Greetings, Coffee Crew,

Which coffee pairs well with a banana? Painted Lady, with its full body, complex flavor profile, and smooth finish! This was an accidental discovery after taking a bite of banana and following it with a sip of Painted Lady coffee. So, let’s analyze why this is a good pairing. A banana has a mild flavor that complements the berry notes of the coffee, and blends well with the heavier body.

This is a good time to remember each of our coffees connected to a non-profit organization. Fieldhead’s Coffee donates $1.00 per pound on retail sales as follows:
Painted Lady for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition in honor of my friend’s mother, Marilyn Brown
Hearts -n- Hands to the United Way as Tony’s pick (Tony is my son and FHC Controller)
Kacey’s Blend for the Make A Wish Foundation in honor of my niece’s daughter, Kacey Pozorski

There are so many great organizations that each of us is close to. May I suggest you promote your own fundraisers or donation programs? Ideas:
1. Proceeds from one day of business each month, quarter, or annually
2. Tips for a day go to the non-profit
3. Pick a coffee as I have and donate a portion of that one drink or bean sales
4. Sponsor a fundraiser, taking donations from customers for your cause
Have fun with this and your customers will get excited also.

Health Tips:
Cut your risk of stroke by 21% by drinking 3 cups of black and/or green tea each day, according to a study from the UCLA School of Medicine.

Laughing can improve your blood flow by 20% according to a study from the University of Texas at Austin. People watching a comedy experienced dilation of blood vessels by 21%, while watching a serious documentary constricted the blood vessels by 18%.
So, let’s all have a good laugh.

Make it a great day!

Greetings, Coffee Crew!

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms!

One of my favorite decaf coffees is our Brazil. It is a Swiss Water Process, so there are no chemicals used in the decaffeination process. I carefully roast all coffee beans, yet the decaf beans require even more care to retain the character of the bean. As with the regular Brazil coffee beans, you will enjoy the medium body and nutty flavor. Pair a cup of decaf Brazil with Crème’ Brulee’ for a Mother’s Day treat.

Facebook! Did you know that Facebook is now the most widely used homepage? Wow! This social networking thing has really taken off. Why is that? Could it be that we can “chat” with our friends and catch up when it is convenient for us? Maybe because we can sit in our pj’s, no makeup, and sip a cup of coffee at any hour.
At any rate, social networking is a big deal and we can’t ignore it. I enjoy reading the Facebook postings from those of you who keep the rest of us informed about your daily specials, pastries, events, and fundraisers. I am confident your customers appreciate the information and it keeps them coming back and referring you to their friends.

Decaf coffee sales are increasing nationally. This is probably because the quality of decaffeinated coffee beans has improved tremendously over the years. I have put a lot of focus on creating high quality decaf coffee blends. These beans are fragile from the decaffeination processes so as a roaster, I must be much more careful with them during the roasting process. My belief is that we all need to enjoy a great cup of coffee, regardless of the country of origin or the caffeine content.

Nutrition tips:
Yogurt – We know it assists with digestion, but it also defends against gum disease according to a scientists at Kyushu University in Japan.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – Helps keep cholesterol in check, but it also keeps your vision strong because of the omega 3 fatty acids in the oil according to researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Dark Chocolate – Helps reduce risk of cardio-vascular disease, but it also protects skin from sun damage according to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Make it a great week!

Greetings, Coffee Crew!

Guatemala Tikal is a versatile coffee for blending or enjoying as a single origin drip brew. Guatemala Tikal has a medium body with bold citrus notes with a lingering toffee finish. Try this coffee with a Snicker doodle cookie or hot oatmeal with honey.

Occasionally, I am asked about pricing drinks.
1. For the drinks you and your staff create, your cost should be 25 to 30 percent. Ideally, if a drink costs you $1.00 to make, you would sell it for $4.00
2. Perishable products like pastries you purchase, the cost of goods sold should be 35 to 40 percent. For an item that costs you 50 cents, you would sell it for $1.35.
3. For non-perishable items like t-shirts, caps, and mugs, your target is 50 percent. For an item that costs you $5.00, you would sell for $10.00.

The coffee industry changes more in one year than many other industries change in 10 years. We need to stay in touch with our community’s needs and wants to better serve our customers and keep them loyal. Listen, ask questions, pay attention to what is going on around you, join the chamber of commerce or other local organizations.

