Thoughts on SCAA 2011

I'm back from the SCAA, and for Yiching and me, it was a short Friday to Sunday trip.

Much thanks to Jay Caragay for thinking of me when he came up with this presentation. I thought it went well, although I would have loved more feedback from the audience, particularly directed to any of the specifics each of us focused on.

Things I think:

There is too much fear and complacency in the coffee industry.

V60, or any pourover. should not be done by untrained barista. Clearly evident in many of the offerings at the show.

Tracy Allen is a coffee professional's professional.

Strada: A journey in hype?

Note to Exhibitors: It would help to have people working the booth who actually know the product.

Baratza has an exceptional new grinder.

A properly made pourover tastes great! Too bad I only found one.

James Hoffman always looks taller in person.

There needs to be a separation between the "Specialty Coffee" and "Coffee is Special" crowds.

Brewer's Cup needs a huge overhaul. Coffee first is the right direction, but breathe some life into it.

Didn't see his performance this year, but it doesn't matter, Pete Licata goes above and beyond. Great win. Fantastic representative.

Houston is an incredibly polite and friendly city.

Purple dinosaurs and customer etiquette

Barney almost has it right when it comes to understanding the relationship between a small shop owner
and their customers.

I love you You love me
We're a happy family
With a great big hug
and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too

He's got it right...

if you live in a land where sun shines out of your ass, and puppy dogs and rainbows are a daily sight.

We love our customers, but as a small business it's about establishing an understanding of how what we do means something to our customers, and what our customers' support means to us. All of our customers who come to spend time inside our shop always buy a drink. It's understood. But for those who are new, we need to quickly establish expectations.

customer: The word derives from "custom," meaning "habit"; a customer was someone who frequented a particular shop, who made it a habit to purchase goods of the sort the shop sold there rather than elsewhere, and with whom the shopkeeper had to maintain a relationship to keep his or her "custom," meaning expected purchases in the future. (http://www.dictionary30.com/meaning/Customer)

Both Yiching and I grew up in a culture where it's understood that when you go into an establishment and take a seat, be it a cafe, coffee shop, bar or restaurant, you order. It's called "customer etiquette", which is something that many people seem to have forgotten. People come in, they want to enjoy the space, the warmth or the cool air, the music, and the people, but they seem to have forgotten the reason for being there-- enjoying a drink AND all of those other things.

All of our tables have a little sign:



And on the back it reads:

"Yiching and I give all our daily energy
to operate caffe d'bolla.

Our passion is in every drink we make for you.
It's the soul of what we do.

Therefore, one cup minimum is all we ask.

Every cup represents an understanding
between you and us
of love for something exceptional
and this is what supports caffe d'bolla.

Please enjoy every sip.

Thank You."

We've had this policy for years, but found it most effective if customers can read and understand rather than having to tell them. Making this policy clear has done several things: It creates a better caliber of customer all around, it shows current customers how important their support is to us, and it lets newcomers know we take what we do very seriously. And it virtually eliminates any bad customers.
We've had a positive response from our customers. There are those few who don't get it, but there's a place for them... it's called 7-11.

So to our customers we say,
"Thank You!"

The importance of cup shape and design

I have been thinking about demitasse cup shape lately. You see, most cups are about the same, whether it's the nova point moka brown ones or the IPO white cups and even the tulip shaped cups really fall into the same category. But I have one demitasse in my collection, a small brown cup from Germany, that, hands down, is the best demitasse for espresso I have used.

One of the key questions I have asked myself when looking to get the best out of a cup of coffee or espresso is: How do we capture and transmit the essential aromatics? As many know, it's the aromatics that are the most important factor in determining the flavor of the coffee. All things being equal, the better the presentation of the aromatics for the particular beverage, the more dynamic and richer flavor experience for the consumer.

That being said, the typical demitasse has an opening diameter of 2 1/16" to 2 1/4" and a height of about 1 7/8 to 2". This particular demitasse has in opening diameter of 2 1/2" and a height of 1 3/8". This wider opening, shorter and less tapered design creates more surface area for the crema and allows your nose to hit closer to the center of the cup rather than the edge. This essentially surrounds your nose with aromatics. Also, the way the flavors present themselves in the cup seem somehow more pronounced, beyond what the aromatics should provide. My theory is that the dispersion and layering of the espresso is different enough that it results in enough separation for greater clarity without losing balance.

While it's certainly not enough for a scientific trial, I've had about thirty shots of espresso to compare (60 total) on roughly 12 different espresso - both blends and SO, and I've pulled about eight shots for our best customer who gets espresso daily. The first time I made an espresso for him in this demitasse, I didn't say anything, and all he could say was "Wow!" to the same espresso he had earlier in the day, but in our normal demitasse. Every time we each remark at how good it tastes.

When it comes to the siphon, cup shape certainly matters to us. Now the best shape when it comes to the aromatics of the coffee, is actually a Champagne flute.. but at about 4-5 oz, expensive, and a general pain in the ass to keep spotless... it's not the most practical delivery system.

We therefore specifically use tapered or tulip shaped Japanese bone china, and a few German as well (for some reason, the handles on many of the German cups are oddly small). The cups are usually 7-8oz, but sometimes five. Larger doesn't make any sense at all. It's the same reason why you don't serve wine in a one liter boot or hefty stein. And the shape maintains the best aromatics out of the useable drinking vessels. A smaller cup with a smaller diameter also works well too. The nose isn't as pronounced in the beginning, but it will maintain a balanced clarity throughout.

