply smiling and welcoming a frazzled set of parents is all it takes to show your kid-friendly colors.

By Ellie Bradley & Chris Lucia

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A

ustralian coffee culture has influenced American cafés for years. The flat white, menus with expanded food offerings, emphasis on quality coffee from independently owned shops—all have seen success in the United States.

One trend yet to gain widespread popularity in American cafés? A focus on serving large groups and families instead of individual customers.

“It’s like going to a bar you love, with the bartenders talking to you, and it seems like a fun, happy place where you want to be,” Courtney Chapman says about Australian cafés. Chapman came to the United States four months ago from Australia to manage Seven Point Espresso in Brooklyn, New York.

COURTNEY CHAPMAN is manager at Seven Point Espresso in Brooklyn, New York.

Seven Point takes extra steps to make sure families of all sizes feel comfortable and accommodated.

Chapman developed a kids’ menu of small, tasty items that were also approved as healthy and affordable options by parents. In addition to offerings like grilled cheese and a poached egg on toast, Seven

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PH OTO S BY NO M I ELLENSO N

Chapman developed a kids’ menu of small, tasty items that were also approved as healthy and affordable options by parents.

Point offers babycinos. The introductory version of the cappuccino consists of three ounces of steamed milk, chocolate on top, and a marshmallow on the side—free with any adult purchase before 10:00 a.m. and only two dollars after.

“So many local kids now have tried a babycino and love it,” Chapman says. “Now that they know us, they’ll order it themselves, and it’s a lot of fun.”

THE BABYCINO is served with a side of marshmallow.

Posies Bakery and Café in Portland, Oregon, has also garnered a reputation for being kid friendly, but owner Jessie Burke likes to think of the shop as being people friendly—period.

“It’s about showing that you’re inclusive of everyone,” she says. And that includes kids.

Posies is located in Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, about ten minutes north of downtown.

Burke was inspired to open the café after recognizing a need for gathering places in the neighborhood; with most of the commercial spaces occupied by offices or restaurants, there weren’t a lot of choices for people seeking a social outlet. Burke says it was also clear parents had few places to take their children—something she’d become more aware of as a new mom.

“Everyone loves you when you’re pregnant, then hates you when you have kids,” she says. Especially in the coffee community, she notes it can be difficult to find cafés that embrace families. A dismissive attitude can be very alienating for parents.

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Kid-Friendly Snacks Looking to appeal to your pint-sized customers? Offering kid-friendly goodies is a quick way to win over the whole family. These prepackaged snacks were made with nutrition and portability in mind— making them life savers for on-the-go parents. We hear they also pair well with hot chocolate and vanilla steamers.

BOBO’S BITES Bobo’s recognized the need for a smaller version of their delicious oatmeal bars and introduced Bobo’s Bites. At just over a third of the size of their original oat bars, the handmade snack bites deliver a taste of home with a base of oats, brown rice syrup, and organic cane sugar. The

“When you have a newborn or young kids, you just want to get out of the house and feel like part of society,” Burke says. “But then you go somewhere with your kids and people just glare at you.”

So Burke set out to design a space that was enjoyable for guests of all ages. Posies has a playroom in the back of the café stocked with books, costumes, and a kitchen set. The room also has chalkboard walls kids can draw on. Burke has learned from experience to keep some things out of the play area—mostly for the safety of staff. “Nothing with wheels, nothing with noise, nothing that moves by itself because you will kill yourself,” she says with a laugh.

Posies’ laid-back environment reflects Burke’s experience as both an educator and a parent of three kids under the age of ten. The playroom isn’t governed by lists of rules, but staff are on the lookout for unruly play (Burke says she pulls out the “scary teacher voice” when necessary).

Parents are welcome in the play area, or they can enjoy their coffee while keeping a watchful eye through large windows on the playroom walls. Other accommodations include bench seating (much easier for younger customers to maneuver than stools) and a kids’ menu, complete with grilled cheese and PB&J—though most kids opt to order from the main menu.

Burke is glad her café has developed a reputation for being inviting to families, but she reiterates her original intention: the café was designed to be welcoming to any prospective customer. “Ultimately, everyone is allowed to be there.” FC

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vegan and dairy-free Bites come in seven flavors: Original, Coconut, Maple Pecan, Lemon Poppyseed, Apple Pie, PB&J, and Gingerbread. eatbobos.com

THIS KID SAVES LIVES As parents wrangle their “hangry” children, offer them a snack with an added benefit: a philanthropic tie. This Bar Saves Lives (TBSL) designed a line of bars for their younger, pickier customers. For every box sold, TBSL sends life-saving food to a child in need. Available in two flavors—Wild Berries and Chocolate Chip—the soft, delicious bars are packed with fourteen essential vitamins and minerals, wholesome oats, and organic honey. thisbarsaveslives.com

PO SIES PH OTO BY K AITII BAND URA

POSIES BAKERY AND CAFÉ in Portland, Oregon, has a dedicated playroom for kids with thirsty parents.

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PH OTO C OURTESY O F INTELLIGENTSIA C O FFEE

HAVE A SEAT: At Intelligentsia’s Logan Square café, customers can opt for bar service instead of paying first at the register.

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NIGHTHAWKS by Edward Hopper

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isit practically any American coffee shop, be it third-wave or international chain, and you probably already know how to order. You’ll file into a line and slowly shuffle your way up to the cash register where you’ll inform the barista of your desired drink, exchange money, and try to find an inconspicuous place to stand while you wait. If you’re lucky, the barista might call for you by name rather than simply shouting out your drink when it’s ready for you to pick up at the counter.

Being well versed in coffee-ordering protocol, I had a certain set of expectations in mind as I popped into Intelligentsia’s Logan Square café in Chicago, Illinois, for the first time on a busy Sunday morning. I had been to several other Intelligentsia locations, so I didn’t anticipate anything out of the ordinary. But when I found my place at the back of the queue, an unexpected thing happened.

