We're Back
So, Mike and I have been a little weak with the posting lately. Sorry about that.
Mike is sick and I'm tired.
Mike has had some sort of super flu and has been all but completely out of commission for weeks.
The store has been crazy busy as of late. We had been on a pretty rapid upward trajectory anyway and then the NYT article hit. Boom. It has been crazy ever since. We have set the company wide single day sales record as well as the company wide single hour sales record.
It has been a constant battle to keep up with the flow and still maintain quality. The only way we can do it is to run a two person bar as well as a cashier. Weekends we add a fourth person to the mix, if we could squeeze them in we might even run the three person bar. Our space is pretty tight, so needless to say it becomes a hectic ebb and flow of bodies and coffee.
By the time it's all done and 8 hours on bar is over, I'm spent.
I know every one reads here and here right? Knowing that I understand this now old news but I'll recount it anyway. The very friendly Ian and Becky from The Martha Stewart Show came by with cameras in hand. They brought some very bright lights. I get really nervous in the spotlight and Mike being sick, bowed out of the interview. So that left me to fly solo. That certainly didn't help to calm my nerves.With cameras rolling I just went for it. Nerves and all, it seemed to go well. My hands did have a mind of their own, but my pours came out OK though. When it came time for the "beauty shot" (read this if you aren't sure what that is) of my latte, I went for a tulip/rosetta pour.
It wasn't my best but they didn't seem too excited about letting me pour another. We were last on the day's list and it had been a long day for them so I let it stand. Besides, they went to five different cafes and interviewed at least ten different people. Who knows what will actually survive the cutting room? In the end it will probably look as if Bob is pulling shots at Cafe Grumpy. If this episode helps people realize that coffee is not just a caffeine delivery system and can be a truly culinary experience, screw the continuity issues of a TV show. That's a tiny sacrifice. If the high quality cafes keep getting this kind of coverage maybe we can raise the bar a little more.
Time for bed.
posted by Chris Owens @ 6:52 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hello!
You guys are doing a great job over there!
I'm pretty sure Chris was just using that photo as an illustration of the type of latte he poured-- and besides, I'm sure he wasn't guilty of the dreaded pour-over-the-rim crime committed in that pic (rubbish photo too-- look at that camera shadow!). Hee hee.
But seriously, I'm glad to see you guys getting all that great press and bringing mass awareness to specialty coffee. You're doing great things for the scene out there too!
Thanks for helping clarify Nick and thanks for the kind words. How about you? Anything good going down in Toronto?
Things are awesome. TO is amazing, except for the already noted coffee shortage. People here are obsessed with certified fair trade/organic, and it makes it really hard for specialty coffee peeps to get folks to think outside of that paradigm into things like direct trading and the limitations of certification models for sourcing truly exceptional coffees (and paying farmers of said coffees competitive wages). There's no one buying cup of excellence out here, no 'best of' any regions making its way to TO. But there are some people doing good things, folks like Mercury Espresso. Guys are really experimenting, keeping an open mind and trying to push the scene forward. Not much else happening at the moment, though, but I hear rumbles of future greatnesss for this city-- all hush hush at the moment, sorry.
On a different note, this city does have a great metal scene. And there's no shortage of awesome, cheap food to keep my belly full.
Good luck in ATL! We need scene reports ASAP!
Post a Comment
<< Home