There is a tendency for us to  judge  a cafe based almost entirely on two things…

1. The impressiveness of the bars  design and build out: lets face it…if a bar opened in NYC, PDX, or where ever… and it had a Strada, with 3 Roburs, a pour over bar serving the best roasted coffee around AND had a USBC regional champ working some shifts…we would almost immediately assume that they are doing a great job with little thought to what the customer may experience. Truth is…we have no clue until we are a regular customer there.

2. The quality of the roasted coffee: this one is tricky because the raw product is so important…yet we focus so much on a false humility stance of…”getting out out of the coffee’s way” (which in some sense is true) it creates a sort of  “mission accomplished”  attitude even before we brew it.

What is missing here?

—The quality and consistency of the bars staff and the brewed product as experienced by the customer. Also how it translates to an over all friendly and valuable exchange and experience that breeds loyalty.—-This we do not put much value on when rendering judgments about which cafes are best.

Problem is that we in the “third wave” coffee community have no system of critique by which we can objectively judge the quality of the bars that we tout as being the best. Mine included.  It is a dangerous blind spot.  Now, individually we all say that we want to know if there is a problem…but as an industry we have only systems that reward or critique individuals or roasters but not cafes. These matter very little to a customer. Mainly because we have all been to a bar where a star barista was employed using award winning coffee and were served a drink that was pretty bad and with a side of attitude. But we blow it off because we are so tuned into the hype that it warps what sense of urgency such an experience should elicit. The customer however does not have such a pair of rose colored glasses…they see our bar much more clearly than we do…but they have the least say in determining which cafes we should be held up as examples. I believe that the central issue that the Knox post brings up for me is that of perceived value and value delivered.

Customers will not suffer an increase in prices etc. if we do not also drastically increase the standards to which we hold ourselves at the cafe level. Though I have had a myriad of great experiences in famous trail blazing shops…I have also had many many bad drinks and fantastically poor service from the same reportedly great shops.  Shops that we tell people to go to when we find out they are traveling close by. Imagine if the Micheline Guide suggested restaurants in such a way…you would arrive and the food would be spotty at best, service apathetic and after the whole ordeal was done you would not only have lost faith in the Guide…you would also have a sullied impression of the type of food which was served there. Now whether or not that is fair is beside the point. This is the reality of our current situation. With all the energy we put into competition and traveling to this event and that event …we would do well to put an equal or greater amount of energy into bringing our “A” game at home instead of being so concerned about looking good in the eyes of our peers.

The reality is that we are way better at roasting quality coffee than we are at running quality cafes… and that will be the nail in our collective coffin if we do not start really getting honest , stop being so sensitive to critique, and start seeking out honest criticism. I hope that anyone who comes to my shop will tell me honestly what they think. How else can we improve if the only voice we ever hear is our own? Is it possible that what we have surrounded ourselves with are “Yes Men” and sycophants ?

How many of our most beloved shops ever use customer comment cards? How many of us ask the customer “how was the coffee?” and mean it?  How concerned are we about honest feedback..even if it hurts? Would you tell a famous cafes staff or management about your disappointing experience? Or would you just assume that you are the one that needs to change because after all this is
“______ cafe” or “______ roasters”?   I know it is hard for me. If a customer tells me that they hate a certain coffee I love…I feel something resembling indignation rise up in me. Something I have to fight…and then work at finding a coffee that they will love.  The degree to which we are gracious and non hostile toward customers with “ignorant” questions or who ” just want coffee” is the degree to which we have successfully integrated empathy into our service mindset.

All this so ask, who is keeping our cafes accountable? We have to start innovating systems of reward and critique. It has to be industry wide and collectively accepted.

One small step we can take in the direction of building a system of cafe accountability is to make a commitment to not just sit on a disappointing experience and hold our tongue but every time but to constructively relay the experience to the appropriate people in charge. Also we must commit to relaying the positive experiences.  I think if we all start getting honest with each other we will start to see a healthy community emerge. One that can be frank but do it out of genuine good intention in the best interest of the cafe. I have heard it said that:  “The one who loves you the most, tells you the most truth “  ….The sooner we start really holding each other accountable the sooner the customer will reap the rewards of a greater over all experience forged by a collective concern for excellence in all areas, especially when it concerns our customers experience in our cafes.

It is not enough to just be a coffee community…we must be a critical coffee community.

Please note: Much of this is simply a working out of a relatively ambiguous idea.  I would love input and thoughts on this subject as I do believe it is integral to our progress as a quality conscious community. These are just one baristas thoughts.

With the exponential increase in baristas knowledge of crafting coffee the temptation may be to focus so much on the coffee that the shop crumbles around you. We are service providers. As professionals we must strive to achieve excellence in all the relevant facets of the coffee shop where in we practice our craft. A craft that is more than just the coffee but a craft of service and atmosphere.

Baristas need to earn the value they believe they deserve. We are blessed with great organizations like the BGA going to bat for the craft of the barista, yet it must be stated that the value that you desire to be associated with your job is something that must be earned daily by you. No organization can give it to you only your boss can. And no self respecting or barista respecting boss for that matter will just hand it to you because you can pour a tulip or because you win a competition. It is earned when mopping, when cashing out, when rotating stock. It is earned by exceeding your bosses expectations, by keeping a clean condiment station, by sweeping the walk and being nice to jerks.

If the barista craft is ever to be taken seriously we must start becoming more than just people who make coffee but people who create and maintain an excellent quality experience. This discussion is meant to direct the baristas attention to the street level reality of what it takes to make progress as and to attach value to the profession of  “Barista”.