“If you’re staying here, we can take your order at the bar,” said a barista. A warm timbre and confident eye contact assured me this was normal here.

I spotted the last empty seat in the row of bar stools lining both sides of the U-shaped counter.

As I squeezed in next to some marketing graduate students working on a class project, another barista met me with a glass of water and a menu. I ordered a shot of espresso and opted to start a tab.

As I sat at the bar and took a sip of my chocolaty-sweet Black Cat espresso, I was reminded of another Chicago icon: Edward Hopper’s painting,

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Nighthhawks, which hangs across town in the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting depicts a similar bar scene at an all-night diner where customers have congregated around the counter as a bartender serves them mugs of black coffee. Whether the parallels were intentional, the thought made me feel a sense of connectedness to the city.

Although new technologies and perspectives have revolutionized how coffee is sourced, roasted, and brewed, the service models utilized by coffee shops have gone largely unexamined.

Before I left the cafĂŠ, I had my water glass refilled multiple times, picked up a bag of whole bean coffee, and had a nice conversation with a barista about other Chicago coffee shops worth visiting, all without having to get back in line.

Although I had numerous good cups of coffee around the city, that experience stuck with me long after my weekend in Chicago.

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“There’s always room to reimagine service,” says Andrew Atkinson, Intelligentsia’s regional retail manager of new markets. “Especially in the coffee industry.”

For Intelligentsia Logan Square, that inspiration comes from the proliferation of all-night diners around the city in the thirties and forties. Although there is still a queue for customers who want to grab their coffee and go, dine-in customers at Logan Square enjoy full service at the bar. “Everything is taken care of for you,” Atkinson says. “Just sit down at the counter.”

The flexibility of the service model is surprising when compared to a more conventional model of queueing at a register. Although new technologies and perspectives have revolutionized how coffee is sourced, roasted, and brewed, the service models utilized by coffee shops have gone largely unexamined. Specialty coffee’s value proposition is based on a superior product, but the industry at large has uncritically inherited a fast food service model.

“If a customer is paying seven dollars for a cup of coffee, they don’t want to have a fast food experience,” Atkinson says.

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erhaps the most prominent rejection of queue-style service is found at G&B Coffee in Los Angeles, California. The much-celebrated walk-up coffee bar in downtown’s Grand Central

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PHOTO C O UR TESY OF INTELLIGENTSIA C OFFE E

INTELLIGENTSIA’S Logan Square café

Market features a 360-degree bar around which customers can order from any point. The shop employs a self-dubbed “zone defense” approach to customer service. Up to six baristas take orders around the bar, close out checks, and deliver drinks to customers. If a line starts to form, guests are politely asked to step up to the bar.

For company cofounders Charles Babinski and Kyle Glanville, the service model is based on a simple mantra. “Serve customers where they are,” Babinski says. “Remove all the barriers to service.”

At G&B we have up to six POS going at once. Some of our busiest hours we’ve ever had did not look that busy from the outside. You could convert that to a line and it would be thirty or forty people deep.

The inspiration for the bar-style service came during a trip to Spain for a friend’s wedding. With a few extra days to explore Madrid, the pair discovered a love for the neighborhood shops selling bocadillos, a traditional cured ham sandwich. In these shops customers are served and eat their bocadillo at the counter, side by side with the other patrons.

Babinski and Glanville were struck by the intimate, communal feel of the service. After returning to California they knew they wanted to capture “the feeling of being in a place where everybody is rubbing shoulders.”

But providing intimate service was only one of their goals. They also had a more practical concern: how to serve as many cups of coffee as possible.

Grand Central Market attracts tens of thousands of visitors a day. They knew they had to be able to serve a high volume of customers without sacrificing quality. By moving away from a linear service model, Glanville and Babinski found they were free to explore more efficient systems.

“At G&B we have up to six POS [points-of-sale] going at once. Some of our busiest hours we’ve ever

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had did not look that busy from the outside,” Babinski says. “You could convert that to a line and it would be thirty or forty people deep.”

But Babinski is adamant bar-style service is not a panacea of service models. In fact, he discourages most cafés from trying it. “Our model is not a model that’s going to sweep the nation,” Babinski says. “It’s hard to execute without people who are committed to it. When the wheels come off, it’s terrible.”

And yet, for G&B, the benefits outweigh the costs. “It’s way harder. It’s way more work,” Babinski says. “But the rewards are meaningful.”

He credits the bar-style service as not only improving hospitality and efficiency, but also creating a livelier café environment. Rather than customers waiting in line staring at their phones, they are standing side by side at the bar.

Regulars are more likely to strike

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up a conversation with each other and less likely to become impatient waiting for a drink.

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lthough few American coffee shops are offering full bar service, a growing number of cafés are enlisting mobile point-of-sale technology to offer a hybrid approach. One such café is Blueprint Coffee in St. Louis, Missouri.

“In the design of the café, one of the main components is the portability of service,” says Kevin Reddy, Blueprint cofounder and director of retail operations. “We could take care of someone at their table, or, if they had a dog, outside. Any conversation can effectively turn into a point of sale.” For Reddy and the rest of the staff at Blueprint, this model of service adds a human touch. “The focus of what we’re doing is not a cash register,” Reddy says.

Meeting customers where they are is just one element of Blueprint’s hospitality culture.

“So many people are used to customer service only lasting until they make the drink,” Reddy says. “We bring every drink out to the table. We don’t have a bus tub.”

For Reddy, the more labor-intensive service model comes part and parcel with a focus on coffee quality.

“That level of service speaks to the ethos behind what we do,” he says.

“And shows them that we care.”

