From the September 2006 Hospitality News Featuring CoffeeTalk
by Andrew Hetzel
Last month, we began our two-part article profiling “great restaurants serving great coffee” with descriptions of Zingerman’s Roadhouse of Ann Arbor, Michigan and the Angus Barn, of Raleigh, North Carolina. We now continue with the comments and advice from the owners of two more coffee and culinary gems, this time, from companies that could not be further apart in style and location.
Snow City Café
Anchorage, Alaska may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of a favorite breakfast spot; that is, until you’ve been the Snow City Café. This funky and eclectic café nestled in the city’s “lawyer row” would not be out of place in any college town in America, serving breakfast and lunch daily to a steady crowd of locals and tourists.
“Coffee is integral to the Snow City Café” says owner Laile Fairbairn. “Our clientele in the business district are educated and well-traveled; they know good food and good coffee.” From the start, Ms. Fairbairn, a former resident of the Pacific Northwest coffee towns of Seattle, Washington and Eugene, Oregon, knew that coffee would play an important part in her business. “We believe that breakfast should be more of an event than just a meal; great coffee is a critical part of breakfast.”
Serious coffee drinkers in Anchorage have moved beyond filter brewing in favor of espresso; it is routine for a coffee drinker at the Snow City Café to order a “coffee” with the expectation of receiving espresso. In a town with such a well-developed café culture and consumer palate, serving an outstanding cup of coffee is a necessity. “To run a successful café in Anchorage, you need to treat your coffee the same way that a fine dining restaurant would treat wine.”
Ms. Fairbairn credits Anchorage coffee roasting favorite, Kaladi Brothers Coffee, with her espresso success. “Partner with a roaster that understands it is in their own best interest to do things like educate your staff, maintain equipment and water treatment systems, and regularly taste your coffee to maintain consistency.”
Magnolia Grill
You might think that the owners of an internationally acclaimed restaurant with professional reviews like “one of North Carolina’s treasures” or the “best source of public cooking, not merely in the Triangle area, or the Tarheel state, but in fact in the whole United States” may not have time or interest to treat their coffee with the same high regard as their celebrated New Southern style cooking; but then, you would be wrong.
Culinary power couple Ben and Karen Barker, who between them have more than a baker’s dozen James Beard Foundation Award nominations and wins, take the time to make everything that they serve outstanding, and coffee is no exception.
“We bake our own bread for the same reason; we care about every aspect of our diners’ experience” says chef-owner Ben Barker, “putting a great cup in front of customers is the measure of a great restaurant.” “Most restaurants use the equipment and coffee that a foodservice distributor puts in front of them; that’s just taking the easy way out. We have a fundamental belief that the harder way is the more gratifying way to get things done; it’s that extra effort that distinguishes your restaurant.”
The Magnolia Grill has their custom blend of coffee delivered fresh weekly from Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, NC. “Counter Culture has a clear and fervent mission to develop relationships, not only with their own customers but coffee growers in regions around the world. That knowledge and the enthusiasm they possess gives them a style that helps clients be successful.” “Find a local roaster; there is someone in every region of the country; it is absolutely worth the effort.”
Barker adds, “when you culminate a great meal with a decent cup of coffee, that glow continues right out the door.”
What conclusions can we draw from these coffee role models?
1. Great tasting coffee in restaurants is independent of geographic location, cuisine and dining format. Hot or cold, east or west, formal or casual, great coffee can be made anywhere.
2. Each owner that we interviewed noted that coffee is highly profitable, but that profitability resulted from their own dedication to serve coffee to the same high standards as their other menu items.
3. Specialty coffee is a specialty and as such, requires specialists in purchasing, roasting, sales and education for optimum results. Partner with a company that specializes in coffee, such as a local artisan coffee roaster, that understands specialty coffee and is motivated to give your business the personal attention that will help you to succeed.
Not every restaurant will achieve the popularity, acclaim or financial success of a Zingerman’s, Angus Barn, Snow City Café or Magnolia Grill, but every restaurant can serve great tasting coffee; and when you do serve good coffee, you may just find that popularity, acclaim and financial success are that much closer.
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Andrew Hetzel is the Founder of Cafemakers, a specialty coffee business consultancy based in Hawaii. Cafemakers assists restaurants, hospitality businesses and coffee shops in North America and worldwide to improve customer satisfaction and profitability by serving better quality coffee. Information is available online at www.cafemakers.com or by calling (808) 443-0290.