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/96901
IT'S BIN FUN The ideal coffee bean bins will both protect the product and drive sales in all areas. BY BRENDA PORTER-ROCKWELL P rotecting coffee beans from the four common enemies— heat, moisture, air and light—is a simple part of doing business. However, the actual implementation—the container you choose to display and dispense your beans—is likely the hardest part of protecting your commodity. Options are many, creating a never-ending battle between fashion and function. According to the National Coffee Association, glass, while it looks good, is really not the best option for storing coffee. Instead, there are several other types of bins available such as food-grade styrene, acrylic, metal or polycarbonate material, all designed to help keep your coffee as fresh and vibrant as the day it was roasted. "Well, this is where there is controversy," says MaryAnn Oletic, president of Innovated Products Manufacturing, Brampton, Ontario. Over the last 26 years she has been told by "many, many coffee specialists" that the bean does not like the light and clear bins. So black plastics and wood are best. "Of course my favorite is stainless steel." Fresh beans make the best coffee and make for the happiest customers. In those self-serve cafes, coffee bins are typically placed where customers can help themselves. 24 An enticing display of coffee bins can drive sales all across the board. Photo courtesy of Innovated Products Mfg. "The beauty of this is that the customer now becomes involved with trying new blends," Oletic says. "One tap of this, two taps of that, three of another ... mix it up and voila, they have their personal blend." ANTIQUE STYLE Innovated Products manufactures and distributes a range of quality, antique-style metal coffee bean display and dispensing bins. The dispenser uses a side pull, free flow, spring loaded ball system. According to the company, the bins will retain their quality even after years of wipe-downs. In addition, their chrome plated rotating dispensing ball systems will roll out billions of beans without missing a beat. The stainless-steel interiors at Innovated Products provide a bean-friendly environment that resists stains and pitting. Beans move to the back of the bin as they are dispensed, so while the interior appears to be full, the Plexiglas window remains clean and clear. Also, self-service allows customers "to purchase as much or as little as they want," says Tom Van Beusekom, president of Crown Plastics, Plymouth, Minn. But there is a downside to self-serve: Store owners are very much aware of the cost of bulk beans. "If the customer allows a few beans to go on the floor, that represents [lost] profits to the owner," Van Beuskon says. "Our units are all equipped [with] self-closing gates to hopefully minimize any spillage and consequently inventory shrinkage." Crown Plastics' bins, like its Affordable Elegance acrylic line, range in size from 5-pound stackable bins to 15-pounders. All are gravity-feed with self-closing gates. Crown Plastics' units are embellished with brass fronts and trim, presenting an upscale look, Van Beuskon notes.