An important component of Blueprint’s service model is a system of color-coded coasters that accompany each beverage. Each color corresponds with a different coffee, which allows a barista working the café floor to automatically know what a guest is drinking. This empowers baristas checking in on a customer to ask how the coffee was and whether they would like another cup. Baristas are also trained to

PHOTO BY MA RC US S TABENOW

BLUEPRINT COFFEE uses color-coded coasters in their hospitality-focused service style.

meet new customers where they are and help guide them through the café experience.

“You can always tell if it’s somebody’s first time in.

There’s not an ‘Order Here’ sign or a ‘Pick-up Here’ sign. They want to follow those normal patterns,” Reddy says. He notes that customers’ uncertainty in the absence of signs and queues opens the door for interaction. “People walk up to the brew bar; we’re forced to address them immediately and help them through their experience.”

RYAN SOEDER takes work flow seriously.

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PHOTO BY JAY KEYWO O D

on-linear service models might be challenging the status quo in retail coffee, but they also raise the question: do customers actually want new service models?

At Blueprint, Reddy admits that in peak hours customers naturally form a line, and they don’t discourage them from doing so. “It’s natural for people to queue up,” he says. “It’s during the slower times we’re freer to take advantage of the mobility of our plan.”

Reddy’s observation leads other specialty coffee professionals to question whether departing from the conventional paradigm is necessary.

Ryan Soeder, director of training at Louisville’s Sunergos Coffee, advocates for a conventional

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PHOTO BY JAY K EYWOO D

linear service model. “It’s not that it’s broken. It isn’t,” Soeder says. “It’s the only thing we can do right now. You only make money by serving as many three-dollar cups of coffee as you can. Any other model requires staffing that is nearly impossible to pull off.”

Soeder, whose resume includes Intelligentsia and Counter Culture Coffee, thinks often about workflow, as demonstrated by the same word tattooed across his knuckles.

“Most coffee shops don’t have anyone in charge of tuning their workflow,” says Soeder, who advises cafés to critically evaluate their bar flow systems.

He urges café managers to establish workflow priorities. This entails a fully articulated workflow guide, so each barista knows their exact responsibilities on bar. Whether it’s taking orders, prepping espresso beverages, or brewing coffee, a clear division of labor will maximize efficiency and help ensure quality.

“I think the underlying theme would be intentionality,” Soeder says. “Know what you’re about, then support that.”

Although Soeder is intrigued by the possibilities models like G&B’s create, he questions their repeatability. “If you tried to do that in Louisville it would probably freak people out,” he says.

Babinski wouldn’t necessarily disagree with Soeder. For him, the most important thing is not whether a café uses bar service, table service, or a more conventional queue.

“Just remove the impediments to employees serving the customer,” Babinski says. “Give them the power.” FC

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JESSIE DEAN picks pineapple sage at Rayburn Farm in Barnardsville, North Carolina.

Instead of making blends with tea leaves from China, spices from India, and fruits from Mexico, creative entrepreneurs are making brews steeped in the local food movement.

PH OTO BY C INDY K UNST

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hen Jessie Dean brews a steaming mug of tea, she knows the origin of each ingredient. In Ginger Turmeric tea, the ginger was grown on A Way of Life Farm, Rayburn Farm grew the turmeric, and the lemon balm was sourced from Gentle Harmony Farm.

Dean worked with farmers in her hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, to source ingredients for local brews, and spent countless hours experimenting with recipes to create farm-to-teacup blends.

Dean credits her British-born husband with her passion for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

“Tea culture is a big part of life in England,” she explains.

But it was the culture in her hometown of Asheville that convinced Dean there was a market for her local, small-batch teas.

“Asheville has a thriving craft beverage scene and a great farm-totable scene but it was impossible to find local tea on restaurant menus, in shops, or at the farmers market,” Dean says.

Dean launched Asheville Tea Company in 2016. The start-up partners with farmers throughout western North Carolina to source ingredients ranging from basil and spearmint to chamomile and elderflower for blends like Mountain Mint, Wild Earl, G & Tea, Lemon Yaupon, and Chamomile and Lavender.

“Local teas are much more fresh and flavorful than teas sold at the store,” Dean says.

The idea of creating a market for what Dean calls, “the other craft brew” is catching on.

Instead of making blends with tea leaves from China, spices from India, and fruits from Mexico, creative entrepreneurs are making brews steeped in the local food movement.

These farm-to-teacup brews offer a taste of place in each sip—and the market for local teas is growing. In fact, the Tea Association of the USA

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estimates an annual growth rate of 8 to 10 percent for the specialty tea market, which includes local teas.

Tirza Wibel, founder of Winterwoods Tea Company, notes the favorability of timing. “People want to support local; we are in the right place, at the right time, with the right idea.”

LOCAL BLEND: Chamomile and lavender from western North Carolina make up this herbal tisane from Asheville Tea Company.

Wibel started making tea from local ingredients in 2014. The feedback was so positive that Wibel rented space in a commercial kitchen and started production of small-batch blends like Harvest Apple, Homestead Peach, Pacific Coast Lavender, and Old Town Licorice, and began selling them at farmers markets around Spokane, Washington.

“Sales beat all expectations,” Wibel recalls. “I started getting more wholesale orders and things grew from there.”

To fill orders from Washington coffee shops like Batch Bakeshop, Coeur Coffeehouse, and Atticus, Wibel needed to expand production. She launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 with a goal of raising $13,450 to build a commercial kitchen. Backers loved the concept and provided more than $30,000 in support during the thirty-day campaign.

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PH OTO BY AUBRIE SHRAM KO

A MOVEMENT IN THE MAKING

While Wibel continued selling at local farmers markets, the crowdfunding campaign allowed her to expand from seven to fourteen original blends.

Today, Winterwoods Tea Company teas are sold in more than 100 gift shops, coffee shops, and health food stores across the country. Despite the growth, Wibel remained committed to producing gourmet tea blends from local and organic ingredients.

