Cafemakers Newsletter - Fall 2006
Shanghai Reprise
Our thanks and our congratulations go to the organizers of the Tea & Coffee World Cup Exhibition and Symposium last month in Shanghai, China for holding an oustanding event.
The conference was a three-day marketplace for tea and coffee products and ideas, featuring more than 300 exhibitors, including growers, exporters, importers, coffee roasters and equipment manufacturers representing 140 countries.
Seminars and panel discussions led by internationally recognized tea and coffee experts advised audiences on business strategies and new opportunities for growth.
Cafemakers' own Andrew Hetzel was a conference chairman and presented "Specialty Coffee Brand Marketing," a session highlighting the importance of branding and presenting strategies used by top regional and global specialty coffee retailers to successfully develop and market brands for maximum sales impact. Due to strong demand, an online version of this presentation is now available by clicking here: coffee shop retail branding.
At the show, judges representing 6 countries and hudreds of attendees watched as Asia's best baristas battled in head-to-head competition, culminating in the crowning of two new regional champions:
Latte Art Champion: Kelvin Huang (China)
Barista Champion: Young min Lee (S. Korea)
Next year's World Cup event will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 3-5, 2007; we hope to see you there!
2007 Tea & Coffee World Cup - Switzerland
NCA Fall Education Conference
It's less than two weeks until the National Coffee Association holds their annual Fall Education Conference in New York. This year, Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers will address the group on Wednesday, October 25.
Mr. Hetzel's session, entitled “The Financial Impact of Better Coffee” will be an insightful look at the bottom-line financial benefit of improving coffee quality. Case studies will review the impact that upgrades in procedures, suppliers, ingredients and investment in capital infrastructure have made for some of America's most successful multiunit retail, foodservice and hospitality business operators.
The NCA Fall Education Conference that will be held October 23-25, 2006 at the Park Central New York Hotel, New York, NY is designed to help businesses increase staff performance, increase overall productivity, develop relationships with industry peers and increase profits.
It's not too late to attend! For additional information, call +1 (212) 766-4007 or visit http://www.ncausa.org.
Restaurants Serving Great Coffee
Past articles in Andrew Hetzel's column for Hospitality News featuring CoffeeTalk have addressed many problems plaguing the quality of coffee served in America’s restaurants and made some suggestions of the first steps that should be taken to resolve them.
In his August and September 2006 articles, Mr Hetzel shifts focus away from the current gloomy state of everyday restaurant coffee reality and moves onward to showcase and learn from four rare, shining examples of restaurant coffee excellence.
Preview:
Despite offering different fare, sometimes opposing styles and being geographically separated by distances of up to 3,500 miles, these role model restaurants have more than a few things in common: each is a successful and profitable venture, each enjoys a loyal following as a result of its consistently outstanding performance, and most important for our purposes here, each has made coffee an important part of its business.
Read: Restaurants Serving Great Coffee (part 1)
Read: Restaurants Serving Great Coffee (part 2)
For Whom the Retailer Roasts
Andrew Hetzel's article in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
Jane McCabe, T&CTJ Editor and Co-Publisher says "For those contemplating the idea of roasting, and whether or not it is a good match for you, Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers, might just have the answer. He walks us through the pros and the cons of roasting, and reviews the thought process in deciding whether roasting is the right option for your business."
Preview:
So you’ve already begun to dream about the many ways that adding a coffee roaster to your retail coffee shop will improve your business. Good for you! Visualizing your ideal outcome is the first step in successful planning for any project; it gives you a goal at the end of the tunnel to strive for later when you’re stuck in the dark details of implementation and problem solving.
Read the Article "For Whom the Retailer Roasts"
Subscribe to Tea & Coffee Trade Journal
SCAA November Education Courses
The Specialty Coffee Association of America is again offering skill-building workshops on the topics of espresso, coffee brewing, coffee cupping and coffee roasting. 3 Days of classes will be held at the SCAA Headquarters in Long Beach, California this November 9-11.
If you are considering starting a coffee shop or are otherwise looking to improve your barista and roasting skills under the volunteer guidance of industry experts, we suggest that you may consider attending this outstanding series. Both SCAA members and non-members are welcome to attend, though classes are discounted for members. Member fees range from $125 for one session up to $500 for all three days, so this is an outstanding opportunity to receive 3 days of world-class training at a very reasonable price; all proceeds go directly to the SCAA.
For additional details, location address, costs or to register, please download the registration form here or contact the SCAA at 562-624-4100.
Cafemakers In the News
San Antonio Express-News - October 3, 2006
Higher prices no grande shock for Starbucks addicts
Read Andrew Hetzel's comments on the effect that Starbucks’ recent price increases will have on the retail specialty coffee market and its consumers.
Read the full article in the San Antonio Express News
Nation's Restaurant News - August 21, 2006
Calif.'s It's a Grind promotes quality, comfort in crowded coffee segment
Lisa Jennings of Nation's Restaurant News interviews subject matter expert Andrew Hetzel on the state of America's fast growing coffee chains and speculates on franchisor It's a Grind's prospects of becoming #2.
Long Beach, Calif.- Marty Cox opened the first It's a Grind coffeehouse here in 1995 with the goal of finding a new career after spending years as an office-supply sales representative. Now that his company is operating and franchising 87 It's a Grind units - with plans to reach 135 by the year's end - Cox has a much more ambitious goal for the Long Beach-based company: becoming the No. 2 coffeehouse player in the United States.
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