Profits and Prime Drive-Thru Locations at Stake
All over the US, espresso entrepreneurs are mapping out prime locations and snapping up claims. The prize? Duplicating the phenomenal business success of the early espresso drive-thru operators of the Pacific Northwest.
For residents here—the land of the drive-thru espresso business—it’s become a given. We expect coffee on a […]

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Here’s someone on the right track. Creating excitement and not worrying about being the value leader.
You gotta love this! Especially after that depressing piece below featuring Starbuck’s new South-of-the-Border Taco Bell trick.
The New York Times article about this exclusive halogen-heated japanese siphon bar, has gone all over the internet, and I even saw it […]

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Has Starbucks been thinking a bit too far outside the bun…er, cup? It makes you wonder…what are they really selling? Do they need a “value menu?”
“When a product becomes indistinguishable from others like it and consumers buy on price alone, it becomes a commodity.”

Are they branching out to compete with truck-stop coffee? Where does […]

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Ken Davids of Coffee Review gave a thumbs-up 89-point review to a smart-machine roasted blend by Texas Roast.
Mr. Davids describes the blend as having a “very impressive aroma” and “grapefruit notes with distinct cedar and semi-sweet chocolate.”
“Ever since the review, online sales of our coffee have been booming,” says Jeff Schneider of Texas Roast. Schneider […]

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Everybody wants your spare change. And now that even includes the spare change our customers dig up between the seat cushions for their daily latte. Even Oprah’s found out about it. It’s been targeted with a trademarked ™ economic term and listed as an online word of the day.
latte factor (LAT.ay fak.tur) n. […]

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Specialty coffee isn’t the kind of product to get into price wars over. Let me repeat that. High quality coffee is not the kind of product to shave your margins on. Aiming to be the cheapest coffee around means you’re leaving money on the table. It’s simply poor economics. Look at $tarbucks. They understand […]

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