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/58144
WEST COAST Yaks Koffee Redding, Calif. "We just don't have a large culture in this neck of the woods who have demanded that." Kerns runs fi ve shops in Redding, Calif., a town known for its natural beauty, wild terrain and Old West history, but not so much for having a young, eco-conscious crowd. Cosmopolitan coff ee culture is still pretty foreign to this town of about 90,000. Th e town's population is on the average older than other cities the same size, with the biggest age group Th ere's not much of a demand for either Fair Trade or organic at Yaks Koff ee, but Mike Kerns, the owner, buys it anyway. It makes him feel good to know his money's being spent ethically, though all his customers aren't on his wavelength, he says. "We've never used (Fair Trade or organic) for promotion," Kerns says. being 45 to 64 years. Th e nearest big city is Sacramento, nearly a three-hour drive away, and many residents live in Redding because it's rural and quiet. A lot of these locals, especially the older ones, grew up drinking dark, low- quality coff ees, and they're looking for a similar taste. "People get used to a fl avor, and they want that fl avor," Kerns says. So most of his coff ees are a dark roast. "We found we have to sell what customers want," he says. But he still blends Fair Trade and organic beans into his conventional ones, even if he's the only one who cares. In fact, he's considered spending the extra money to serve Fair Trade or organic exclusively, but he feels there would be no return on the extra cost. "If our area demanded it…we'd do it in a heartbeat," he says. PACIFIC Valhalla Coffee Tacoma, Wash. Interest in direct trade coff ees seems to be rising, while Fair Trade falls by the wayside at one coff eehouse in Tacoma, Wash. Customers at Valhalla Coff ee are JAVA ESTATE™ ROASTERY 800-573-5282 WILMINGTON, NC asking about direct trade increasingly over the years, says Arvid Anderson, the shop's owner. His 1,600-square-foot shop sits on Sixth Avenue, a busy thoroughfare that's home to a long strip of restaurants amid acres of tract homes. It's also a stone's throw from the University of Puget Sound, so most of his clients who crowd this 1,600-square- foot bohemian café are students or retirees from the nearby homes. Th ey're a pretty environmentally and socially conscious crowd, Anderson says, and they ask for direct trade. "What my customers want dictates what I buy," he says. He serves Fair Trade and organic, "The prices CAN NOT be beat. My owners have asked me to find a better price and it CAN NOT be found. Amazing products. My customers love the coffee. GREAT customer service. Free shipping on coffee makes inventory control very manageable. A one stop shop for all our needs. Very informative and knowledgeable staff." Shirley, Coffee Shack, Rock Hill, SC but they make up only about 20 percent of what he buys. Another 10 percent is conventional. Th e rest is direct trade he buys from Atlas Coff ee Imports, where he worked as an apprentice many years ago. He trusts the company to check out the growers for him because he apprenticed at the company. "Th ere are times when you just have to trust someone's word," he says, "and I can always trust theirs." SCR 34 | March 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com NORTHWEST 100% select Arabica coffee fresh roasted daily... e Why buy from Java Estate™ ? Large selection of quality products, competitive pricing, awesome customer service, and fast turnaround.