Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/28793
RED BERRY COFFEE BAR San Jose, California G o into any good restaurant and you’ll find 50 wines on the menu. Go into a good coffee shop, and you’re lucky to find three or four different javas to order. Te Red Berry Coffee Bar in downtown San Jose, however, treats coffee the way a fancy restaurant treats wine—it serves a wide selection from multiple vendors. “We wanted to offer our customers a broader set of tasting options,” says Lisa Hampton, who owns Red Berry with her husband, Jeff. “We started with three roasters, which was initially considered pretty radical, and are now up to eight roasters. Six roasters are regulars and are considered anchor roasters, two have been featured as guest roasters, and the guest roaster list is expanding all the time.” Te Hamptons did their research before opening Red Berry in October 2009. Jeff trained at the American Barista Coffee School in Portland, Ore. Te couple also visited several shops “to assess their operations,” Lisa says. “Jeff finally volunteered his services at a new local cafe to gain experience and build confidence in our vision of the business.” Tey decided to create a true coffee bar focusing on artisan- roasted, award-wining coffees from a variety of roasters. Tey equipped Red Berry with a reverse osmosis system, installed a Dalla Corte 3 Group Evolution espresso machine with independent temperature control on all group heads, and now use the ExtractMoJo soſtware in the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA’s) configuration. Tey started with coffees from Barefoot, Ecco and Ritual roasters, brewed more than 80 different coffees in their first seven months, and today are regularly approached by other roasters. 58 | April 2011 • www.specialty-coffee.com BY ED AVIS “Te key to being a coffee bar is holding to a very high standard of coffee preparation,” Lisa says. “Every coffee must be presented in the best light. Tis is where we have had our greatest success. We are considered one of the very best coffee establishments in terms of coffee quality.” Great coffee isn’t the only reason customers flock to the cafe. Secret-recipe waffles prepared fresh for each customer, blood orange cranberry muffins, and soups from Marsha’s Marvelous Soups are also big draws. Set in Vintage Towers across from City Hall, Red Berry seats 12 inside and 18 outside. “Our space is very bright with natural light, huge windows, 14-foot ceilings, and a 1929 vintage storefront design,” Lisa says. “We have decorated with reclaimed claro walnut paneling to give that coffee shop feel, and have used as much recycled material as economically feasible, including on the counter front, flooring, and table tops.” A rotating display of local artists’ creations enhances the space. Te combination of amazing coffees and charming interior has worked its magic: San Jose Metro readers voted Red Berry “Best Place to Worship the Mighty Coffee Bean.” Raved the paper’s “Te Best of Silicon Valley” review: “Tere’s no better place to appreciate the virtues of a well-made cup of coffee brewed from carefully produced and roasted coffee beans ...Te cafe serves artisanal coffee from the Bay Area’s top roasters and importers...made by baristas who know their stuff and take their craſt seriously.” EQUIPMENT: Dalla Corte 3 Group Evolution Espresso Machine ExtractMoJo software in SCAA configuration Red Berry Coffee Bar Monday — Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday — Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. redberrycoffeebar.com