From the April 2006 Hospitality News Featuring CoffeeTalk
by Andrew Hetzel
The best restaurant in town has meticulously planned the evening’s entrées; offering only the freshest available ingredients, arranged into an appetizing and visually appealing original creation. Each dish has been thoughtfully paired with a complimentary wine, served by a knowledgeable and friendly staff trained in the art of catering to a customer’s every whim. So, you ask, why is this coffee at this place so awful? With all of the time, money and effort that is invested in planning and execution of every other area of foodservice at restaurants and hotels, why is only “coffee” seemingly overlooked?
Naturally occurring oils in coffee create a long-lasting taste experience that remains with most restaurant and hotel customers for several minutes or hours after their departure. It is unnerving that any business would knowingly allow the final perception of their brand experience to be a bitter one; and yet, it’s happening every day in many of this country’s most celebrated dining spots and top hotels. All of this is even before you stop to consider that specialty coffee is one of the most profitable items on any menu. Serving good coffee makes good business sense in every way.
I do not believe this to be some kind of culinary conspiracy – at least, not that I can prove - but rather, it is the result of a series of innocent mistakes and misunderstandings that when compounded, have created A Problem of Gastronomic Proportion. In my upcoming multi-part series of the same name for Hospitality News, we will uncover not only these common problems and suggest some ways to fix them, but also gauge what real financial impact improving the quality of coffee at any hospitality business may bring – both in direct consumable sales and as the result of association with a retail brand.
Thereafter, we will look at some of the new and exiting ways that a fresh batch of enlightened restaurateurs and some of America’s rising culinary stars are using specialty coffee as a welcome addition to their flavor palette. Finally, we will interview some non-traditional retailers that are covering new grounds with specialty coffee in locations that you may not expect.
There is much work ahead for each of us to be reasonably assured that the next cup of coffee served after any meal out will be a good one; but never before has the opportunity of achieving that goal been more real. Everyone benefits from serving great tasting coffee: suppliers earn better wages for their achievement, operators add value to their products and consumers receive more enjoyment from their experience. Earning more money from happy customers? Now, that’s something that we can all drink to!
Andrew Hetzel is the President and Founder of Cafemakers, a specialty coffee business consultancy based in Hawaii. Cafemakers assists coffee shops, hospitality businesses and restaurants in North America and worldwide to improve customer satisfaction and profitability by serving better quality coffee. Information is available online at www.cafemakers.com
# # #
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.