Ask the Pros

The Origination of Latte Art: Latte art first became popular in the late 80’s in American coffee shops. Many baristas pioneered and spentyears perfecting what we would consider a simple design today. After mastering foundational pours like the heart and rosetta, skilled baristas began combining them to create more complex designs. Once you... Read More ⇒

March is National Caffeine Awareness month. To celebrate, we chatted with Eliot Jordan, Tea Master and President of Tea at Mighty Leaf, about 5 common caffeine misconceptions and what’s really true when it comes to what we know (or think we know) about caffeine. Misconception 1: Tea has more caffeine than coffeeThere’s a reason this... Read More ⇒

Soda has been a staple of Western culture for three centuries, and a significant part of American life since the late 1800s.  A huge portion of wholesome pop culture in the 1950s literally sits in the middle of soda fountains. However, over the last fifteen years, soda sales have trended downwards for several reasons, health being the most... Read More ⇒

Food labels are thrown around regularly, and often exploited. The word "natural" has no definition these days, but Organic, Biodynamic, and Non-GMO carry weight because they are not just words, they have become third party verified certifications. Understanding what a product is or what the label means is complex—but since food equates to our... Read More ⇒

Q: What is Matcha? A: Matcha is a traditional Japanese green tea that is ground into a very fine powder.  It is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony, but is now also widely used as a food and drink ingredient due to its unique properties and flavor.   Q: Where does Matcha come from? A: Matcha is best from Japan, where it is... Read More ⇒

Opening a new coffee shop or café can be a daunting venture, you must first find an ideal location that’s within your budget, remodel the space to meet your needs, and then you’re faced with the overwhelming task of creating a checklist for stocking that new store.  From the vast number of brands available to the breadth of... Read More ⇒

As a cafe owner, the changing of the seasons means a lot more than just a surge in hot beverage purchases.  The cold and inclement weather also brings with it complications that can impact your supply chain logistics. We don't often delay shipments due to poor weather conditions, but there are definitely times when we have to, in order to give... Read More ⇒

As summer quickly approaches, many consumers are committing to eating healthier and exercising! Beverage category trends say that 58% of consumers plan to consume more yogurt drinks at foodservice establishments in the next 2 years. As drinks made with yogurt have become more popular, so has the focus on the health benefits of prebiotics and... Read More ⇒

Waste is a waste of resources. We are not a disposable products company trying to act green. Eco-Products is a green company who happens to operate in disposables. Sustainable disposables sound like an oxymoron, but we live in a consumer culture where disposable products are ubiquitous. And they aren't going away anytime soon. We see this as an... Read More ⇒

Have you ever accidently slept in till noon or later and you wake up to realize that suddenly half of your day is gone? That's about the feeling I had after returning from Hollywood, California from competing in the South West Regional Barista Competition. All of a sudden it is the middle of March and I realized my final semester of college is half... Read More ⇒

This is it. Eleven days before I leave on the final leg of my six month journey to Siren Studios, Hollywood, CA. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous. The other competitors aren't so scary. Although there are some big names to compete alongside, I'm competing against myself. I want to compete to the best of my ability. As the old adage goes,... Read More ⇒

Long gone are the stereotypes of all vegetarians being aging hippies who eat nothing but lentils and enjoy tie-dye clothes with a near-religious zeal. Making sure that your business is catering to the needs of the US's estimated 7.3 million vegetarians (which include 1 million vegans) and the 22.8 million who follow a near-vegetarian diet makes... Read More ⇒

Part 1 of a Series December 25, 2010, a great day in the lives of small children and fun loving adults around the world, myself included. A new Capresso Infinity grinder and a black Aerobie Aeropress lay safely nestled under my tree. Visions of sugar plums, fairies, and Kenya Gakayuini dance in the heads coffee geeks everywhere. For many of you,... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Toddy, hot! Why? You have a commercial brewer and an espresso machine. You've got your hot coffee bases covered, right? Well, you also have that Toddy system that usually gets put away as the seasons change; why not make the most of it? Change the way you look at your Toddy, and don't let it... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. According to Facebook, there are over 500 million active users of its site and the average user is connected to 80 pages, groups, and events. That's a lot of people finding and managing connections to their favorite businesses, groups, etc online….and that only represents one social... Read More ⇒