One of the most important aspects of choosing the right cup, is raising the level of the coffee experience for the customer. To make coffee by the cup, and serve it in a paper cup is insane (and not the good kind!) . Or to serve it in the same ceramic you use for everything else really doesn't convey the specialty of what the customer is about to consume. How can we expect a customer to understand what they are receiving if we treat it the same as every other cup. And if EVERY cup is special, then treat every cup that way. Find the best way to prepare, and the best vessel to serve in, and in doing so you honor the coffee, the customer, and your business.

Quality vs. Speed

The question was asked:

When there is a surge of customers, do you hurry through the drinks, sacrificing quality for speed, or do you expect your customers to understand that it takes a couple of minutes to produce good lattes, and even more time when there's seven of them?

John Says...

Strive for perfection in every drink; it will show, and your customers will wait. On busy days, customers will stand in line for ten minutes just to have a shot of espresso. This need for waiting a long time is rare, but from time to time it happens. If you establish the quality of your product with every drink, including dumping bad shots during a mad rush, I really don't see it as an issue. What I do see is a golden opportunity to educate your customers on your commitment to serve each of them the best drink possible.

Regarding Selling Whole Bean vs Pre-Ground

The question was asked...

When selling coffee, does it help to know which of your customers grind?

John Says...

Coffee should always be sold fresh-roasted, and whole bean. Quality is not an inconvenience. Quality=Caring.

If you educate on the pros of fresh ground and the cons of pre-ground coffee, offer grinder suggestions, or sell grinders yourself, that is often a good solution. But, in my opinion, if you grind *only* in order to make the sale, you are missing the point. The owner that doesn't care about how the coffee reaches the customer doesn't care about the customer; they only care about making the sale. And that is sad.

I'm certain some owners may see that as too hard core, but if you care, your customers will care, and follow suit. Does it eliminate a portion of possible sales? Yes. But it's these kinds of principles that will open doors to a whole new array of wonderful customers.

The Question was posed:

"What is Specialty Coffee?"

John Says...

Although great strides have been made in the industry, the sad fact is the term "Specialty Coffee" has lost its meaning, and 'Artisan Coffee' is nearing the same state. When Specialty Coffee started, many think of Starbucks and Peets as the forerunners. Others think of what George Howell did in Boston in the 70's and 80's the true forerunner to 'Specialty Coffee'.

Is Specialty Coffee the Starbucks model?
Is it about focus on blended, syrupy, gimmicky, profit first drinks? Is it about being a cool "coffee shop"? Is it about the 'Third Place' or is it about the coffee at the 'Third Place'?

Or is Specialty Coffee something more? Is it about craftsmanship, about elevating coffee to a new level? Is it about understanding the bean, how the various flavor elements found in different varietals can be combined together in a grand symphony of flavors? Is it about truly understanding why we fresh grind, dose a particular amount, distribute uniformly and tamp uniformly? Is it about CoE coffees, and Is it about "coffee as a culinary experience?" Is it about customers' smiles coming from what's in the cup, rather than what the barista are wearing?

Whatever the term has become, "Specialty Coffee" should truly be about Special Coffee!

I think there should be a definite distinction between the average "coffee shop" and "Specialty Coffee". Specialty Coffee should not be about frappaccino type drinks, 32 ounce lattes, or the latest copycat Starbucks drinks. Specialty Coffee does not need gimmicks such as sexy barista, funky furniture, Organic jalapeno lattes, double punch Tuesdays, BOGO coupons, balloon animals, etc.

Specialty Coffee should be about what the 'average' coffee shop looks to for inspiration. As an industry do you want to be a host of Starbucks wannabees competing on who can create the tallest whipped cream on their banana caramel double fudge (half-caf)latte? Or do you want to be something that both proprietors of old and new can aspire to be? Specialty coffee should not pretentious or exclusionary. Excellence welcomes all who care to champion the quality cause and wield her cup. Specialty Coffee should mean something other than a fancy catch-phrase. Specialty Coffee should be about raising the bar. And if this is so, why do so many aspire to be average, or fail to even see the where the bar has been raised?

All of us barista, shop owners, roasters, and coffee enthusiasts should be leading the industry to the best of our ability, helping it progress, and living up to the embodiment of what Specialty Coffee can be.

On Brewing Into the Cup

The Question was asked by George:

Q: While reading and learning, I've ran across statements that indicate the quality of the shot is better if brewed directly into the serving cup. So my question is, how many of you brew into the serving cup, shot glass, or brewing pitcher. Does any of the three have advantages over the other?

John Says..

I believe it's a must. I wouldn't frequent a place that as a practice brews into shot glasses and transfers. To me, it shows a lack of understanding of espresso. The essence of espresso--the body/flavor/mouthfeel, etc. all result from having proper crema.

If you transfer, there is too much loss of crema. This results in a significant loss in taste and body, as well as makes it more difficult to do proper latte art.
Even with the gallons of milk some shops like to shove into their drinks, it makes a HUGE difference. These are still espresso based drinks, and if the base is not perfect, it will resonate throughout the drink.

Secondly, it's an unnecessary step. Why brew and transfer?
More dishes to wash (I hate washing MORE dishes!!), and you lose a good portion of the thing (espresso) you just went to the trouble to make. What is AWFUL is those who do decide to use this method, who reuse the same shot glasses instead of grabbing fresh ones for every drink. At least make the effort. This ultimately is the fault of the owner. The barista, for the most part, will only do as they are trained. The world-class barista will always question methodology and seek a better way.

BUT if you are not fresh grinding per drink, with fresh roasted beans, and doing all the other things that are necessary at a minimum to make proper espresso drinks--it really doesn't matter--go ahead transfer away, no one will know the difference.

George,
asking implies caring. And that is the right path to be on. Every day is a new day to improve.