Specialty Coffee Retailer articles from March 2003

Specialty Coffee Retailer archives from March 2003

Arabica what? (Editor's Note).
March 1, 2003... Over the holidays, I did the annual party circuit at the homes of family and friends. What I found interesting was a lack of coffee at most every event, with the exception of one, and the coffee served was out of a can. So, to find out if my...

Brown & Haley teams with Starbucks. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... Tacoma, Wash.-based Brown Et Haley, maker of Almond Roca Buttercrunch, has partnered with Starbucks, Seattle, to create Mocha Roca, Brown & Haley's first brand extension of Roca since its inception in 1923. "Brown & Haley is embracing...

Island Oasis offers monthly recipe contest. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... Island Oasis, Walpole, Mass., has invited visitors to its Web site to share their unique recipe ideas that use the company's products. Cash prizes are awarded each month to winners with unique combinations and applications of Island Oasis...

Coffee Beanery's Flavor Poll returns. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... After a three-year hiatus, The Coffee Beanery's Coffee Flavor Poll is back for its customers. Voting for favorite coffee flavors will take place in stores during the Flushing, Mich.-based chain's Flavor Celebration, Feb. 10 to March 13....

Coffee Fest trade shows launches Espresso Tutorial. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... In conjunction with La Spaziale Espresso Machines and Grinders, Coffee Fest, Bellevue, Wash., has added six "Hands on Espresso Extraction" workshops, which began at Coffee Fest Las Vegas last month and will continue at Coffee Fest Atlantic...

Allegro works to keep coffee sustainable. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... Allegro Coffee Company, Thornton, Cob., retained Ernst El Young LLP in 2001 to audit its green coffee prices to ensure that it pays the same or better than the internationally recognized fair-trade price for specialty coffee. The first of the...

Swiss Water supports Grounds for Health, Inc. (Brew News).
March 1, 2003... Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company, Inc., has entered into a three-year partnership with Grounds for Health, Inc., an international non-profit organization that provides healthcare services to coffee-growing communities in Mexico and...

Industry voices.
March 1, 2003... Q: Distant Lands is moving from a 22,000-square-foot facility to a 66,000-square-foot facility. What's the secret behind this impressive growth spurt? Over the past six years, Distant Lands' specialty coffee production has increased by...

Smoothies in the shop: want to know how three retailers are successfully selling smoothies? Read on.
March 1, 2003... Smoothies are a low-tech, high-margin business. Smoothies are also infinitely variable--it's possible to offer an almost endless variety of smoothies that are totally unique to your establishment. What can't you throw in a smoothie, after all?...

Blender buying: with so many blender choices now available, choosing the right blender for your operation requires asking the right questions.
March 1, 2003... Once upon a time, in a less technologically advanced era, blenders were simple devices consisting of an on/off switch. Those that were slightly more sophisticated offered a choice between low and high speeds, and those that were in a league of...

Bringing "specialty" to your tea business.
March 1, 2003... Many specialty coffee operators have come to realize that they aren't in the specialty coffee business, exactly, but the specialty beverage business. It's not that they aren't trying to serve the best coffee they can. Instead, they're learning...

Cocoa in the coffee cup: chocolate and espresso remain a killer combination and have opened the door to a growing coffeehouse category.
March 1, 2003... In the family of specialty coffee drinks, mochas and cocoas might be considered kissing cousins. Cocoa is the milky, creamy, chocolatey drink from childhood that warmed up cold winter days. A mocha is the more hip sophisticate of the two,...

Evolution of a coffeehouse: negotiating the lease.
March 1, 2003... If the thought of negotiating a lease for a coffeehouse elicits the same kind of dread as a letter from the IRS, you're not alone. Duking it out over a rental agreement can be a pretty scary process. Inexperienced negotiators have to be...

Milk & Honey cafe: all the comforts of home surround this cafe's epicurean bites.
March 1, 2003... Carol Watson has an eye for design, a penchant for partnership, and a culinary keenness for transforming chi-chi foodstuffs into delectably rustic fare. Add her talent for pastries, tarts and other homemade tidbits--and her longstanding...

Consuming customers with education: for many retailers, educating customers is harder than it appears. (Regional Update).
March 1, 2003... Specialty coffee retailers often hold customer education up as one of their primary goals, as they should. An educated customer has a better coffee experience and rewards coffee growers and retailers who care about quality. But interviews with...

Liquid sweetener. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... New Sugarshots liquid cane sugar dissolves instantly, sweetens uniformly and offers a true sugar taste with fewer calories than granulated sugar products. Sugarshots products are made from pure liquid cane sugar and water, and contain none of...

Apple Crisp. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Heidi's Goumet Desserts' new Apple Crisp, is a classic comfort food now in a convenient form. Heidi's rendition is made with Granny Smith apples baked with a blend of spices and topped with a crunchy streusel. Each Apple Crisp can be cut into...

Specialty Pastry line. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Otis Spunkmeyer's new Cafe Collection Specialty Pastry line includes muffins, scones, sliced breads, bars, brownies, coffeecakes, individual cakes and large, premium cookies. All thaw-and-serve pastries are quick-frozen for fresh taste and...

Ice cream treats. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Friazos[TM] from Blue Bunny are portioned, layered desserts packed in specially designed cups. Flavors include: Cookie Craze, Caramel Pecan Passion, Key Lime Melt Down, Peanut Butter Panic and Double Fudge Frenzy. For more information,...

Dual-zone bakery case. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Federal Industries' curved-glass, horizontal, dual-zone pastry case keeps food refrigerated on the bottom section and dry goods dry on the top section. The dual-purpose merchandiser blends traditional design elements with maximum performance....

Metallic thermal servers. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... In addition to unique metallic finishes and a contemporary design, Update international's new Elli thermal servers feature a shatter-resistant double plastic wall with polyurethane insulation for maximum heat retention and long life. The Tilt &...

Display planks. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Walls + Forms Inc., now offers six PVC plastic slat-wall planks for display applications in several colors: black, white, gray, almond, gray granite and sand granite. The planks provide an easy way to assemble and dismantle perimeter...

Swirl pots. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Update International offers a new line of Athena stainless-steel lined swirl pots. The shatter-proof airpots feature the look of porcelain without the fragility, and are capable of handling the rigors of day-to-day use. Designed with heat...

Eonomy Marker. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... DayMark Food Safety Systems Economy 1-Line Marker is perfect for marking back door truck deliveries or for dating and labeling food and drink packages and containers. The Economy 1-Line Marker is easy to load and fast. Labels adhere to plastic,...

New cappuccinos. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... Two new cappuccino flavors have been added to S&D Coffee, Inc.'s line of powdered mixes: Tiramisu and Smores. Tiramisu is a rich cappuccino with caramel flavor and a hint of brandy. Smores combines the taste of graham crackers with marshmallows...