“One of the biggest benefits of local tea, aside from the flavor, is that it supports local businesses and communities,” Wibel says. “You don’t get that from generic teas from far away.”

It takes about five years for Camellia sinensis to mature, which means farms like the Great Mississippi Tea Company, Teafarm, and Table Rock Tea Company that started growing the niche crop after 2012 are not harvesting enough tea to meet the demand for local teas.

GETTING FROM FARM TO TEACUP For North American tea drinkers, local flavors have historically been hard to come by. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, is native to Asia, where most production still occurs.

There are about sixty tea farms in the US and Canada, according to the US League of Tea Growers. It takes about five years for Camellia sinensis to mature, which means farms like the Great Mississippi Tea Company, Teafarm, and Table Rock Tea Company that started growing the niche crop after 2012 are not harvesting enough tea to meet the demand for local teas.

All of the small-batch teas from Winterwoods Tea Company are made with fair trade organic tea leaves imported from India; Asheville Tea Company uses tea leaves from Kenya in its blends. Dean also uses Yaupon, a tea-like plant native to North America that grows in abundance in North Carolina, for blends like Lemon Yaupon and Elderberry Yaupon. Both plan to source domestically as soon as Camellia sinensis is widely available in the United States.

A commitment to local ingredients led Jonathan Gardner to plant yaupon and bamboo leaf tea on his six-acre Tuscaloosa, Alabama, farm in 2016.

Gardner, the owner of Tea Town Alabama, plans to use the mature crop to make local teas like Hibiscus Bliss, Spring Mint, and Lemon Ginger.

“When we started [in 2014], we were buying ingredients from local farmers,” Gardner recalls. “We want to grow as much as we can and have a goal to produce 80 percent of the ingredients we use in our teas.”

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RIGHT ON, YAUPON: North America’s only native tealike plant, yaupon, is blended with blackberry leaf, elderberry, hibiscus, roselle, and rose hips and petals.

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ingredients that can be reliably locally sourced in abundance—as well as rotating seasonal blends featuring spices, herbs, and fruits that are more scarce.

“There are an incredible number of farms around Asheville growing amazing organic herbs and I want to work with more of them to get what I need,” Dean says.

To connect with farmers who would be open to working with a start-up, Dean reached out to the local extension office and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, a nonprofit that links farmers with markets for their products.

Wibel has also prioritized developing relationships with local farmers, but admits she was met with some skepticism when she started

sourcing ingredients for Winterwoods Tea Company.

“Their reaction was, ‘You want to use our apples in tea?’” she recalls.

“Now we’re one of their unique customers, and farmers appreciate that we’re doing something different with their products.”

A PROCESS STEEPED IN TRIAL AND ERROR Connecting with farmers to access local ingredients was just one step in a complex process to develop fresh loose leaf tea blends.

“You have to figure out what to do with the ingredients, how to blend multiple herbs or spices, and understand how to incorporate them to have the right influence on the flavor,” Wibel says.

P HOTO BY AUBRIE SHRA MKO

Gardner has planted dozens of varieties of herbs; he’ll continue partnering with local producers to source fresh fruits like peaches and apples that take longer to grow.

The do-it-yourself approach to sourcing ingredients makes sense to Dean.

“I’m dedicated to sourcing locally but the biggest challenge [of using local spices, fruits, and herbs] is cost and availability,” she says.

One of the first Asheville Tea Company blends, G & Tea, was so popular that Dean couldn’t source enough lime basil to keep up with demand. It is now only offered seasonally.

The experience forced Dean to rethink her blends. She now offers six primary blends, including Elderberry Yaupon, Wild Earl, and Echinacea and Elderflower—all made with

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lime peel and juniper to create the gin and tonic–inspired G & Tea. Although popular tea blends were created from the unexpected ingredients, Dean

BREWING FOR THE MASSES A trial-and-error process can also be a requisite step to find venues to sell local teas.

We’re not just standing behind the bar selling tea; it takes a lot more work to explain to people what we do and why it matters. admits that not all of her recipes turned out to be successful: countless attempts to make chocolate Earl Grey tea were disastrous.

“There was a lot of experimentation and plenty of teas that were poured down the sink,” she says.

When Gardner introduced the Tea Town mobile truck in 2014, he thought the brand would be a hit with local fans attending University of Alabama football games. But it was hard to convince fans to choose local tea over cold beer, and the price points—

P HOTO S C OURTESY OF TEA TOWN

Local ingredients might not work in traditional tea recipes; some ingredients, like cloves, are not grown in the United States, which forces teamakers to decide whether to bend the “all local” rules or forgo popular brews because there are no domestic suppliers for certain ingredients.

For Dean, local ingredient availability drove the creative process.

Her original ideas for tea blends were scrapped in favor of incorporating (often unusual) bounty from local farmers.

“There were some things like pineapple sage flower and lime basil that I didn’t know existed before I started working with local farmers,” she explains. “I knew nothing about their flavors or how they would work with tea.”

Dean blended pineapple sage flower with yaupon and wintergreen mint for a seasonal blend called Happy Holly Days and incorporated lime basil with

TEA TOWN started as a mobile tea truck (opposite page) and opened a brick-andmortar location in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2016.

which ranged from three to four dollars per cup—proved too expensive for the crowd. Sales were lackluster.

Instead of returning to the stadium, Gardner focused on farmers markets and art festivals in larger cities like Birmingham and Montgomery.

“We have to travel, to go where people are more aware of what goes into producing tea made from local ingredients and willing to pay for our products,” Gardner explains. “We’re not just standing behind the bar selling tea; it takes a lot more work to explain to people what we do and why it matters.”

