Starbucks Via instant coffee
In development for 20 years, news of Starbucks instant coffee project was leaked 5 days before today's unveiling, conveniently, just enough time for buzz to circulate over the weekend before the official announcement. The product, called "Via" will be initially...
Small cafes holding their own
At least a half dozen articles in recent weeks have reinforced what we already know: well-run specialty coffee businesses are insulated from the economic recession. While Starbucks and its management problems are grabbing national headlines, small regional coffee...
Live video of the 2009 South East Regional Barista Competition
2009 South East Regional Barista Competition : Feb 13-15, 2009, Atlanta GA ROUND ONE - 11:00am - 2:00pm Friday & Saturday FINALS ANNOUNCEMENT - 3:00pm Saturday FINALS ROUND - 10:30am - 1:00pm Sunday AWARDS CEREMONY - 1:30pm - 2:00pm Sunday...
Fortune Magazine article questions Starbucks moves
In Fortune Magazine's article this morning, "Starbucks instant: Will it pass the taste test?" I voice my skepticism about both the approach and product, echoing the concerns of analysts from UBS and Piper Jaffray. Perhaps I and the other armchair analysts and...
Latte Art and Sensory Skills Workshops for 2009 USBC at American Barista & Coffee School
Two new half-day latte art and sensory skills training workshops will be held concurrent with this year’s United States Barista Championship in Portland at the American Barista & Coffee School on March 5th. The Latte Art Workshop led by American Barista & Coffee...
Women Dominate Northeast & Mid Atlanta Regional Barista Competitions
Congratulations to Amber Sather of Brooklyn, NY and Katie Duris of Washington, DC, who both bested their competitors at the combined Northeast and Mid Atlantic Regional Barista Competitions this weekend in Pennsylvania. The pair become the first two women to join the...
Live Video of the Mid Atlantic & Northeast Regional Barista Competitions
Tune in right here this Sunday, February 8, 2009 starting at 10:30 AM EST to see the final 12 competitors compete for the titles of Mid Atlantic and Northeast Regional Barista Champion. Good luck to all competitors! 1. Benjamin Wilkinson (North East: Blue State...
Instructors Needed for 2009 SCAA Espresso Labs
Yep. It's that time again. The Introduction to Espresso lectures this year at the Specialty Coffee Association of America' annual conference in Atlanta are bigger than ever. We have a total of 15 stations setup that will need qualified espresso instructors to pull...
WBC judging workshop in Kenya
A judging workshop will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on March 20th and 21st for applicants who aspire to judge at the 2009 World Barista Championship (WBC) competition in Atlanta. On April 16-19, 2009, national barista champions from over 56 countries will converge in...
Starbucks Value Meal
Just the words Starbucks Value Meal send a chill down my spine... a chill of reality perhaps, the acceptance that the chain really is just another fast food company. I'm quoted in the most recent Associated Press article this morning as saying "You've got a lot of...
U.S. Barista Championship 2009
Regional finalist, judge and volunteer registration is now online for the 2009 United States Barista Championship, March 5-8 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Open registration for all competitors is available starting 3:00 PM PST on Wednesday, February...
Marketing Indian Coffee
Kaapi Royale Coffee of Karnataka, India has contracted coffee industry consulting firm CafeMakers to provide global business-to-business marketing and public relations services in 2009. Kaapi Royale is a leading exporter of small specialty lot Indian Arabica and...