Colombian

Good Morning, Coffee Crew,

Does your life get busy and chaotic at times?  Don’t you look forward to a cup of coffee and relax for a few minutes?  My morning coffee and newspaper, coffee with a friend or family and time for a chat, or decaf cappuccino at the end of the day are all treats for me.  We need to always be mindful of our impact on our customers.  They are driving thru or walking into the café for their coffee and we have the opportunity to be a bright spot in their day.  J

I am drinking a cup of Colombian this morning; just a good basic cup of coffee.  The sweet citrus is mild, medium body, and syrupy finish.   This coffee is lovely paired with banana bread or sipping alone and save the calories.  Colombian is a good recommendation for customers who are new to specialty coffee and unfamiliar with the taste profiles of single origin beans.

I recently read an article about coffee in the workplace and how employees feel appreciated.  I see an opportunity for the coffee café and drive thru businesses, especially if you may be in a location that is out of the way or challenging to get to.  We have discussed our target markets and locations, now we have another target market that needs our product and service.

The key points for employers are:

• Employees who value beverages at work are highly appreciative of employers who make them available.
• The recession has increased many consumers’ reliance on refreshment beverages at work.
• Consumption of regular coffee and bottled water has increased in the workplace.
• Specialty coffee has reached the mainstream through fast food restaurants, but is still the least available in the workplace.

Make a list of all the businesses within 15 minutes of your shop.  Now create a limited “delivery menu” and present it to the owners and managers of these businesses.  Determine your delivery hours and the times you will accept orders via telephone or fax.  Some of you may want to take email orders if you have a computer on site.

I see great opportunities here regardless of your location, and a huge market.  I would present a proposal whereby the employer buys the coffee or the employee pays.  Either way, it is a benefit.

Managing employees can be challenging.  Here are a few tips for “parent as manager”.

• Explain the big picture.  Kids and employees often think of how a change affects them personally.
• A manager is two steps ahead in the process, allow the employee to catch up and accept the changes.
• Allow employees to have some control over their situations.
• Employees talk if they are treated poorly, there are no secrets.
• Speak to an employee clearly and directly and in private about poor behavior or work habits.

Making a rich, tasty cup of coffee may be challenging when you buy a new brewer.  Make a few pots to determine the proper grind settings for the coffee beans.  I recently had to replace my home brewer and realize I needed to adjust the grind for the beans because the water was running through very quickly and the coffee was weak and bitter.  Talk about proper brewing techniques when your customers buy their coffee beans.

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga