2007 Press Coverage

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Convenience Retailing Conference - December 27, 2007

CRC 08

Andrew Hetzel to speak on coffee at '08 Convenience Retailing Conference

Andrew Hetzel of Coffee Business Consultancy Cafemakers Will Speak on the Topic of Specialty Coffee at the 2008 Convenience Retailing Conference That Will Be Held February 11-13 at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas

Read the full press release here: CRC 08


QSR Magazine - October 12, 2007

QSR Magazine

Heavyweight Challenger

What does McDonald's entrance into the specialty coffee market mean for Starbucks and the rest of the cafe concepts?

Two weeks ago, news broke that McDonald's Corp. will add specialty coffee and other premium beverages to the menus at its more than 14,000 U.S. locations in 2008. Crain's Chicago Business reported that the addition of lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty drinks is expected to bring the chain more than $1 billion a year in sales, but the question is what will it take away from Starbucks and other coffee retailers?

Read the full article here: Heavyweight Challenger


CSP Magazine

CSP Magazine - September, 2007

Starbucks Throws Its Weight

by Samantha Oller

CSP Magazine (Convenience Store Petroleum) takes an in-depth look at Starbucks, its market positioning and future; includes commentary by Andrew Hetzel.

They say the allure of Starbucks’ coffee is so powerful that the sheer number of customers driving out of their way for a morning fix has increased the duration of the a.m. commute nationwide, contributing to air pollution and traffic congestion.

They say that Starbucks’ clout is so strong that it can dictate which businesses open up near its locations, and if you’re a rival coffee chain—well, best look for another neighborhood.

They say that wherever a Starbucks opens, neighboring coffee shops often see a lift in sales after consumers realize they can get better quality and value for their $5 elsewhere. With 14,000 locations and $8.6 billion in revenue worldwide, Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. has attained the colossus status achieved only by companies such as McDonald’s. In the process, it has generated a host of rumors and the full range of human emotion—love, fear,hate, admiration—from competition and consumers alike.

What they all can agree on: Starbucks sells.


Download: Starbucks Throws Its Weight (PDF)


Chain Leader

Chain Leader Magazine - September, 2007

Training Tips To Sell More Coffee & Making Today's Cashier into Tomorrow's Barista

by Sherry Hatlestad

In this multi-part series for Chain Leader, Andrew Hetzel provides tips for chain retailers looking to improve the the quality (and subsequently, profitability) of their coffee service with an effective training program:

The equipment is better, the beans are better, the cups are better. You have successfully introduced a better brew, and your customers love it. Now, customers expect that same quality cup of coffee no matter what time it is or which employee is making it. To ensure that the next coffee served is as good as the last takes just one thing: training.


Read Training Tips To Sell More Coffee


Read Making Today's Cashier into Tomorrow's Barista


SA Express-News

San Antonio Express-News - September 9, 2007

Chain no longer just about doughnut

San Antonio Express-News reporter Melissa S. Monroe discusses Dunkin' Donuts big move back to San Antonio and questions Andrew Hetzel about their possible motives.

A familiar name is bringing reinforcements to the Alamo City java wars.< br /> Dunkin' Donuts is set to enter the market in a big way, fighting for customers that mom-and-pop coffee shops, behemoth Starbucks and Krispy Kreme have served before


Read the full article


BEST Coffee SchoolBEST Coffee School - August 28, 2007

Andrew Hetzel joins BEST Coffee School teaching staff

BEST Coffee School announces that Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers has joined its staff as an instructor of retail business management and marketing courses at its Eugene, Oregon facility.


More information


Tea & Coffee Trade Journal - August, 2007

Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

Quality, Freshness and Service Continue to Boost Coffee Sales of Independents and Chains

Andrew Hetzel discusses trends and techniques that both independent and chain retailers are using to improve coffee quality and sales.

Fine coffee is no longer the province of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska now has the greatest per-capita consumption of fine coffee and espresso is a popular menu item in Michigan and Nebraska. The advent of the Internet, cable television and increased travel by Americans has brought specialty coffee into the mainstream.
Full Article in Tea & Coffee Trade Journal


Coffee Fest KonaJuly 20, 2007 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

Andrew Hetzel to lead first ever espresso training at Kona Coffee Cultural Festival

For the first time in its 37-year history, the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will include a professional espresso training workshop during its 10-day celebration of Hawaii's coffee heritage.

The full-day hands-on workshop held by the Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative will teach participants how to taste espresso, prepare espresso and make popular specialty drinks using Kona coffee.

Register online now!

News item in Pacific Business News

News item in the Honolulu Advertiser


Pacific Business NewsJune 22, 2007 Pacific Business News

Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers named leading Hawaii young entrepreneur

Specialty coffee consultant Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers, LLC has been named one of the Forty Under 40 top young business leaders in the State of Hawaii for 2007 by Pacific Business News.

In a standing room only award ceremony held at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu on Thursday, June 21, Mr. Hetzel (age 33) and 39 other best and brightest young businesspeople in the State were honored by the Pacific Business News, previous Forty Under 40 award recipients and Hawaii business leaders.

A college dropout and self-made millionaire before the age of 30, Andrew Hetzel sold his retail services business to overseas investors and turned his attention to the marketing of really good coffee. Now he's on his way to being a guru for baristas.

From the story appearing in Pacific Business News

Full news item (pay subscription required)


American City Business JournalsJune 4, 2007 Pacific Business News

Big Island beverage consultant to present in Georgia

Kailua-Kona specialty coffee entrepreneur Andrew Hetzel of Cafemakers will present two sessions at the World Tea Expo next weekend in Atlanta.

"Retail Location and Leasing Strategies" and "Negotiation and Bargaining," will be Hetzel's presentations June 9 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Hetzel will discuss how to select an ideal retail business location and productively negotiate lease terms.

