Rain/More Join the WAC Team/Temp.Coffee…etc.

It is hard to believe it is almost Easter.  Love the holidays as it presents the opportunity for all of us in the family to slow down and truly enjoy each other. Then there is our annual Easter potluck dinner and plastic easter egg hunt with 100 dollar bills inside (that part is a joke).

I knew after weeks of beautiful sunny warm weather in Portland the rain had to return and it has.  Great for spring skiing  but off the mountains  – we got a bit spoiled driving with our sunroofs open in March.  Of course in reality none of us would live here if we did not actually love this climate.  Rain is good for being inside – I need inside time right now so it comes as a blessing.

Thursday we will open a temporary coffee bar operation in our building here on Water Ave. -  called – what else – “Temporary Coffee”.  Opening in the former Bakery Bar space for about a month.  We are only doing this to offer espresso and pour over to our coffee starved neighbors in the surrounding buildings & neighborhood.  It will also allow those in Portland (outside the inner coffee community)  for the first time experience our single origin WAC coffee’s – roasted by no other than our partner Brandon Smyth (formally with Stumptown).

Pour over master Tom Pikaart (www.pouredover.com) from Visions and master barista Drew Woods from Vivace have re-located from Seattle  to be two of WAC’s first full time baristas.  Both are amazing in terms of their knowledge and passion for coffee.  Below we see them hanging out today in the new “Temp” space with Rita from Albina Press – Dan Baumfeld of Neptune Coffee in Seattle – Matt – Jared Mockli – Jesse Kahn and Sarah Dooley all down from Seattle to say hello.

In about a month or so when Bunk will take over this “temp” space – we  hopefully should be ready to do a soft open in our new 2000 square foot retail space.

Matt & Brandon have been on Craigs list daily for WAC  and the finds have been no less than amazing!  Last week it was 14 – very 70′s – black fiberglass molded chairs that were found in a warehouse in Southeast.  Today we scored a 5 foot sign that says what else “Portland”.

We hope the plumbers will be finished this week as well as the electricians so we can finish the sheet rock.  Counter tops are from 100 year old re-claimed / re-planned wood – two feet wide and thicker than two Chicago phone books or one Chicago deep dish pizza.

Photos will be forthcoming here on the bellissimo blog as we progress.

Today my early mailing of the April Fresh Cup arrived at the office.  It included both the article I wrote on coffee and consulting in Morocco as well as the co- authored piece with Lon LaFlamme on Waves Coffee in Vancouver B.C. a company I consulted with on site last fall.

Today I am submitting a marketing article to Fresh Cup for their May edition – here is a paragraph preview of that piece:

Each month we read about chains closing more and more unprofitable stores. Many experts estimate that retail specialty coffee was “overbuilt” by approximately 20 percent. I totally disagree. I think at least 20 percent had to fail in a tough economy because of poor business practices and because they failed to understand the nature of specialty coffee. The more than 2000 operations that closed in the past two years closed because they had built their businesses on sand, and in many cases did not offer the right product or know who their customers were. In addition, many operations (even chains) chose unbelievably poor locations. Many of the independents that went out of business were trying to copy the chain model and did not understand their community or how to set themselves apart.

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Now back to prep for our biggest show of the year in LA -Our annual SCAA  show/ Two weeks from today we will be in Cali with a zillion other coffee professionals.    Chuck Jones will be picking me up from the Burbank AP and then we will tour coffee in LA with a contingent of Anacafe folks from Guatemala that day.

One major highlight for me of this years show is  the Keynote Rick choose – a true hero of mine – Ariana Huffington!

If you are attending Matt & I will be in Booth #2155 – Hope lots of our coffee family from around the world will stop in.

On Water Ave. ~ When it rains… we pour! (WAC)

Water Avenue is across the river – Southeast Portland as it is known.  We choose this spot over three years ago as the location to re-locate the Bellissimo offices as well as house the American Barista & Coffee School.

Many in Portland know that some of the newest & hippest eateries are in this quadrant of the city… as well as it is home to many designers/innovative businesses/architects/coffeebars and the like. We love this part of town.  Many visitors tell us it has that New York vibe – not the Manhattan New York – but the other side of the river NY – say Brooklyn.

In coffee alone – S.E. is home to Fresh Cup, Barista and Roast Magazines – all just down the road and Imbibe is across the hall.  This might tell you something

A year ago when we were racking our brain to come up with a name – the name of our new coffee venture – we floated about 50 names by friends…while all along… the right name was on the street sign on the corner – Water Avenue.

It has been a long journey since then… putting this new business together.  With partners Brandon Smyth and Matt Milletto  – we know we have an unbeatable team when it comes to great coffee.

Finally last week the build out has begun – after months of design – waiting for equipment – permits and  jumping through all the hoops one must jump in and through to start a business.  The saws and drills are buzzen’.

The three of us know we will be staking our reputation and combined years of coffee on WAC. & we are not only ready but itching for the world to come see what we have been doing.

There will be so many aspects to WAC… that I will not even start – to touch on any of them in this entry – that will come later – but  most likely if you are in the coffee industry you will likely hear about many of these elsewhere.  News travels fast in this little family called specialty coffee.

Men are cutting metal and framing the walls – cabinet makers have our plans and are busy with woodwork.  Electricians are in the space as are plumbers – Today alone the team working there numbered 8 from four different companies.

This addition will make the American Barista & Coffee School experience one  unparalleled in coffee education anywhere.  One can only imagine the impact of going from our amazing present 2000 sq. ft. facility – Now to almost 4000 square feet.  Yes 4000 square feet housing almost every aspect  coffee has to offer.    We are all pretty excited about the possibility ahead of us.

Students will  continue to be taught by our award  winning baristas.  And now… besides the class room – students can also learn in one of the coolest coffee house settings to be found anywhere.  Many different / diverse and new coffee classes all taught under one roof. This  will once again raise the bar of “real” coffee education in the new combined ABC/WAC location.

I almost forgot to mention that besides the award winning Clark-Lewis restaurant across the street – a very well known Portland Micro brewery will be opening on the next corner of Water Avenue.  But the biggest news of all is our next door neighbor will be the most talked about new cool eatery in Portland – Bunk Sandwiches.  No.2 location.

So WAC and BUNK will be opening about the same time and be neighbors – There has to be a T-shirt in there someplace.

Consultants & Specialty Coffee

Returning last week from NYC -  on the heels of my Morocco trip… I  found my desk piled with  stacks of mail and of course the latest coffee magazines. While reading Roast Magazine – I found Connie’s “From the Publisher” letter.

The title of her column was “Consultants” -  All I can say about her letter to the industry in this issue is “Bravo.”

Anyone that knows Connie – knows -  she is very direct, honest and rarely beats around the bush when she has an opinion on a given subject.  This piece was true to her style.  Here – she spoke her mind and I must admit it mirrored my feelings about the subject 100%.

One quote:  “On paper every consultant seems to have the experience and credentials, but lately I have been hearing the last response (Are they just plain evil?) to make me wonder if the “expert” bar has been set too low in our business?”

I have been a coffee consultant for nearly 20 years and I must admit that there are few areas of the specialty coffee business that are as strange as the world of coffee consulting. Often it seems everyone is a consultant – and many of them are trying to sell you a lot more than “good information.”

There are of course many great consultants in our industry that truly care about the success of their clients but it only takes a few companies and individuals – as Connie put it… “to lower the bar” and shed an ill light on the profession of coffee consulting.

“Thanks Connie” for a well written and timely piece.

We are embarking on two very busy weeks ahead – best of all no major travel on the nearby horizon.  My next overseas trip that was to occur  this month has now been pushed back until after the SCAA show.  And with everything that is happening on Water Avenue – it is important to be closer to home for a while.

NYC-to-NJ CoffeFest

Arriving in N.J. late yesterday and I am already missing NYC… a lot!

My hotel in Jersey is 12 miles on a GPS  from my hotel in Manhattan… but it might as well be 1000 miles away in almost any  comparison of the two locations.

The Medowlands in Jersey should prove an interesting venue for this CoffeeFest – But make no mistake this is not CoffeeFest – N.Y.

Given the proximity to the millions of people who are  within a short drive or flight – this should be a great show for everyone who is exhibiting.  The weather also should co-operate if the forecast is correct.

Arriving the evening of the second worst snow storm of the year…I came in a week early to do some consulting in the city and also meet with two potential clients.  In the midst of working in N.Y.  I did make time  to see a little art.  First MOMA – my favorite… then on to the Met and finally – The Whitney.

I also visited many of the city’s new coffee bars.  NYC is finally… as one would hope – on the cutting edge of great coffee and espresso.  It was not that way only a few years ago when it was nearly impossible to get a great cup of coffee here – well that has definitely changed.

And finally the food in NYC.  Coming from Portland I have nothing to complain about – but when it comes to food – there is no place like New York. Just around the corner from my hotel near mid-town was an amazing diner that was open all night – the food was not gourmet but actually very good.  I will admit most of the food I ate was Italian and every meal was perfect.

The reason everyone loves to visit N.Y. is so obvious – Great people – art – theater – fashion – food – and now – great coffee.

Thursday/Casablanca

Meetings in Casablanca all day yesterday – today & tomorrow…
Pretty cool floor in the offices we met in – loved the look.
We had a coffee @ Segifriedo & next door was this amazing deserted home – sadly I was told it will likely be torn down – of course to make way for something quite boring.
The sun is rising and breakfast is calling on floor 2…