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/52159
that, but I ate down there probably three days a week, and every day I wondered why I even went in there, because I waited 20 minutes for my sandwich." Once he even gave them his cell number and told them to call him when his sandwich was ready. At one of his coff eehouses, the menu includes three kinds of mainstay sandwiches, plus one that changes with the seasons, like a Caprese with mozzarella and tomato. A fresh delivery of bread, along with pastries, arrives every morning before the shop opens (the driver has a key). When the morning rush is over, the shop's backup barista goes into the back and gets to work on the sandwiches, turning out about 40 for lunchtime. Th at's usually enough; if there's a spike in demand, it's easy for one or two staff ers to slip into the back and make another half-dozen or so. Th e opposite view is taken by Frank Fiala, owner of 5th & Elm Coff eehouse in Houghton, Mich. Quality sandwiches are a major attraction for his shop, which advertises the use of meats and cheeses from Nueske's, a high-end retailer based in Wittenberg, Wis. Making sandwiches to order is a key aspect of quality, Fiala says. "I'm not going to pre-make stuff , because that just dilutes the whole quality," he says. "In fact, I think that just compromises the whole intent of being in business. If you're going to off er something unique, you want it fresh, and you want it produced right here so the people know they're getting something good. Otherwise, you can go anyplace and get a premade sandwich." Th e key is to fi nd a comfort level that will enable you to furnish high-quality goods while not infringing on your identity as a coff eehouse. Sometimes that means pulling back on the ambitiousness of your off erings. Th at's what Erika Weidler, owner of Fire Fly Coff eehouse in Oregon, Wis., found when she off ered build-your-own sandwiches. Th e customers loved it, but it just got to be too much for a "kitchen" that comprised a four-sandwich Panini grill and a microwave. She plans to keep off ering sandwiches but is phasing out the build-your-own aspect. "So many customers are wanting a sandwich shop as well, but I will always be a coff eehouse fi rst," Weidler says. "Coff ee is our most important thing—it's kind of our brand. I'd much rather be a coff eehouse that serves really great sandwiches than a sandwich shop that serves really good coff ee." SCR HERE ARE SOME BAKED GOODS OF POTENTIAL INTEREST TO COFFEEHOUSES: Inc ep • As the website for Wired Waffles In . (www.wiredwaffles.com) states, its eponymous product is "born out of a love ffo w or waffles and a life of coffee." These frozen waffles have 200 milligrams of caffeine per ser se ving. They thaw after 30 seconds in the micr p m owave and come either in bulk, for portion service, or individually packaged for counter sales. • Wicked Jack's Rum Cake from Aroma Ridge Baking (www.aromaridge. A com) is a fresh product, but its rum glaze and vacuum-seal packaging give it a shelf life of six months. It comes in a 4-oz. size for counter sales, plus 20- and 33-oz. sizes for slicing and serving. Flavors include Jamaican, Ol' Gran Butter, Chocolate and Caramel. • Biscotti from My Boys Baking (www.myboysbaking.com) are smaller than average, and are rich, dense and layered. They come in 17 flavors, including Tropical Fruit, Red Velvet, Orange Toffee Pecan and Caramel Walnut. They are available in bulk, for a coffee accompaniment, or prepackaged. Other baked goods from My Boys include brownies, cookies, mini Bundt cakes and rugelach (flaky, crescent-shaped pastry). • Coffee cakes from My Grandma's ( T F C o O ru of New England (www.mygrandma.com) are available whole, pre-sliced or in single-serve miniature. Options include low fat and/or nut-free. Flavors include Cape Cod Cranberry, Cinnamon Walnut and Granny Smith Apple. The fresh cakes have a 14-day shelf life and can be frozen for up to six months. • Raw nutritional bars from Athena's Silverland Desserts (www.silverlanddesserts.com) are formulated with flaxseed and have flavorings like apricot, cherry and date. They're high in fiber and low in fat, for a healthy alternative to brownies and dessert bars. • Scone mixes from Victorian House Scones (www. victorianhousescones.com) let retailers make fresh scones quickly and efficiently, while allowing easy customization q unique products. Users freeze the dough as individual ready-to-bake scones, for quick baking each morning. They w c u fr in s e can also customize scones by adding a variety of fruits, nuts, or flavorings to the dough. January 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com | 19 for