Ask The Pros Search (20)
Should You Serve Smoothies? What Are Your Options?
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It’s clear… Americans love smoothies. Lately, these sweet blended beverages have been especially popular, with an 80% increase over the past five years. With our population’s ongoing quest for great tasting, drinkable snacks plus a general interest in health, experts say...
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Go Green with Eco-Products
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...
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Flavor Basics
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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...
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Five Months in Fifteen Minutes: a Ton of Preparation for an Ounce of Performance Part 2
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,...
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Café Resolution - Part 2
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In January, I outlined 12 ideas geared at taking a fresh look at your café. I've continued that list and have added a few more thoughts about running a better, more profitable specialty coffee business. Again, I recommend that you start by crossing off the items that don't apply to...
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Fruit Smoothies
Fruit Smoothies are: Fruit based or fruit flavored blended frozen drinks. Fruit Smoothies may or may not contain dairy products such as milk or ice cream. Fruit Smoothies may be made from scratch (and might include fruit juice, frozen fruit, frozen yogurt or ice cream and nutritional supplements). Fruit smoothies may also be made from powdered...
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Fun With Frappes
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Blended iced coffees, frappes, frozen coffee, or whatever name you choose for those popular blended drinks are a natural product for the premium independent coffeehouse. Any drink on the menu that can be served hot, can also be served frozen and blended. If your customers love a certain hot...
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Café Resolution
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This Ask The Pros article is geared towards taking a fresh look at your café, coinciding with the New Year. Obviously if you pick it up some other time, just focus on your next 12 months and all the ideas will still apply. I’ve highlighted 12 items that I believe can help you...
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A Bit About Maté
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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...
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5 Caffeine Misconceptions Debunked for National Caffeine Awareness Month
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...
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Making Your Own Whipped Cream
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...
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What's Big in Smallwares?
Have you taken a close look around your shop lately? Are things looking a cluttered, outdated, or even a little damaged? You can give your space an affordable face lift by investing in an often overlooked category--smallwares. Smallwares encompasses everything from condiment bar organizers and mugs to tampers and steaming pitchers. They are the...
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Tea for the Seasons: How to Enjoy Tea All Year Long
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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...
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Five Months in Fifteen Minutes: a Ton of Preparation for an Ounce of Performance
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,...
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Caffeinated Ideas for a Sluggish Economy
Getting through these tough times is on everyone's mind right now. We've been talking with a lot of our customers to come up with a list of ideas that might help you get ahead this year.
Create your own stimulus package--sell prepaid drink coupons (buy 10 get 1 free) Be careful! You are creating a future liability by doing this (you owe the...
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Opening A New Café: Design It Right, Build It Once
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...
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Mochas and More: Welcome the New Year (And Keep Chocoholics Happy!)
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In this era of calorie-consciousness and menu labeling, sometimes your customers desire a warm, creamy indulgence. Besides, for every trend there is a counter-trend. Just like smoothies have a healthy aura and shakes are a nostalgic comfort item, for every sugar free, non fat latte there is...
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Hot Tea
"The U.S. market for tea is expected to double in the next five years," states Fresh Cup magazine in their December 2007 issue. The tea trend is on the rise due in part to its profitability, health benefits, and diversity. Establishing a premium tea program now can put you on the cutting edge of this segment of the specialty beverage industry.
...
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Latte Art 101
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...
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Totally Instagrammable
How to Create and Capture Picture Perfect Specialty Beverages
As a millennial in my mid-thirties, I remember when Facebook was just an informal network for college students. At the time, “social media” was merely a place for Myspace musings and covert searches to find out more about a crush. However, jump forward to today, social...
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