National Culinary Review: Brew your Ideals

8/4/2019 National Culinary Review: Brew your Ideals

1/4

features

Clinin wih piono co cold liz hilim c: dvloping coho concp.

By Jody Shee

WE can thank our lucky Starbucks that

a coffee culture was fostered in the U.S.

A trip to Italy in 1983 by Howard Schultz,

now Starbucks chairman/president/chief

executive ofcer, changed everything. He

experienced the romance of Italian coffee

bars and determined to cultivate that third

place between work and home in the U.S.

And now, 15,000 stores later (in 50

countries), Starbucks gets the glory and

the credit for a renewed coffee passion,

trendy coffee beverages, comfy chairs

and free Wi-Fi outside the home and

ofce. More recently, it has even reached

into the dining-out psyche and added

bakery, breakfast, salads, sandwiches

and ice cream.

Starbucks has since become a revered,

albeit cookie-cutter, proposition. But an

ideal was bornthe marriage of quality

coffee with a little noshing nourishment

and community belonging. For a coffee-

loving culinarian, it has the makings of an

independent coffeehouse career.

Living the dream

Anthony Stackpoole, chef/owner of

Cup of the Day Coffeehouse & Deli

in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., worked his

way through the restaurant ranks from

dishwasher to sous chef, once cooking

dinner for President George H. W. Bush.

Stackpoole eventually went to work for

an understaffed coffee shop that added

a full menu. He helped to turn the kitchen

around before leaving and starting his

own coffee shop 14 years ago.

He says he most enjoys that he has his own

stamp on the coffeehouse. Its independent,

just the way he sees the food industry

heading. He uses natural ingredients, as in

fresh produce for sandwiches and soups.

Locally grown is very big. The consumer

demands it, he says.

Coffee is included in his local focus. He

uses 100% Arabica beans from a nearby

Michigan roaster, and grinds the beans

just before brewing.

He believes hes in the center of a

consumer trend. For one, in a down

IdealsBrew

your

Public Domain chooses to focus on operations and outsource its pastries.

TheNationalCulinaryReview

|October2011

18


2/4

economy, people dont have a discretionaryincome to spend at high-end restaurants.

But something quick and healthythats

what I can provide, he says. And if you

incorporate natural, fresh, locally grown,

people like that. He boasts about 80

sandwiches and 25 salads, all of which he

prepares to order.

Though some in the coffeehouse business

bask in fewer hours than those working in

restaurants, Stackpoole chooses to keep hiscoffee shop open 7:15 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday

through Friday, and 8:15 a.m.-3 p.m. on

Saturday, meaning he works 70-hour

weeks. The hours are not burdensome

to him. Rather, he gets energy from

community one-on-one time. He is located

in the four-block business community of

a small town of 15,000 people. Meetings

are often held at his tables. I like the small

community here. You know everyone and

everyone knows you, he says.

He has served on the board of the local

Chamber of Commerce and was part of the

downtown business association that put him

in working contact with farmers markets.

Selling made-to-order gift baskets lled

with fresh-roasted Michigan coffee,

gourmet chocolates, tea and tea infusers,

and chocolate-covered espresso beans is

another love of his job. I once did a $350

laundry-basket-size as a prize for one of

the local casinos on its anniversary. I use a

coffee-themed print cellophane wrap and

include a business card inside, he says.

Its another way to market my coffee and

retail merchandise.

CuLinary angLeThe palate trained on avor perfection can

be satised in a coffee shop environment.

Craig Min, chief executive ofcer of Lamill

Coffee Boutique, Los Angeles, was raised

in his familys coffee business. By age 12,

he was roasting coffee, and restaurants

were clients. He fell in love with the

culinary scene. It was my passion. Food

and taste is my thing, he says.

When he dreamed of opening his ownretail front, quality food and beverage

had to be equally balancedat a time

when coffee shops did not focus much on

food, as they still generally dont, he notes.

Because he was not a chef by trade, he

tapped the expertise of star chef Michael

Cimarusti of Providence restaurant, Los

Angeles, to develop the menu.

Min focuses on beverage development

and takes a culinary approach, using only

whole ingredients with no syrups, powders

or sugars. For example, rather than squeeze

chocolate syrup into the mocha, he buys

Valrhona chocolate and melts it to a

ganache. One of his signature drinks is

called Coffee and a Jelly Donut. He infuses

a glazed donut in whole milk, then strains

out the donut, leaving donut-avored milk,

which he steams. He adds strawberry jelly

and a shot of espresso. Its layered in a

glass, so you see all the colors, he says.

Lamill Coffee Boutique fullls his passion

for beverage and food. When you look

inside our store, it doesnt look like a

coffee bar. The environment looks like

a restaurant. But if you dig, you see the

Perfect Pairs

Why should food and wine have all the

pairing fun? Coffee pairings are just as

informative and entertaining.

Specialty coffee roaster/wholesaler

Coffee Bean International and its Public

Domain coffeehouse, Portland, Ore., takepleasure in training others about proper

coffee and food pairings. Consider these:

S ac

Highlight nutty

notes with breakfast

breads such as

banana/nut bread.

Cl ac

(gl)

Emphasize

chocolate notes by

pairing with dark

chocolate.

is Bring

out the deep, rich

body with a meat or

cheese pairing.

ac Point

out its bright,

fruity blueberry or

blackberry character

by pairing with berry

cheesecake, lemon

bar or fruit tart.

beverage bar and all we do behind it. That

creates the uniqueness.

