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Barista in the Wild, Part 5: The Future of the Coffee Shop
I think the term "small batch" is pretty relative in this case, granted I'm not sure how small the "small batches" really are, but they are in limited qualities in contrast to the large amounts of the regular packaged coffees they sell.
Additionally—I suggested cuppings as a way for people in the coffee industry to take Starbucks a bit more seriously. so many of us disregard Starbucks as a viable coffee option, but the fact is, a lot of the process of selecting coffee for the stores is such an intense process made by some really knowledgeable people. I haven't seen any cuppings in the NYC area but I'd love to start seeing them around. NYC stores are usually so crowded it's hard for me to imagine how a cupping would actually work. I'm into the more proactive approach so I'd love to start seeing some of these popping up around the city to get more minds wrapped around how coffee cuppings are just like wine tastings.. and they can be just as popular if approached in an accessible way.
Barista in the Wild, Part 5: The Future of the Coffee Shop
@robmareel & @jonathan: thanks for the feedback. glad you guys enjoyed it.
I think the small-batch coffees will make their way out of Seattle and some of the other Clover markets, they're rolling them out slowly.
Sugar Rush: Banana Whip at the Bent Spoon in Princeton, New Jersey
I used to work here. :)
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About Allison Hemler
Website: http://www.notenoughspoons.com
Location: Jersey City, NJ
About: Born and raised in Jersey. Barista, cookbook & recipe cataloguer, food blogger, and aspiring librarian.
Favorite foods: Goat cheese, Greek yogurt, dried cranberries, roasted tomatoes. Pesto gnocchi from Tanti Baci. Macaroni and cheese from Marco & Pepe (downtown Jersey City, NJ). Vegan tiramisu from now-defunct organic vegan restaurant Down to Earth (Red Bank, NJ).
Last bite on earth: A nibble off of buttery corn, preferably covered in all kinds of goodness (like one can find at La Esquina).
I would never mock anyone in a barista position. In the end we're all working towards a common goal as long as we're taking quality seriously. It's just hard to imagine training that many employees on a manual machine and have the consistency that is craved in coffee shops. I respect Starbucks baristas with all of my coffee being and I don't think any less of them because I work on a La Marzocco and they don't. We just have different methods of training and different business models.