Mushrooms grown in coffee pulp empower African women. Chido Govero grew up an orphan as a result of the AIDS epidemic. She learned to grow mushrooms in coffee pulp and sell them. The coffee cherry pulp is the husk of the cherry and is often discarded once the bean is removed. Mushrooms were a standard part of the Kigoma diet until recently. The older generations know how to cook and use them regularly. Chido found a need and filled it, providing opportunities for other women.
What opportunities do we have around us? Remember, used coffee grounds are great for mulch and fertilizer.

Drink of the week:
Orange Bliss – Start with rich shots of espresso, add dark chocolate, orange syrup (orange zest if you have it), milk, add ice and shake.
I would suggest trying this with a Guatemala coffee brewed double strength, add chocolate, orange, and a splash of milk for another twist on this drink.

Make it a great week!

Good Morning, Coffee Crew!

Have you tried a French Press lately? Ethiopia Harrar has lots of flavor as a regular drip brew and is exciting as a French Press. The smooth blueberry notes are pronounced, medium body, and a finish that inspires you to drink every drop. Enjoy this coffee with a blueberry scone, oatmeal, or solo.
Geography lesson: Ethiopia is a country in northeast Africa. Harrar is a region in Ethiopia.

What’s special about “specialty coffee”? Our customers want to know the answer to this question and trust us to provide the best “cup” every day. Let’s go back to the basics and cover a few points:
1. Since coffee is 98% water, specialty coffee shops use reverse osmosis or an equally appropriate water filtration system.
2. Coffee shops use very fresh beans. Your beans are roasted to order, not mass produced and setting on shelves until orders are placed for shipment.
3. Coffee shops store beans in airtight containers or kept in the foil bags. Many home use customers use old beans and store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
4. Coffee shops use high quality burr grinders instead of the blade grinders most commonly used in the home.
5. Coffee shops use commercial quality brewers that heat the water hot enough to get the oil from the beans, with proper water circulation over the grounds. Home brewers often recirculate the coffee back over the grounds which bring out the grainy or muddy flavor.
6. Professional baristas use the SCAA recommended 2 tablespoons of coffee per cup of water to make a full flavored cup of coffee. Remember, over extracted coffee or espresso will have a bitter aftertaste.

What about all the hype with one cup brewers? You are in a position to brew French Press one cup at a time, all your espresso drinks including Americano, and your properly brewed drip coffee.
Be sure your staff is adequately trained on our coffee offerings. Are they familiar with your house drip or the varieties you offer? Discuss our tasting notes or have a regular cupping in your shop with your staff.

Get ready for the smoothie season and know your products and how you might create specialty drinks during the hot weather. Be sure to add espresso shots as needed for some fabulous drinks.

Make it a great week!

Greetings, Coffee Crew,

Have you tried our Costa Rica Tarrazu Santa Elena Estate? This coffee has a brisk acidity and clean finish. Costa Rica is nice brewed as a drip coffee or ground coarse for a French Press to enjoy the full flavor profile. Costa Rica pairs nicely with oatmeal, toast, and banana or with a chicken salad.

Marketing:
Use numbers, preferably specific numbers, in your headlines, titles, bullet points, or subject lines.
Numbers are intriguing. Numbers somehow work magic in the minds of your readers and cause them to keep reading.

Here is an example of a local fine dining restaurant advertisement: 6 7 8 (6 menu items, 7 minutes, 8 dollars) The message is easy to remember, catchy, and a bargain when you compare great food and great ambience.

Take every opportunity to promote your quality drinks, customer service, and café experience. Take the time to check out your competition and you will learn what you are doing right and maybe areas you might improve.

Business:
Do you have a business plan? Farmers need to plow, plant, and wait to harvest crops. A simple version would be:
1. Describe what you do
2. Differentiate yourself – why should someone become your customer?
3. What marketing are you doing?
4. Of those things, what works, what doesn’t?
5. Who is your ideal customer?
6. Where are these customers? It helps to fish where the fish are.
Tony and I have completed several business plans, and this is a very simple guideline for you to complete one for your business.

Try your favorite coffee as a French Press for a different flavor experience. Be sure to grind the beans coarse for the longer steeping time.

Make it a great week!

Greetings, Coffee Crew ~

Kacey’s Blend is a new coffee that has medium body, nuttiness, with a subtle richness. Most everyone will enjoy this coffee, and it pairs well with peanut butter cookies or an egg salad sandwich.