"Choosing a good location and then securing the site with preferable lease terms are two of the most important factors that will determine the ultimate success or failure of a retail business," Hetzel said.

The World Tea Expo is the largest tea trade conference in the world.

News item in Pacific Business News


Hotel Food & Beverage ExecMay / June 2007 Hotel Food & Beverage Executive

The May / June Hotel Food & Beverage Magazine features an interview and web sidebar with Andrew Hetzel titled Coffee is the New Wine that discusses the latest coffee trends in the hospitality industry, suggestions for quality improvement and coffee & food pairings.

"I've gotten more calls from hotels in the last few months than in the past 5 years," says Andrew Hetzel, president and founder of Cafemakers, a specialty coffee business consultancy based in Hawaii. "Although hotels, and the United States in general, are behind in coffee trends compared with the rest of the world (Scandinavians drink the most and brew the best), they are catching up - and catching on." Read Andrew Hetzel's intriguing Five Easy Steps to Better Coffee and Coffee / Food Pairings.

Read the full article online

Andrew Hetzel's Five Easy Steps to Better Coffee

Andrew Hetzel's Coffee & Food Pairings


Johns CoffeeMay 4, 2007 BUSINESSWIRE

John's Coffee of Istanbul, Turkey, has selected american coffee consultancy Cafemakers, LLC of Kamuela, Hawaii to provide consulting and quality assurance services to manage market growth throughout the Middle East and Europe.

Read the full announcement on BusinessWire

Mention in the Honolulu Advertiser


Arizona RepublicMay 4, 2007 Arizona Republic

Article in the Arizona Republic (Scottsdale, AZ) quotes Andrew Hetzel about the market potential in the specialty coffee industry.

At 23, James Bruzzi is fulfilling his dreams. He owns three coffee stores and a bakery. Nearly three years ago, he bought Mountain View Coffee Co. in Fountain Hills and small bakery in Scottsdale. The young businessman joins a growing number of independent specialty coffee owners in the Southwest region who are tapping into an annual $12 billion business, said Andrew Hetzel, founder of Hawaii-based Cafemakers LLC, a coffee business consulting and performance firm. [Full Story]


Hotels Magazine April 07April 2, 2007 HOTELS Magazine

The April edition of HOTELS Magazine includes a feature article entitled "The Breakfast of Champions." In the sidebar and its online continuation, the magazine's Sr. Editor discusses specialty coffee trends with Andrew Hetzel, who additionally makes suggestions for coffee service enhancements within the hospitality industry.

The Breakfast of Champions feature in HOTELS Magazine

Sidebar Conversation with Andrew Hetzel Continues


March 23, 2007 PBN Friday with Howard Dicus Television Appearance

Andrew Hetzel returned for a second visit to "PBN Friday with Howard Dicus," this time discussing Mr. Hetzel's upcoming presentation to the National Restaurant Association and demonstrating techniques that restaurants can use to improve coffee quality.


March 23, 2007 Hawaii Restaurant Association

Hawaii Restaurant AssociationCafemakers Donates Coffee Training Experience to Benefit Maui Women`s Charity Event

Specialty coffee consulting and training firm Cafemakers donates a private coffee training event valued at $2,500 to benefit the Women Helping Women charity auction that will be held at Bev Gannon's Sugar House on Sunday, May 6, 2007. [Full Story]


Tea & Coffee Asia- Feb 2007 Feature Story

Tea and Coffee Asia

Roaster Training in the US: A Guide for Asian Wannabes

Timothy Castle and Joel Starr feature our own roaster consultant Phil Hand in this insightful article for those considering coffee roasting in Asia.

Phil Hand, Cafemakers, based in Hawaii and Los Angeles, oversees roast operations and quality control at Supreme Bean Coffee Roasters in North Hollywood, California. He also teaches aspiring roasters the craft of roasting.

"All consulting is done one on one. We find out what it is the student wants to do, and what he wants to grow into and go from there," said Hand. "It's relative to what the client wants to accomplish. If it's equipment, we can help purchase it. I can't think of a better market to go toward for what we're doing as opposed to a Pacific North West style that wants a drum roasted, darker profile. So, were working for a profile that has less of the roasted flavor and tries to maximize the bean's flavor. I think that's better suited to the Asian market. There's a Japanese profile and a Korean profile, which are both lighter than what we're used to. Were not trying to coerce them into one roast style, but because the Japanese like the lighter roast, we can use the Primo roaster and get them where they need to be a lot faster. On a Probat, you'll need a lot more hands-on training to achieve an ideal lighter roast," Hand believes.

Read the full article here: Roaster Training in the US: A Guide for Asian Wannabes


QSR Magazine - February 12, 2007

QSR Magazine

Coffee is Hot at 2007 National Restaurant Show

Cafemakers' Andrew Hetzel is serving up a cup of wisdom to attendees of the National Restaurant Association's annual trade show for hotel and motel restaurant operators in Chicago in May. Hetzel will show how foodservice operators can capitalize on the latest specialty coffee trends trends.

Read the full report, here: Coffee is Hot at the 2007 National Restaurant Show


FG!CoffeeTalk 2007 State of the Industry Report - January 5, 2007

2007 State of Industry

Specialty Coffee’s Place in the Future of Foodservice

FG!CoffeeTalk Magazine's 2007 State of the Industry Report includes commentary on all aspects of the specialty coffee industry, including Cafemakers' own Andrew Hetzel with his report Specialty Coffee’s Place in the Future of Foodservice.

Andrew Hetzel's Article "Specialty Coffee's Place in the Future of Foodservice"

Full FG!CoffeeTalk Magazine State of the Industry (7 mb)


2008 Articles - 2007 Articles - 2006 Articles - 2004-2005 Articles