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How Not to Open a Café: A Hard Lesson in Wales

Costa Coffee, one of the largest roasters, wholesalers and retailers in the United Kingdom, opened a new café in Aberystwyth, Wales yesterday and managed to do it in the worst possible way. With your indulgence, I'd like to offer up a brief rant of just where this company went wrong.



Mistake #1: Opening the café on high street without planning permission from the Ceredigion County Council.



Mistake #2: Ignoring a letter from Aberystwyth Town Council requesting that they… Continue

Added by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on February 19, 2008 at 8:07am — 3 Comments

The weather on Kauai

Hi, everybody. I often lament that I am so far isolated out here in the Pacific and I can't attend any barista events without a criminal amount of travel and expense, or that I haven't been to a coffee shop in so so long that's not my own. And I think about how all my training comes from videos and magazines, websites and things we learn together, or the odd traveller who comes out here to tell us about coffee. And I lament that all my beans come by aeroplane (thank heavens for Fedex). And it's… Continue

Added by Anni Caporuscio on February 18, 2008 at 5:26pm — 3 Comments

A Good Coffee Day

A good coffee day…

It starts before the sun. Opening the shop is my time. The music is loud (Michael Jackson, pre – Neverland Ranch creepiness) while I wake up the machines. The Clover bubbles and snorts while going through its cleaning cycle; the Synesso clicks awake as I dial in the espresso. The ‘spro is creamy and sweet with those chocolate and cherry notes that always make me smile. The machines, the spro, and I are all happy little campers as the sun breaks open in the sky.

The… Continue

Added by ZZZZZZZZ on February 18, 2008 at 5:17pm — 1 Comment

Spring Bash in Billyburg!

Dear Coffee, I love you. I have many friends that love you too. Many of them also have another friend named Beer who they also love dearly and a few others have a delightful young friend named Whiskey. I am writing to let you know that my friends and I will be visiting our other friends, Beer and Whiskey on March 9th at Harefield Road in Williamsburg at 9pm. Now don't get upset Coffee, don't be jealous. Many of us will be back early the next morning to care for you as we always have. We might… Continue

Added by Ed Kaufmann on February 18, 2008 at 12:00pm — 1 Comment

My thoughts on the DC Coffee Fest.

Well, I have gotten back, and am now settling my thoughts, trying to capture them on paper so I don't forget all the things I wanted to remember. So, this will help to solidify those thoughts. This is how I remember it.

Friday, I arrived in DC, met up with Michael Feemster, a great barista who works with us at Dilworth Coffee. He got there early, so met me at a Metro stop. We proceeded to our hotel which was in Bethesda. I know, it ain't close, it's where Orbitz put me. We got to the… Continue

Added by Jason Dominy on February 18, 2008 at 10:00am — 2 Comments

The Mark of A Champion

Belle Batista's (Aldo Coffee) been a champion long before Nick announced the winners on Sunday afternoon at the Mid Atlantic Regional Competition in Washington DC. Few competitors (or people for that matter) have the compassion and grace that Belle exudes every time I have talked to her. Saturday evening, after I totally blew my performance at the MARBC, and I was wallowing in anger at myself and at the world in general, and good dose of self-pity, Belle came up to me and said some very nice… Continue

Added by Troy Reynard on February 18, 2008 at 4:28am — 4 Comments

MARBC Follow UP

I didn't get to watch all of the finalists today as I was in the booth, but did try to follow the comp as much as I could. A big congratulations to all who competed, and instead of trying to re-post everything here, for now, check out the sweet blog put on by Octane at www.coffeerevelation.com





Also congrats to Ben from Octane for winning the Millrock Latte Art Competition, along with Justin… Continue

Added by Matt Milletto on February 17, 2008 at 7:03pm — No Comments

The only drip in the shop is me...Pour-over?

I have this 2 unit pour-over contraption on a shelf at my shop that we've never used for the same reason we don't make drip for our "regular coffee". For the 25% of our clients who don't ask for espresso-based drinks we make French Press. The French Press coffee is made in 1.5 litre presses then decanted into airpots and refreshed/replaced as need be depending on how it ages and tastes (+/- 30 minutes) depending on the beans and their roast. But when someone wants a coffee other than what is… Continue

Added by Stickman on February 17, 2008 at 11:04am — 11 Comments

A Typical Day in Guatemala . . . kinda

Just a general idea of what's going on with my apprenticeship. Got into the shop at 6:00 A.M. and started up the roaster. I've gotten to the point where I (get to) start early by myself and clean things up and get the roaster started and ready for the day. Today was light, we roasted about 60 lbs. of Hue Hue. Mike comes down finally with coffee and a little something to eat. He reminds me (again and again) what I"m looking for in the roast and when to drop it in and when to take it… Continue

Added by James Spano on February 16, 2008 at 7:28pm — 1 Comment

Genuine Italian Quality?

(NB: This is a follow up for uni - I started a discussion on here a while ago asking why coffee is perceived to be Italian at least in the UK. These are just some thoughts and experiences on that topic)



Walking round Darlington town centre gives you a relatively large selection of places to get cups of coffee. There are numerous 'traditional tea rooms' where coffee is an afterthought, and greasy-spoon cafes who will do instant Nescafe in a polystyrene cup. And then there is two… Continue

Added by Bel Townsend on February 16, 2008 at 10:24am — 1 Comment

ooooo a blog

I just figured I would give this whole blog thing a shot. It's been a really long time since I have done this...not to mention my one and only blog was on xanga.... any who, it's late in Kansas and I am watching Harry Potter (#1) and just finished season 3 of 24. I did practically nothing today, with the exception of writing up descriptions of our competition espresso blend. It should be up on the site by Monday I would assume. Well, even though this is the 72nd time I have seen it, I must… Continue

Added by Holly on February 16, 2008 at 1:00am — No Comments

brew bar signs.

our store uses a brew bar system (with Melitta cones and #4 filters) to make brewed coffee. my location (Mormon Trek) has six brew bar slots (four for straight coffee and two for flavor). to make it easier for customers to figure out where their coffee is, we make signs and direct customers to the sign under which their coffee is dripping away. i made some kickass signs today... breakfast cereal characters (with vintage cereal boxes for the pictures). included were Count Chocula, Trix Rabbit,… Continue

Added by Amanda Lanyon-LeSage on February 15, 2008 at 7:50pm — 1 Comment

The CIA is Finally Taking this Counter Culture Thing Seriously

News arrived yesterday that the CIA has formed a partnership with Counter Culture. Reaction around the world has been a swift and resounding "What?!" And yet it is true. The implications of this unusual partnership bring up many troubling questions, paramount among them is how...



Okay, I just can't go on with this farce any longer. Not that it can't be done, mind you, but there are simply too many possible jokes embedded within this news item for any sane person to willingly go… Continue

Added by Mary Dally-Muenzmaier on February 15, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Happy Valentines Everyone!

Happy Valentines Day everybody! Hope you all like the new color scheme of the home page of the site. ;)

Added by Matt Milletto on February 13, 2008 at 10:30pm — No Comments

What will be your special drink on Valentine's Day?

I received a call from the spouse of a regular customer...Somebody wants to treat their Valentine to a treat in the shop and I don't know what to nake...Cinnamon Latte maybe?

I normally discourage flavoured drinks in favour of tasty espresso but the masses speak.

Any suggestions?

Added by Stickman on February 13, 2008 at 5:50pm — 8 Comments

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