Others who want to start a coffeehouse

should consider several things when


3/4

features

determining the direction to take the food,

says Alison Rosenblum, brand manager for

specialty coffee roaster/wholesaler Coffee

Bean International and its coffeehouse

Public Domain, both in Portland, Ore. The

roaster started the coffeehouse in 2010 as

its vision, or muse, of the ultimate coffee

experience combining great food and drink.

The downtown coffee-centric Portland

location drove many of the development

decisions for Public Domain, Rosenblum

says. The original plan of offering lunch

sandwiches was discontinued because the

hub of Portlands famous food cart scene is

one block away. It didnt make sense to bring

in such a small quantity (of sandwiches) when

so many people go down the street and buy

a sandwich and come here and buy a cup of

coffee, she says.

If Public Domain was a little far ther away

from the food carts, the company would

have considered partnering with one of

them to bring in sandwiches.

With a keen sense for coffee and no

foodservice background, Public Domain

outsources its bakery and other nibbles

to artisans who choose their ingredients

as carefully as Coffee Bean International

chooses its coffee. Additionally, they

wanted the shops aroma to be only that of

coffee, not simmering soup, for example.

Before opening a coffeehouse, Rosenblum

advises others to consider the needs and

desires of the customers in the area. If the

busiest time of day is morning just before

work, consider unique, hearty breakfast

items. If the clientele will be moms stopping

by after dropping kids off at school, provide

a snack or treat component, such as

biscotti or cookies, she says.

Had Public Domain been built across

the river in more of a business area,

Rosenblum believes customers would have

wanted a different experience, and lunch

sandwiches and quiches might have made

more sense.

consumer coffeehouse wish list

Just what do consumers want to see on

the menu at a coffeehouse?

In the Mintel report, Coffeehouses

and Donut Shops, June 2010, survey

respondents were asked, Which of the

following are menu items you would like

see more of at a coffeehouse?

Source: Mintel/Coffeehouses and Donut

Shops, June 2010

Public Domain is the retail muse of specialty coffee roaster/wholesaler Coffee

Bean International.Base: adults 18+ with

Internet access who bought

drinks from a coffeehouse

in the past month

950

%

Breakfast sandwiches 36

Healthy menu items 35Lunch sandwiches 30

Fruit and yogurt smoothies 29

Wider coffee avor variety 26

Greater variety of healthy

breakfast options (such as

oatmeal, yogurt or lower-

calorie options)

25

More coffee drink variety 23

Salads 19

Different varieties of coffee

beans

18

Wider variety of tea options 17

Coffee drinks with extra

caffeine

15

None of the above 19

PhotobyGaryWilsonPhoto|Graphic,courtesy

ofCoffeeBeanInternational/PublicDomain


|October2011

20


4/4

Coffee and pastry pairing sessions provide

an opportunity for coffeehouses to educate

and entertain guests. Its something coffee

roaster/distributor Boyd Coffee Co., Portland,

has done for foodservice operators. Dark,

rich coffee goes great with chocolate, says

director of marketing Katy Boyd Dutt. Make

sure theres nothing too tangy/sweet in coffee

when pairing with a sweet and fruity dessert.

Though traditional easy grab-and-go

coffeehouse fare is still popular, there is a

consumer calling for more healthful offerings,

Dutt says, adding that its important to offer

a balance of parfaits, bran mufns and

whole-wheat products with indulgent scones,

cookies and brownies.

Running a coffee shop is more difcult

than a restaurant. The restaurant has

higher ticket sales, and customers are

subsidizing the hours of the wait staff,

Dutt says. The average ticket in a coffee

shop may only be $3.50 to $5.50, so you

need a rapid turn of customers. Some

have upped the average ticket by bringing

in beer and wine.

Another way to bring in more customers

is to invite groups in as part of a public

outreach. For example, invite civic groups

or the police or re departments to use the

space for meetings.

Community benefitS

Coffeehouses are natural gathering places

to foster community. That was the dream of

Tim Macy, who opened Macys European

Coffeehouse, Bakery & Vegetarian

Restaurant in Flagstaff, Ariz. , in 1980.

Coming from a professional golf background,

he wanted to open a coffeehouse that would

be a microcosm for what he believes the

world will be, in the spirit of unity, all of one

family, he says. It is founded on the Bahai

faith, which emphasizes the spiritual unity of

all humankind.

When you walk in here, you feel

something differenta blessedness, he

says. Some of his customers come two

or three times a day to hang out, talk and

solve the problems of the world. Were not

gourmet, just good, down-to-earth, homey,

simple food, he adds.

Besides baked goods such as pies, tarts,

layer cakes, cheesecakes, brownies and

cookies, Macys has an all-vegetarian

menu of soups, salads and sandwiches

with an assortment of wheat-free and

dairy-free vegan options.

A culinary professional who loves coffee

might nd fulllment in a coffeehouse

career. Youre the front and back of the

house. You design your own experience. Its

your muse, Rosenblum says. You create

the ideal experience and share that with

other people. I think its a wonderful thing.

Jody Shee, an Olathe, Kan.-based

freelance writer and editor, previously was

editor of a foodservice magazine. She has

20 years of food-writing experience and

writes the blog www.sheefood.com.

In a down economy, people dont have a

discretionary income to spend at high-end

restaurants, which makes the lower price

points of coffeehouses more appealing.

Cupofth

eDayCoffeehouse&Deli

features


|October2011

22

Documents

National Culinary Review: Brew your Ideals