Much has been made about Fair Trade coffee, which now represents about 7.1% of US specialty coffee sales (and 3.3% of total US coffee sales). But what exactly does "Fair Trade Certified" mean? And why are so many coffee shops opting to serve Fair Trade coffee? Fair Trade Certification verifies that the coffee you are serving (or buying) was grown... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. As an owner or manager of a specialty coffee business, you are faced daily with almost unlimited choices of what to do with your time. There are a lot of chores involved with running any business - run to the bank, take out the trash, wait on a customer. All these things are important to a... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Water - it's everywhere: in the oceans, in the puddles, coming out of the skies as rain and snow. It comes out of our taps and plays a very important role in our beverages. But what is water? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines water as follows: wa•ter (wôtr, wtr) The... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Let's talk tea, shall we? Did you know that tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water? And on any given day, over 127 million Americans are drinking tea. Interesting? Here's more: From 1997 - 2007, tea sales grew from $1 billion to $7 billion Of the $7 billion sold in... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. The secret ingredient. Cold brewing is a process that replaces the heat of traditional hot brew methods with time. Instead of running steaming hot water quickly through coffee grounds, cold brewed coffee is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for approximately 12 hours. The result... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Flavored syrups are more than just sugar water; they can add a unique touch to your shop and serve as an easy add-on for a variety of drinks. Flavored syrups have become a staple and a must have on the coffee house scene with their ease of use and endless possibilities. Did you say Blood... Read More ⇒

Greg was the Winner of the 2009 Mountain Regional Barista Competition and is a photographer (http://www.greglefcourt.com) as well. Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. The butterflies are inevitable. Everyone gets them. You're super excited and nervous as heck, but you're ready. This is the moment you've been preparing for.... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Have your New Year's resolutions gone awry? Are you facing another year of trying to lose that extra ten pounds, stop drinking soda, or simply attempting to eat healthier? According to surveys, only 8 percent of Americans achieve their New Year's resolutions, 45 percent fail by the end of... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. As the second most consumed beverage in the world, tea is popular. Health benefits, increasing frequency of availability, different caffeine options, varieties of flavor, and seasonality contribute to this high ranking. Mighty Leaf Tea leads in specialty tea as an innovator and crafter of... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. A large percentage of coffee consumption is now comprised of Mochas, Lattes and Cappuccinos. Considering that these specialty coffee drinks are made up of primarily milk and flavorings, its ironic that most café owners will take the time to choose a quality coffee, but will often not... Read More ⇒

If you haven't started serving up holiday inspired specialty drinks, now is the time to start! It's not just fun to offer something different; it keeps your loyal customers intrigued and coming back to check out what's new. Make your shop a haven from the hustle and bustle. Create tastes of the season and moments to sit back and enjoy! The... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. The essence of the coffee that we enjoy comes from natural oils that are largely responsible for coffee's aroma and flavor. Just as we enjoy the elegant sophistication of this natural oil, if it is left to accumulate on coffee or espresso equipment, coffee oil will have a negative impact on... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. From the silky froth of the steamed milk on top to the gently wafting aroma of the exotic spices, chai has become the de facto alternative to coffee and a great way to transport your customers on an exotic journey of flavor. Nothing spices up a coffee shop like chai tea and although chai has... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Opening a café or coffee shop can be a very challenging process. Every week, I talk to people who have just signed the lease and are very excited to get their café open as soon as possible. Over the last ten years in the café design business, I have heard the good, the bad... Read More ⇒

Opening a new café can be a real challenge, especially if you have never done it before. Many of the problems that a new café owner encounters occur during the two months between signing a lease and getting a building permit. See article “Opening your dream café – don’t let it become a nightmare!” In... Read More ⇒

Coffee shops are leading the charge by meeting the demands of their conscience and customer requests by going organic. The organics industry is booming - here are some tips to get you started. There's a movement sweeping the nation, the globe. What may have started as an idealistic approach to food and eating existing only in isolated... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Serving Maté - In addition to being good for you, maté offers a high profitability margin, a unique way to diversify your menu, and is a great way to help the environment. Legend has it that the Goddess of the Moon and the Goddess of the Cloud came to Earth and were threatened... Read More ⇒

Why Make Your Own Whipped Cream? In today's fast paced society it's hard to find time to stop and smell the roses, let alone make your own whipped cream! Consider, however, the final touch of authenticity and quality freshly made whipped cream can add to your drinks. With the effort and expense you put into filling your cups with the best... Read More ⇒