Since introducing local teas in 2014, Tea Town has expanded from a mobile “tea truck” parked at farmers markets to a brick-andmortar tea shop. The Tuscaloosa café opened in 2016. In addition to piping hot teapots steeping two signature brews, Tea Town sells single

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TEA TO GO: Jonathan and Becca Gardner in their mobile tea truck. Local ingredients make up Tea Town’s signature Elixirs (bottom right).

tea bags to steep in to-go cups as well as loose leaf teas.

Tea Town shares space with a bakery, giving Gardner access to a commercial kitchen to experiment with new blends. As the thirst for local tea grows, so does the demand for new flavors.

tea infused with maple extract and organic bee pollen; Mount Hood Hops, a combination of hops, chamomile, dried pears, and vanilla; and Smoke + Juniper, a blend of black lapsang souchong tea smoked over spruce wood. The thirty-day campaign attracted 669 backers who contributed

Tea Town shares space with a bakery, giving Gardner access to a commercial

Wibel launched a second Kickstarter campaign in 2016, hoping to raise $2,500 to introduce four new Pacific Northwest blends: Wildwood Cedar made with wild cedar tips, peppermint, and cinnamon bark; Bee Wrangler made from fair trade Ceylon

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more than $25,000—ten times the original goal.

“The idea of farm-to-teacup really resonated with people,” Wibel says.

“Now that we’re out there, people are coming back over and over again to order. The demand keeps growing.” FC

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kitchen to experiment with new blends.

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P HOTO C OUR TESY OF TOBY’S ESTATE

SMELLS GOOD: Cupping at the Toby’s Estate Brew School in Brooklyn, New York.

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We want students to leave with the feeling that brewing coffee can be a deeply satisfying ritual rather than a cumbersome chore. a platform to discuss various coffees with staff as they taste.

Counter Culture developed courses catering to coffee consumers in response to growing demand from home baristas. In the past, the public could join coffee pros in the same training classes, but the mix of enthusiasts and professionals just didn’t work. Wholesale clients had difficulty getting into classes, and it was clear that most home baristas didn’t have

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TASTINGS AT TEN: Counter Culture holds public tastings on Fridays.

the same learning needs as professionals, or those with professionalgrade equipment in their homes.

“When you have a class that is 90 percent professional and 10 percent home barista, or just an interested coffee enthusiast, it can be challenging to divide between those two audiences,” says Lydia Iannetti, consumer education and outreach manager.

The solution was to create Brewing Basics, which uses home kitchen-level equipment and teaches applicable content. Customers interested in an in-depth learning experience can take part in the two-hour Brewing Basics class, where students learn to use the Bonmac Pro Cone and delve into extraction basics. They walk away with the brewer, filters, and a coupon for Counter Culture’s online store. The class is offered one to three times per quarter at each training center, and it’s designed for six to ten participants.

“For consumers, we wanted to offer in-person learning experiences but go

beyond what we do every Friday. We wanted them to have an opportunity to actually learn from our instructors and get the hands-on experience with us,” Iannetti says.

Why go to the extra effort to provide public education at all?

“We don’t have a coffee shop that is a branded Counter Culture coffee shop. This is really our opportunity to reach the end-consumer in a way that we don’t otherwise have,” Iannetti says. “We wanted to be a part of the community where we were selling wholesale. We wanted to provide a dedicated space for learning for our wholesale customers but we also wanted to have a place that the public could come and learn about who we are, what we do, and what makes us different.”

BOOSTING STUDENTS’ BREWING CONFIDENCE For companies with brick-andmortar cafés, offering educational seminars can help staff reach cus-

PH OTO C OURTESY O F C O UNTER C ULTURE C O FFEE

t Counter Culture Coffee, education is an integral part of business. The Durham, North Carolina– based company has wholesale partners across the country, but no cafés of their own; providing resources to ensure proper brewing by clients and customers is critical to their growth and success.

The company’s Counter Intelligence Professional Development series caters to clients and staff, but they wanted an educational offering for curious customers, too. To reach casual coffee enthusiasts, the company began opening their training centers to the public.

For several years, Counter Culture has hosted coffee tastings open to the public every Friday morning at its eleven regional training centers.

These cuppings, dubbed “Tastings at Ten,” provide an opportunity for outreach, consumer education, and product storytelling. Attendees learn more about coffee origins and have

TOBY’S ESTATE teaches one-on-one and small group classes.

The 101-level Home Brew Methods class attracts students (often couples) interested in stepping up their morning routine. The class includes an overview of three manual brewing methods the student would like to learn, with a goal to demystify the process of using manual equipment and accessories.

“We want students to leave with the feeling that brewing coffee can be a deeply satisfying ritual rather than a cumbersome chore,” says coffee educator Allie Caran.

PH OTO C OURTESY O F TO BY’S ESTATE

tomers on a more personal level— and provide an opportunity for staff and customers to connect over a shared love of coffee.

Toby’s Estate teaches one-on-one and small group classes in its Brew School in Brooklyn, New York, and Brew Parlor in Manhattan’s West Village. The classes—which include cupping, latte art, and espresso foundations—are open to all, with most students falling into the “non-professional coffee enthusiast” category.

Boosting students’ brewing confidence also includes helping them find methods that best fit their lifestyles, troubleshooting brewing issues, demonstrating how accessories like a gram scale can simplify their morning routine, and even assessing which coffee flavors they personally prefer.

The customized classes allow for individualized attention. “While the general outline of coffee theory remains the same, one-on-one classes allow us to customize these ideas and apply them to each person’s equipment, interests, and preferences while allowing for the most hands-on learning time possible,” Caran says.

The Brew School has an engaged customer base and plenty of repeat students, but building that audience was a process of trial and error over the last four years. “Most of the difficulties happened on the logistical side.

We hadn’t established a set schedule.

I think that being structure-less really created a problem,” Caran says. “It was very slow in the beginning. We struggled getting people to sign up.”