I read a thought provoking column recently that I feel is appropriate to share during these tumultuous times in our world. Many times we think in black and white, that opposing sides will never meet. Night moves toward day, day toward night. If we move toward the North Pole, we pass it and move to the South Pole. Each of us moves from birth toward death, our component atoms are recycled for more life. “The universe is ultimately circular, not linear. Our lives move in loops, not straight lines.” Failing to honor and recognize the circularity of events and the lively interdependence will lead to rigidity and a grim view of life and our lives become out of whack.
But a clearer view of things brings with it solace and delight. An awareness of the “loopiness of life” does much to temper our arrogance and keeps us from bogging down in sullen depression.
The next time something bad happens, keep an open mind. Odds are that it will lead to an unexpected good.

On that note, our family will look for the good in a tragic situation. My sister’s 4 year old granddaughter has a brain stem tumor (Diffuse Pontine Glioma) and has a short time left with her family. She is the only daughter of my niece, who is the only daughter of my sister. I will be in Minnesota to lend a hand for a benefit fundraiser on April 10. Yes, Fieldhead’s Coffee will be served during the dinner, as well as gift packages of coffee offered as raffle items.
Tanya has worked with each of you to be sure your inventory and orders are in place during the couple days I will be out of the roastery. Thank you for your understanding.

Marketing tip: People buy on emotion and the need for caffeine.  How many bags of “Kacey’s Blend” coffee do you think we’ll sell at the benefit next week? Fieldhead’s Coffee is donating $1.00 per pound to the Make A Wish foundation on all future sales of Kacey’s Blend (yes, I created another new coffee). I am already getting emails regarding this, and it is purely emotional. Now, we all love Fieldhead’s Coffee, yet these are emotional and impulsive purchases.

So, have fun with your coffee and customers. Get creative and share your enthusiasm. Get emotional and passionate!

Congratulations go out to Raina Howell, barista extraordinaire, for winning a local latte’ art competition for the 2nd year. We are all so proud of you! WooHoo!!

Americano – Start with an expertly pulled shot of espresso and add hot water. This drink was created during WW II when American soldiers were in Europe and didn’t like the strong taste of espresso. Thus, the Americano was born by adding hot water to the espresso.
Try an Americano to enjoy the flavors of your espresso if a straight shot is a bit too strong for you.

Make it a great week!

Happy Easter, Coffee Crew,

Zambia is a fabulous choice to serve during your Easter brunch or dinner. The melon notes, medium body, and clean finish will pair nicely with fruit salads, ham, and even Easter eggs.

Customer Service:
In a recent shopping trip with family members from out of state, it was clear which retailers had well trained staff. While in a gift shop we were enjoying the gag gifts for us “over the hill” group. The store owner was very attentive and threw in a “50” bag filled with my sister-in-law’s purchased items. She stated she would return to that store when she visited us again because it was clear the owner was involved and she had fun shopping.
Our lunch experience wasn’t as positive. Our waitress was less than attentive and efficient. She failed to bring a clean spoon for chili, couldn’t describe what tea was available, and seemed more interested in chatting with coworkers. We probably won’t return to that restaurant.

Let’s all remember to treat our customers as guests and express our thanks for their business.
Health Tips:
Coffee lovers may be raising their cups—and perhaps eyebrows—at the recent news (in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry) that the drink contains soluble fiber, the type that can help lower cholesterol. With about 1 gram per cup, coffee’s fiber impact is modest. But the report is the latest in a growing stream of positive news about coffee.
Some of the most promising findings come from studies of diabetes. When Harvard researchers combined data from nine studies involving more than 193,000 people, they found that regular coffee drinkers had a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes than those who abstained. The more they drank, the lower their risk.
How coffee might work isn’t clear; the studies weren’t designed to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Antioxidants, such as chlorogenic acid (related to polyphenols in grapes), are likely players: coffee has more of them per serving than blueberries do, making it the top source of antioxidants in our diets. Antioxidants help quell inflammation, which might explain coffee’s effect in inflammation-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Magnesium in coffee might help make cells more sensitive to insulin. And caffeine seems to have its own beneficial effects; the diabetes studies found that those who drank regular coffee had lower risks of the disease than decaf drinkers. Caffeinated-coffee drinking has also been linked with reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease, gallstones, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Drink of the week: Italian Sodas (club soda and flavorings) are a light, refreshing treat with few calories. Add pomegranate or papaya juice for a healthy low calorie drink.
Make it a great week!

