coffee business strategies

The 2009 retrospective continues… May 2009 – Jamaica Just recently back from Bucharest, it was time for a quick turnaround for the Caribbean… and specifically, Jamaica. The Jamaican Tourism Board slogan suggests, “once you go, you’ll know.” Oh, how I know! …and will never forget, so hard as I may try. I have been to [...]

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A 2009 retrospective in February 2010, you ask? Well, I’ve been hard at work for the last 6 weeks or so (which you will see in the 2010 wrap-up), so it’s going to have to do. What, you want a refund? This is my second annual year in review, started in 2008 and inspired by [...]

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A short article in the September Restaurants & Institutions Magazine discusses the latest tactics employed by Caribou Coffee, Corner Bakery, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and McDonald’s to refocus (or in some cases, build) their brand image in a depressed market. I weigh-in specifically on the approach taken by Dunkin’ and McDonald’s to capitalize on the cost [...]

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Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) today announced that they will beat industry analyst projections for Q309, but almost entirely as the result of cost cutting initiatives and store closings, followed by decreased (ceased) short term borrowing and increased grocery store distribution. Though a positive result for the short term, the company saw an 5% decrease in US same [...]

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Greg Lamm of the Puget Sound Business Journal looks at Tully’s new plan for expansion and quotes my analysis of the situation. Franchising makes good business sense for Tully’s because it spreads the risk to the franchisee, said Andrew Hetzel, a specialty coffee industry consultant and blogger based in Hawaii. But Hetzel said he wonders [...]

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