To help fill classes, Toby’s Estate created postcards announcing upcoming classes and placed them in prominent displays in their cafés. They also trained staff to talk about the classes with customers, and reconfigured the back-end of the website to simplify registration. Having dedicated space for classes was also an important factor in the training program’s success.

Toby’s Estate has also invested significant resources to make their

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COMMONPLACE COFFEE hosts Open Lab, a free weekly cupping.

programs successful; their staff includes four full-time educators. “We don’t take people off of our bar. At the end of the day, when it comes to public education, you need people who love to teach coffee. They’re not just great at it but they literally feel inspired to teach it,” Caran says.

because the lab space is physically small and often chaotic with a stream of brewery patrons—they no longer try to hold fee-based public classes there. Instead, the company hosts Open Lab, a free weekly cupping that also serves as a free-form open house for tastings and coffee talk.

For example, one Open Lab faithful roasts coffee on his Huky at home and occasionally brings his samples in for cupping. “He’s able to cup and compare his coffees to our coffees and he talks about his roast profiles. He’s really picked up a lot of information,” Oddo says. Another customer brought

OPEN FOR CURIOSITY

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With the right space, available staff, and time, teaching coffee enthusiasts is a nice offering, but it’s certainly not a necessity for doing business.

“Open Lab exists for the sort of rare people who are really excited about coffee. They come, and they usually come with their own ideas.

That’s what I really like,” says Nick Oddo, Commonplace’s director of engagement.

the fruits of his coffee experiment— green coffee that he’s fermented, re-dried, and roasted in a popcorn roaster. “We cupped that coffee. That was super interesting. The people who showed up that day were really just blown away by it,” Oddo says.

P HOTO CO URTESY O F CO M MO NPLAC E C OFFEE

One of the major challenges—and often limiting factors—of hosting public cuppings and other seminars is space availability. It’s difficult to fit people into cramped quarters, and occupying too much space may compete with retail business.

Commonplace Coffee has six cafés in Pennsylvania—four in Pittsburgh and two in the city of Indiana. Their roastery is colocated inside a local brewery.

On the brewery’s first floor is the lab space where Commonplace staff cup coffee and hold small trainings with wholesale clients and retail staff.

Because they’re renting space and have limited after-hours access—and

P HOTO CO URTESY O F CO UNT ER CULTURE C O FFEE

ESPRESSO WORKSHOP at Counter Culture’s NYC training center.

In addition to home baristas, Oddo says people interested in becoming Commonplace wholesale clients can come to the lab space for a demo or tasting and ask questions. “We look at Open Lab as a service for people who are just curious, whether they want to make better coffee at home or they’re interested in opening up a coffee shop,” he says.

With the right space, available staff, and time, teaching coffee enthusiasts is a nice offering, but it’s certainly not a necessity for doing business.

“What does public education mean?” Oddo asks, considering the answer. “I’m not really sure, but I do know that coffee and talking to people, that’s what coffee is.”

The conversations, experimenting, and learning all enrich the Commonplace experience—for customers and employees alike.

“You want to have a space where curiosity can thrive,” Oddo says. “That’s why I like Open Lab. If you want to spend five minutes there, that’s OK.”

BUILDING THE CUSTOMER BASE Public education offerings can also be a way to grow business in communities that are just engaging with specialty coffee, allowing staff, prospective customers—even future employees—to grow their understanding of brewing practices.

Lamplighter Coffee Roasters found a slew of benefits to hosting public education programs in Richmond, Virginia, a market relatively untapped in terms of third-wave coffee businesses.

“We’re educating our customers and we’re building our customer base. The more people who come and learn more, the more it piques their interest and it makes them appreciate what we’re doing on a deeper level,” says Noelle Archibald, co-owner and coffee director of Lamplighter.

Revenue from the home barista classes also subsidizes the free training offered to wholesale clients and Lamplighter staff.

Like Counter Culture, Lamplighter originally tried comingling the classes but later decided to separate the learning tracks. “We were trying to make it so that a class is a class is a class and whoever is taking it is getting the same education, but what we found is that the needs of our staff, our clients, and the general public are sometimes really different,” Archibald says.

Running three cafés, a roastery, and a professional training program makes it difficult to find time and space to offer classes. Lamplighter rolled back their offerings for a time, but this year, they’re looking to rev those back up with some revisions.

They’ll offer a new public class, which will be a synthesized version of the wholesale client and staff trainings that includes lessons on espresso extraction, milk preparation, and workflow. Instead of three four-hour classes, non-professionals can attend a single four-hour class.

That’s not to say that all non-professionals are just tinkering, though.

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“Typically people from the general public taking this class are people who want to open their own coffee shop one day,” Archibald says. “They want to get professional training or they’re moving to San Francisco and they want to work in coffee. Sometimes it’s because they want to get a job with us but they don’t have prior experience.” She adds that some students work at other local shops where training isn’t available. “It’s people going out on their own and paying because they have a sense of pride in what they’re doing.”

ADDRESSING CHALLENGES Having skilled educators who understand the appropriate level of information for non-professionals, determining when to hold the classes and who should be in them, and dedicating space are all impor-

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March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

tant considerations for a public education program.

Classes should also facilitate business growth and expansion, instead of creating financial hardship. When it comes to pricing and frequency of course offerings, determine what the time is worth. From staff time to the cost of keeping the café open for a small group, it’s critical to choose a price point that will make sense for the company’s overall business goals.

Hours required for marketing and promotion also should be taken into consideration—and the reality that time spent on these programs can cut into training for wholesale clients or your own staff.

It’s also important to remember that coffee enthusiasts are just that—people who feel really passionate about coffee.

Create a special experience for them that’s both educational and challenging.

“Don’t underestimate a coffee lover’s desire to learn,” says Counter Culture’s Iannetti. “Your audience is sophisticated and curious. They’re interested in learning from you because they appreciate your coffee or your service, and respect you and want to learn more.”