Good Morning, Coffee Crew,

Guatemala SHB EP Fancy “Tikal”: Our profile Guatemala offers the bold citrus and smokey tones Guatemala is known for, but also has exceptional sweetness and a lingering toffee finish. Guatemala is a fun coffee to work with because the specialty quality shines through in blends and is a fabulous single origin coffee. I am enjoying a cup with a tasty pumpkin bar. Lots of flavors are a treat for the palate.

Delivering your brand with every cup (continued):
Step 1 is to define your mission. Most companies have a very simple mission with a big impact.
Examples: “Deliver an exceptional coffee experience to our customers, co-workers, and community”
“Catalyst for community”

Step 2 is identifying what an exceptional coffee culture looks like. Showcase your employees’ talents by offering barista competitions within your shop, coffee tasting, and employee of the month. Identify or hire an “evangelist” for your company. A creative leader to promote with excitement and enthusiasm will bring your café to life. Provide opportunities to “talk coffee” and tell a coffee story.

Step 3 is to plan and proceed.

Fieldhead’s mission statement is to provide outstanding coffee and exceptional customer service. Simple, yet it is the guide for the direction we proceed long term and decisions we make on a daily basis.

Coffee drinkers are enjoying single origin coffees more than ever. Consider the price per cup in a pound of coffee. Then compare this to the price per glass of wine or other specialty beverage. Great coffee is still a value and our customers appreciate high quality.

Try your Guatemala (or other coffee of choice) as a French Press and compare the flavors of the drip brew we are familiar with.

Make it a great week!

Greetings, Coffee Crew ~

Venezia is a bright coffee with a clean finish. It pairs well with fruit, chocolate, or grilled cheese sandwich. This coffee will appeal to most people.

I am like a sponge (similar to those little coffee beans) when it comes to research, new ideas, and all things coffee. There is so much information to absorb.
I read so much about “branding” and creating a unique coffee culture within your business. Following is a comparison of 3 large companies:
1. Costco – We find Costco to be clean and well lit. The CEO has instilled a “treasure hunt” mentality at Costco. The basics are always there, but you never know what new items are available and how long they will be on the shelves. Think about this treasure hunt strategy and have limited offerings of drink specials or coffee of the month for bean sales (let me know you would like to do this and I’ll make suggestions for each month).
2. Cabela’s – This company excels at merchandising and presenting the outdoor experience. It is way more than hiking, archery, and clothing, and guns. There is a lodge atmosphere and something for everyone from adults to children. They have impulse purchases near the cash registers. What items do you have near the coffee bar or cash register? Does your menu have descriptors or pictures that encourage purchases?
3. Blockbuster Video – During the 1980’s, they were the supermarket of video stores. They had numerous and convenient locations, more movies, and quicker checkout procedures. At the time, late fees for the average store were about one third of the total revenue. Then along came Netflix. Complacency spelled doom for Blockbuster and the rest is history. Most successful companies reinvent themselves regularly.
While these 3 companies have nothing to do with the coffee industry, there are valuable lessons to be learned.

Coffee filter uses:
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate for your fried bacon, french fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great “razor nick fixers.”
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliquéing soft fabrics.

Make it a great week!

Good Morning, Coffee Crew!

Mmmm, Safari Blend is a fun cup of coffee with lots of citrus notes, medium body, and clean finish. Enjoy this java with an English muffin topped with jam.

Marketing:
We’ve talked about increasing sales with “add ons” and offering more menu items, expanding from coffee drinks only to breakfast and lunch offerings.
Confectionary items have a good price point, typically $2.00 and under, making these good impulse choices. Keep the products visible and offer choices, (maybe even something healthy).

Be open to the opportunity to cater events with a cart, kiosk, or trailer. You will increase revenue and also branding for your café. This type of sales works great for folks who like variety and meeting more people. You can do this with a limited menu, focusing on what you do best.

Consider these questions. Instead of asking “why”, ask “why not”? Instead of saying “we can’t” ask “how can we”?
Think harder. Solutions are out there.

Coffee filter uses:
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

Try our Bombay Chai Tea from Mighty Leaf with equal parts hot water and steamed milk. This is a tasty afternoon pick me up.

Make it a great week!