We just received the first shipment of our new Bean Wear Coffee Hats.
They are fun and simple with our bean logo on the front and the website on the side. The price is only $14.95.
Get them while they are hot! Order Now
We are in the process of creating a unique blend of coffee for our customers. In the near future, we will not be marketing to sell whole bean coffee, because our goal is to help roasters and the local coffee shop grow! However, we will still have 1 roast available, which we will call the Bean Wear Blend. If you would like to find out more about this blend of a dark and medium roast (Senior Bean’s Favorite), please email us.
A good friend sent me this link about Garfield’s experience with coffee. Thanks, Pastor Parker.
Instead of giving potential clients a key chain or a magnet with their company logo on it for homeowners just to throw away or stuff in a drawer, Chism Brothers Painting in San Diego gives out 1/2 bags of freshly roasted coffee! It is amazing the response they get from the public. Even if a homeowner does not go with their company, they sometimes get thank you notes and emails praising them for such quality coffee. It leaves a good taste (literally) in their mouth that Chism Brothers is a quality company! As a thank you gift to those who have used them, they typically give whole bean coffee and a flavored coffee mix.
Visit Chism Brothers Painting if you are in need of a quality paint job in the San Diego area: View Site
Since the beginning of Bean Wear, our desire was to promote fun coffee t-shirts and to support the local coffee shops. We did not create Bean Wear for Starbucks lovers but for those who enjoy their own unique coffee house. Therefore, we are in the process of designing a shirt that will hopefully accomplish our mission. The idea is rather quite simple. We will create a simple design of Bean Wear shirts that have a location on the front, San Diego, CA / Atlanta, GA, etc. On the back will be the name of the local coffee shop that wants to promote their business. The hope is to start a grass root of these shirts to independent coffee houses around the country and begin to promote it on our website as well. Therefore, if you are traveling to San Diego from New York, and you want to know of a quality independent coffee house to go to, you can go to our site, click on the zip code area, and you will find a list of those who are behind our bean wear idea. We will be picky on who gets the shirts. We want this to still be driven by our friends and fellow coffee lovers. So we will need your help in finding the best coffee shops in America.
That is the idea in a nutshell. If you have further thoughts and ideas, please respond or email us.
Most homeowners tend to not think much about the type of grinder he or she uses for coffee. However, the type of grinder is very important in maintaining a consistent brew or cup of coffee. The best type of grinder is a burr grinder. You can typically find a burr grinder for as little as $35 at Costco. I have had good success with the Krups’ brand. It is consistent and easy to use. If you decide to stick with a blade grinder, you will continue to have an inconsistent cup of coffee. You can find blade grinders probably between $10-30 just about anywhere. The Krups brand runs about $60 from William Sonoma, and it is well worth the cost. The top of the line burr grinders are not worth the investment unless you are in the business. I saw one the other day for $1,000!
A customer of mine in San Diego just recently purchased a shirt and gave our Drink it Black shirt to a relative in Montana. The gift was received with much praise. I should be marketing more to places like Montana, Wisconsin, the Dakotas, etc. That is where the true coffee drinkers live! Thanks, Ryan, for promoting the Bean. Special thanks to your brother, Matt Davis, in San Diego too for helping spread the word at Horizon Prep School Fairbanks Ranch. Long Live the Bean!
I will be printing the original design with just the LOGO on the front in the next few weeks, so please stay tune and/or pre-order your Long Live the Bean Shirts!
This morning, I was on a sales call in Point Loma (San Diego) and the homeowner offered me a cup of coffee. As gifts to potential clients, I typically give out 1/2 lb. bags of coffee. I could tell right away that this lady and her husband loved coffee. She quickly told me where she purchases her coffee and gets a custom blend/roast. She said the secret is to mix 1/2 lb each of Mocha Java & French Roast. The two cups of coffee I had this morning were exactly that blend. She called the roast, “Kris Blend” after her name. I must admit, it was one of the best cups of coffee I have had in someone’s home.
So, if you want to try to be creative when buying coffee, try mixing mocha java with a dark roast and give it a try! - Senior Bean
I have still been cutting back on my regular coffee and drinking more decaf. The first 1-2 weeks were brutal, but I am surprised to report that I am enjoying decaf coffee. I must admit that I have been using my own coffee from our roaster instead of buying cheap decaf at the grocery store. That has made a difference, I am sure. Most decaf still has caffeine in it, but it does have quite a bit less than regular coffee beans. On my site, I don’t advertise selling decaf, but if you would like to try a dark roast decaf, send us an email.
I am a stockholder with Starbucks, because I believe it is a solid company with big and strong ideas to grow a business. However, I love seeing small businesses do well and grow. This is why I write on this blog and sell t-shirts. I want to encourage small coffee shops to think outside the box like Starbucks.