If you’re ready to dive into a public education program, stay flexible and be willing to readjust. Focus on your mission and use public classes as a real opportunity for education.

Caran, of Toby’s Estate, advises focusing on intentions. “If your intention is to make coffee magical and make coffee interesting, stick with it.

And be prepared to stick with it for a long time, diligently,” she says. “You might have a public cupping that you offer once a week and nobody shows up for months. As frustrating as that can be, just keep doing it. Just don’t give up. It takes a while.” FC

P HOTO C OURTESY OF C OUNTER C ULTUR E CO FFEE

WHOLESALE TRAINING at Counter Culture’s Los Angeles training center.

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Counter INTELLIGENCE

IT’S ELEKTRA-FYING The Elektra, OGGI’s latest sports bottle, is vacuum-sealed and double-walled to keep liquids hot for up to twenty-four hours and cold for twelve. The threaded lid keeps this sleek tumbler sealed airtight, and the stainless-steel design comes in four colors. BPA-free and non-toxic, the Elektra is also safe for consumers and the environment—so hot or cold beverages can be enjoyed completely worry free. oggi.co

CHAI-FIVE, DUDE!

BITE INTO THIS

Containers of chai concentrate

Need an energy-boosting

can be costly to ship, take up

snack you can easily fit in

valuable shelf space in your

your purse, bag, or desk

café, and have a short shelf-

drawer for a midday pick-

life once opened. Two Leaves

me-up? Say hello to Compete Energy Bites. These

and a Bud has a solution: House Brewed Organic

conveniently sized bites come packed with 135 mil-

Chai Tea, offered in a Big Tea Bag. The simple, one-

ligrams of caffeine—as much as a twelve-ounce

ounce Big Tea Bags are used to fresh-brew a 1:1

coffee—and are available in both chocolate and mo-

concentrate, or “strong-brew” house-made hot or

cha flavors. Choose from convenient, two- and six-

iced chai tea beverages. Make up to eighty drinks

count packaging options for on-the-go snacking.

with a case of twenty-four Big Tea Bags, saving mon-

competenrg.com

ey and shelf space. twoleavestea.com

PANELS CAN BE SO TOUCHY

76

WELCOME TO DEUTSCHLAND

Embedded touch panels for use

La Marzocco is set to open its

in cafés and restaurants need

ninth office branch later this

to be manufactured to with-

spring: La Marzocco Deutsch-

stand whatever is thrown their

land. The ninety-year-old Ital-

way—water, steam, and temperature fluctuations

ian espresso machine manu-

are just a few considerations. Garz & Fricke now of-

facturer is taking its operation to Germany—for the

fers a sturdy, new, all-in-one touch panel display for

first time. La Marzocco Deutschland will distribute

North American beverage equipment manufacturers,

espresso machines and parts throughout Germany,

in partnership with Dispensing Components. These

and a nearby showroom will be launched to further

panels are plug-and-play, too, so installation is a

connect with the country’s growing coffee community.

breeze. go2cdi.com

lamarzocco.com

March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

» People & Products «

DON’T PUT THIS FIRE OUT Fire Department Coffee was founded by firefighters on a mission to make the easiest drinking coffee for our nation’s hardworking men and women. Ground and whole bean coffees are available in Original, Dark Roast, and Bourbon-Infused blends, with a discounted rate for monthly subscribers. Fire Department Coffee offers 15 percent off every order for military members and first responders, and donates a portion of all sales to military and fire service-related charities. firedeptcoffee.com

THE YEAR OF YERBA MATE

GRASS IS IN SESSION

UK-based Yuyo Drinks is de-

Wheatgrass shots have long

claring 2017 the year of yerba

maintained

mate, and it’s starting to catch

Nutriblade has changed the

popularity,

but

on. Derived from holly tree

game with its wheatgrass-

leaves, yerba mate isn’t direct-

based drink. Available in twelve-ounce bottles, Nu-

ly related to tea or coffee but contains ample caffeine,

triblade delivers all the benefits of a wheatgrass

as well as theobromine—the “feel-good” compound

shot with the satisfaction of a full-sized beverage.

found in cacao. Yuyo offers four distinct flavors of yer-

Choose your favorite flavor from Original, Wild Blue-

ba mate to try, delicious when brewed either cold or

berry, Tart Cherry, and Sweet Pear, and get started

hot. yuyo.co.uk

downing the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in Nutriblade. nutriblade.com

GOTHAM NEEDS COFFEE

I’M BE-CIDER MYSELF

Gotham Coffee Roasters is Man-

Juice-making

hattan’s latest coffee bar, tucked

is partnering with Two Rivers

away

in

the

Flatiron

giant

Welch’s

district.

Coffee to release a line of sin-

Longtime industry veteran Chris

gle-serve fruit ciders. The new

Calkins—who runs Prodigy Cof-

ciders, containing only eighty calories per serving

fee in Manhattan’s West Village—

and a full day’s supply of vitamin C, come in a va-

opened Gotham Coffee Roasters in

riety of flavors and offer a hot-beverage alternative

January. He’ll be rotating a personally curated se-

to coffee, tea, and cocoa. Watch for them to hit store

lection of single-origin coffees, roasted at Brooklyn’s

shelves this spring. tworiversco.com

Pulley Collective, while offering custom-roasting for wholesale customers. gothamroasters.com

Fresh Cup Magazine « freshcup.com

77

FC

Trade Show & Events CALENDAR MARCH

MARCH

MARCH 2-4 RUSSIAN COFFEE & TEA INDUSTRY EVENT (RUCTIE) Moscow, Russia unitedcoffeetea.ru/en

MARCH 10-12 AMSTERDAM COFFEE FESTIVAL Amsterdam, Netherlands amsterdamcoffeefestival.com

