Coffee, Tea & Maté

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. 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 ⇒

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 ⇒

We all know it – tea has fantastic margins. The more you sell, the more profits you can enjoy at the end of the month. The problem? While tea might be the most consumed beverage worldwide next to water, chances are the demand for more expensive coffee products is what keeps you stressed during the day. Nevertheless, if you can take certain... 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. We talk to new shop owners, and people considering the coffee industry for a new business, almost daily. One of the first questions we hear is "What should I buy?" Opening a new coffee shop can be daunting venture, and stocking that new store can feel like an overwhelming task with the vast... Read More ⇒

I went into a McDonald's yesterday for the first time in quite a while. I drive through occasionally because every once in a while I crave a Sausage Egg McMuffin - old habits die hard! The inside of the store I went into was very different from what I remember. I would describe it as having left behind "cafeteria style" and as moving towards a... 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 ⇒

We ship. A lot. Every week, hundreds of coffeehouses all over the country rely on Barista Pro Shop for our products. Some of our customers count on us to complement their local distributor, while many of our customers use us as their primary supplier. We use our own trucks for deliveries within a hundred miles or so of our warehouses, but beyond... 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. When it comes to the actions of your customers and potential customers there are a few things you can always count. First of all, we eat and drink with our eyes. Secondly, we love a good story behind what we are about to order. Finally, isn't it human nature that we always want to try what... 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. 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... 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 ⇒

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 ⇒

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 ⇒

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 ⇒

Fast, profitable and delicious: those are my first thoughts about iced tea programs for cafes. At a cost of about $.10/serving, iced teas produce some of the highest profit margins for a café. So why do I find many cafes aren’t implementing a consistent iced tea program? The most common barrier I’ve heard described by cafes is... Read More ⇒

While those in the know may think they have fully capitalized on creating signature drinks for their retail specialty coffee business, there are many ways to power up profits through signature drinks, and only a handful of savvy coffee retailers do it correctly. In order to understand how signature drinks can add to your business, it’s... 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 ⇒

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 ⇒

Is there a summertime drink more refreshing than an ice-cold lemonade? How about a Peach Ginger flavored lemonade? Or maybe a Watermelon Rosemary flavored lemonade? Or what about the Frozen Roy G. Biv Lemonade pictured here? While the classic lemonade drink continues to be a summertime menu staple, trendy flavored lemonades have been... Read More ⇒

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 ⇒

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... Read More ⇒

Tips, tricks and surefire ways to incorporate signature drinks into your menu that your baristas will enjoy making and your customers will order again and again! Elaborate coffee orders still remind me of that scene from You’ve Got Mail. Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) observes that an indecisive person must make several choices to order a... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. 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... Read More ⇒

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... Read More ⇒

Should you serve food in your coffee house? Most coffee house owners recognize that serving some food in their coffee house is beneficial to their bottom line. The question for most is "To what extent should we serve food?" We hope to help you answer that question with some observations we've made over the past 14 years of working with... Read More ⇒

Iced Tea We're always surprised at Barista Pro Shop that our customers don't sell more Iced Tea than they do. Why? We're not sure, but we're going to take some of the blame for this one. We haven't provided as much information and support in the past to help our customers sell more Iced Tea, but this article is a first step to changing that. Most... Read More ⇒

"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. ... 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 ⇒

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... 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 ⇒

I broke from habit today. I ordered a 16 ounce pumpkin pie latte instead of my usual Americano. What sparked this change? Besides the prominently displayed poster featuring latte art in the shape of a pumpkin, was the barista's suggestion that I try this drink because "It's the bomb! We use pumpkin pie sauce and it's to die for". So, I had myself a... Read More ⇒

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... 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 ⇒

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 ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Ask a coffee shop owner about milk and you're bound to hear that they never knew they were going into the dairy business when they opened a café. After coffee, milk might just be the most used ingredient in a coffee shop. Even if a customer orders a drip/brewed coffee or an espresso,... Read More ⇒

Don't forget to check out our Drink Profit Calculator. Iced beverages can deliver high profits and attract new customers, so they are an important part of a menu that most people overlook! As the season heats up, be sure you’re considering these menu musts. Iced Beverages Extend your day parts – iced beverages light, refreshing... 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. 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 ⇒

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. 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. 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... 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. 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 ⇒

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. 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... Read More ⇒