Coffee shops can learn a lot from the Starbucks company. Most coffee shops still are too “Mom and Pop.” There is nothing wrong with that style, but I guarantee that if it continues, Starbucks will become THE monopoly. In order to grow your business and become more consumer friendly, you need to see what your competition is doing, and right now, Starbucks is your big competitor. Here is a good example: A number of years ago, there was a coffee shop in San Diego called, “Kensington Coffee.” This place was very popular during the early and mid 1990s. They soon expanded the idea into two Great locations around town. Then something happened. Their quality, service and marketing plan began to slide downhill. They closed their two expansions and were left with the main store in Kensington. That store too became a dump. I went in one time to find flies buzzing around in the pastry display. To make matters worse, Starbucks opened up across the street. Kensington Coffee was a strong symbol of this small community for years, and then Starbucks landed. At first, I wondered what the community would do. Some people were upset and continued to go to Kensington Coffee. However, it did not take long for Kensington Coffee to begin to enter a slump of depression. This caused more and more people to start going to Starbucks.
The store about Kensington Coffee does have a relatively happy ending. They finally sold the place and began to clean house. Today, the store looks a lot different. It is cleaner and friendly. It also is still in business with Starbucks right across the Street. Any coffee shop that is unique and high quality can stay in business, even with a marketing giant nearby. Commit to making your coffee house the best it can be. Determine what you want to be known for: Great Coffee? Great Service? Great Music? Great Prices? Whatever it is, stay focused and separate yourself from Starbucks.
Starbucks* has done it again! Last Tuesday, I was in an early morning business meeting at Starbucks with a client, when a chef came up to offer us a free taste test of an egg sandwich. It looked and smelt great, so we both said yes. I was very impressed with the flavor of this sandwich and with the whole concept. I had no idea Starbucks was up to this new idea of introducing Hot Food. In the past, I have asked if they would heat up a pastry, and they would say, “We don’t have a microwave.” Now, the marketing geniuses at Starbucks have installed quick ovens in most if not all Starbucks. It is simply amazing the way this company works. A tip to coffee shop owners, check out what Starbucks is doing and see in what ways you can be more creative and market to your customers.
*Just a quick side note, I have said this before and I will say it again, I do go to Starbucks. I am not a lover of everything they do. It is just convenient, and there are not enough small and good coffee shops nearby when I have meetings. Therefore, Starbucks will have to do.
Senior Bean: I recently received information from Jenni Plum about a great coffee and book store in Rockland, Maine. I have been through this town when I was on my honeymoon a few years ago, but I did not have the privilege of knowing about this place. It is called “Rock City Books & Coffee.” The midland area of Maine is SO beautiful. If you all are ever in main, stop in at this coffee shop and send us your comments. I would also drive further north and stop in at my favorite town, Camden, Maine. The Camden Deli has excellent food and customer service.
Here is Jenni’s review of the Rock City Coffee Shop:
“Hi there! I would suggest you check into Rock City Books & Coffee on Main Street in Rockland Maine. (Formerly known as “Second Read Books and Coffee”
They have second hand books for sale or to read while sipping one of their most excellent selections of coffee. They have it all from steamers to lattes. They even offer soy substitutes for those that are lactose intolerant or have special diet needs. In the summer they offer all kinds of live music. From acoustic, to blues, to jazz. My personal fave would have to be the “Raspberry Kiss Latte”.
One of the reasons I like coffee so much is that it is all about the fellowship! I have gotten into countless conversations at work and around town just throwing out to a person my love for coffee. The conversations are always so enjoyable and rewarding. Do you agree? It is amazing just wearing the coffee shirts around town and the remarks I get. People just get all excited to share with me their own love for coffee! Coffee is all about the fellow and the conversations that are started.
I am not much of a fan of decaf coffee, but lately I have investigating a few different makes. The first couple of weeks was not rewarding for me. Most decafs just do not have much flavor. They taste a little bland. There is no bite to decaf like there is in a good strong cup of dark black (regular) coffee. However, I recently ordered some decaf from coffee roasters in town, and I must say, FRESH decaf is the way to go. I started drinking the French Roast 1-2 days after it was roasted, and it is VERY hard to tell the difference. The downside to most decafs is that they do contain some caffeine. The decafs that supposedly do not have caffeine are select brands of Folgers, but who wants to try folgers on a regular basis?
If you need to cut back on your caffeine intake, try to find freshly roasted decaf and drink some before it is two weeks old. You will love it! If you need a bag, I can order it here too for you.
For those of you who do enjoy making your own Latte or Cap, I highly recommend investing a few dollars on a good espresso thermometer gauge! It makes you aware when your frothing is at the perfect temperature and avoids overheating the milk. Of course, I enjoy my coffee strong, dark and fresh, but every once in awhile, you might see me making a latte! Even if you don’t like making fufu coffee, it is a good tool to have if you want to be a true coffee snob!