MARCH 2-4 CAFE ASIA & ICY INDUSTRY EXPO Marina Bay, Singapore www.cafeasia.com.sg

MARCH 17-19 COFFEE FEST Nashville, Tennessee coffeefest.com

MARCH 18-19 COFFEE & TEA FESTIVAL NYC Brooklyn, New York coffeeandteafestival.com MARCH 3-5 INDIA INTERNATIONAL TEA & COFFEE EXPO Kolkata, India teacoffeeexpo.in MARCH 23-25 NCA ANNUAL CONVENTION Austin, Texas ncausa.org

MARCH 5-7 INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANT & FOODSERVICE SHOW New York, New York internationalrestaurantny.com

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March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

MARCH 25-26 SOUTHWEST COFFEE & CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Albuquerque, New Mexico chocolateandcoffeefest.com

» 2017 Coffee & Tea Trade Shows, Classes & Competitions « MARCH

APRIL

MARCH 30-APRIL 1 MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COFFEE EXPO (MICE) Melbourne, Australia internationalcoffeeexpo.com.au

APRIL 20-23 GLOBAL SPECIALTY COFFEE EXPO Seattle, Washington coffeeexpo.org

APRIL

APRIL 1-2 HOUSTON TEA FESTIVAL Houston, Texas houstonteafestival.com

APRIL 6-9 LONDON COFFEE FESTIVAL London, United Kingdom londoncoffeefestival.com

APRIL 21-23 US COFFEE CHAMPIONSHIPS Seattle, Washington uscoffeechampionships.org

APRIL 23-24 NORTHWEST FOODSERVICE SHOW Portland, Oregon nwfoodserviceshow.com

APRIL 6-9 COFFEE EXPO SEOUL Seoul, Korea coffeeexposeoul.com

APRIL 19-20 RE;CO/SPECIALTY COFFEE SYMPOSIUM Seattle, Washington recosymposium.org

Fresh Cup Magazine « freshcup.com

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80

ADVERTISER Index Go to freshcup.com/resources/fresh-cup-advertisers to view the Advertiser Index and the websites listed below.

ADVERTISER

CONTACT

ONLINE

American Barista & Coffee School

800.655.3955

coffeebusiness.com

Art of Tea

213.493.6518

wholesale.artoftea.com

21, 75

Barista Pro Shop

866.776.5288

baristaproshop.com/ad/fresh

43, 55

Brewista

888.538.8683

mybrewista.com

51

The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show

877.687.7321

coffeeteashow.ca

81

Cappuccine

800.511.3127

cappuccine.net

The Chai Co.

888.922.2424

chaico.com

Coffee Fest

425.295.3300

coffeefest.com

Coffee Holding Co.

800.458.2233

coffeeholding.com

63

Custom Cup Sleeves

888-672-4096

customcupsleeves.com

75

Descamex

844.472.8429

descamex.com

25

Ditting

810.367.7125

ditting.com

49

Divinitea

518.347.0689

divinitea.com

75

Eco-Prima Tea

877.ECO.TEAS (326.8327)

ecoprimatea.com

50

Franke/BKON

info@bkonbrew.com

bkonbrew.com

53

Fresh Cup Magazine

503.236.2587

freshcup.com

67

Gosh That’s Good! Brand

888.848.GOSH (4674)

goshthatsgood.com

5

Grandstand Glassware + Apparel

800.767.8951

egrandstand.com/coffee

2

Holy Kakow

503.484.8316

holykakow.com

11

Java Jacket

800.208.4128

javajacket.com

59

Klean Kanteen

800.767.3173

kleankanteen.com

51

Lizzy’s Fresh Coffee

208.806.0212

lizzysfreshcoffee.com

50

Malabar Gold Espresso

650.366.5453

malabargoldespresso.com

19

Melbourne International Coffee Expo

61.3.9690.8766

internationalcoffeeexpo.com

65

March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

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7 13 6, 59

FC

82

ADVERTISER Index (cont.)

Go to freshcup.com/resources/fresh-cup-advertisers to view the Advertiser Index and the websites listed below.

ADVERTISER

CONTACT

ONLINE

Milkadamia

630.861.2102

milkadamia.com

Monin Gourmet Flavorings

855.FLAVOR1 (352.8671)

monin.com

Promac

844.776.6221

promac-usa.com

60

PumpSkins

877.994.4600

pumpskins.com

55

Routin 1883

800.467.7142

1883.com

SelbySoft

800.454.4434

selbysoft.com

11

SerendipiTea

888.TEA.LIFE (832.5433)

serendipitea.com

75

Service Ideas

800.328.4493

serviceideas.com

61

Smartfruit

800.801.7330

drinksmartfruit.com

15

Sonofresco

360.757.2800

sonofresco.com

45

StixToGo

800.666.6655

royalpaper.com

4

TEA House Times , The

973.551.9161

theteahousetimes.com

79

TeaSource

855.320.4832

teasource.com

45

Theta Ridge Coffee

800.745.8738

thetaridgecoffee.com

75

Toddy

888.863.3974

toddycafe.com

43

Two Leaves and a Bud

866.528.0832

twoleavestea.com/hbc

42

Vega Mfg.

800.224.8342

vegacases.com

61

Vessel Drinkware

855.883.7735

vesseldrinkware.com

63

Vio by WinCup

800.292.2877

viofoam.com

Walker Coffee Trading

713.780.7050

walkercoffee.com

71

World of Coffee, Budapest 2017

353(0)1.846.0020

worldofcoffee-budapest.com

48

World Tea Expo

866.458.4935

worldteaexpo.com

54

Your Brand Café

866.566.0390

yourbrandcafe.com

14

Zojirushi America

800.264.6270

zojirushi.com

March 2017 » Fresh Cup Magazine

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