-CD

Below is what I posted:

If you could….List off the top three things that you wish baristas would get a grip on.

Often times the day to day of the bar is hurried and thoughts of “I really need to tell them_____” quickly forgotten when a order gets delivered, a fire needs to be put out etc.

Quite frankly, many managers and owners hold their tongue much more than they ought to and this leads to a tense work environment, un met expectations, and a drought of communication.

I have been on bar for about ten years now in many different bars. Now that I am a manager and trainer I try to communicate to my baristas the things I wish my managers had communicated to me and pass along the good stuff that they DID communicate to me.

If you are serious about your job as a barista then you need to heed the advice of those who post here as it will most likely determine whether or not you get a raise or not…or whether you are viewed as a valuable asset at all.

I will start:

1. Don’t argue with me. Just follow instructions and bring up concerns later.

I love feed back and discussions but their is a fine line between honest questions and suggestions and just being contrary. Even if your Boss is wrong, they are still your boss and your arguing a “right” point does not make you an asset to your boss it makes you a liability. Best thing to do is to ask honest questions, gain understanding, and follow the directive. If you have a better way then ask for a moment to chat and bring it up as a way to enhance what your manager has already worked hard to put in place. If you come at it like you want to tear down and re-build…then good luck.

2. Be self directed and innovative.

If I have to tell you to clean, or stock, or wash etc…fine you are a new hire and you are simply learning the ropes…but if that continues… even if you follow instructions to a “T” you will not be viewed as an asset to the company but as one who needs to be baby sat constantly. You may have a check list on your computer or hanging in the mop closet. But if you don’t work beyond that, if you only do what is explicitly asked of you…you are not going anywhere with me. The type of person your manager is looking for is the person who automatically does what is on the check list without really ever needing the list. This is a behavior that CAN be learned but is difficult to instill in a workforce that expects too much too soon. You must earn you place.

3. It is not just about the coffee

Ok. I remember working at Gimme! Coffee years ago. And in my review time I always did well in my drinks and efficiency behind the bar etc. In fact I became a trainer at gimme later on…but I consistently had bad marks when it came to the up keep of the greater coffee bar, ie: condiment station, stocking, cleaning tables etc. This was frustrating for me because I was, and still am, even more so, passionate about the quality. But it was to a fault. I had blinders on to the world around me. I hid behind the machine.I strove to improve this and gradually learned that it is more than just the coffee people come for, it is the service, and atmosphere too. I needed to channel my energies to those things if I ever hoped to be a professional in any sense of the word.

Because I went through it myself, now I can see it in baristas and call it early before it becomes ingrained. The specialty coffee world does not need any one trick ponies we need efficient and flexible work horses.

So then, you, though you are passionate about pour-over, and latte art, and awesome espresso. You need to realize that you may have blinders on to the other areas that need your attention. The sooner you realize this, own it, and correct it, the sooner your boss will take notice of you. You will be seen as a MVP because you embrace the total package and don’t just retreat to the espresso machine.

So then, managers and owners…what would you add to these?

What do you want Baristas to know that will make them valuable to you and to the greater industry?

Post your top three HERE

It is a home coming for me and a big change for my wife. Muncie is a relatively small town and as coffee goes it is a typical waste land of quality. Vecinos was the exception and an anomaly. I was brought on as the barista trainer and bar manager. In the last month the general management and board of the church that owns the building and the shop have decided to close for one year and restructure the business. As my authority in this company was  limited to the coffee quality behind the bar I watched largely as a well informed outsider as the situation unfolded.  It’s hard in a town like this to get something to catch on and I believe the management and the board are heading in the right direction. Having assessed the mistakes they made early on they are now busy making things right. I really respect them for pushing onward and I hope they get it open again very soon. My services as a free lance trainer are always available to them but only if  called upon.
I will say though that I am actually quite excited to see what great things will come from the team at Alliance World Coffees. Chris DeMarse who is the head of coffee at AWC is a pretty amazing professional. I have learned a lot from him in the two years I have been here… steady, focused, and always learning…there is no better man to head up that crew. Then there is Grant Butler (Mr. “here come the beans!” himself …) Grant is the head production roaster. Grant may be a long haired, bearded, pierced, tattooed, death metal guitar player but his way around everyone is as a truly compassionate individual with a pastors heart. And that is exactly how he approaches the roasting and you can taste it in the cup.
Josh Lindstrom, a newly certified roaster with AWC, is all about pursuing the vision of quality coffee that is inherently inside him. He is a family man and a leader in the making. He and has been and will continue to be a great asset to the AWC family.
Lastly, Adam Crowder. A 10 year Army vetran and drill sergeant who ran his own successful company on government contract.
I hired Adam as a barista…and it was maybe a week until he was performing the role as if it were 3 months. It was obvious that he was going to be more than just a barista. Adam is the Head of Marketing at AWC. Other roles include catering, skull cracking, and generally being right and helping you come to that realization too. I have learned a good deal about work ethic and business from observing Adams progress.
Sarah, Fan (our Chinese intern), Geoff, and Tisha make up the rest of the crew doing phone answering things, barista things, catering things, production things, and youtube surfing things.

So with these guys at the helm of the ship that is Alliance World Coffees I expect to see great things. It has been my pleasure an honor to be amongst professionals like these. I am thankful to have worked with Guy Pfanz who started AWC and Vecinos. A true visionary and faithful Christian brother.
I will miss everyone at Muncie Alliance Church, and AWC immensely.
Who knew that such riches were waiting in Muncie, IN. Thanks everyone!
And thanks be to God. He is faithful!

Stay tuned for more info on what is in store in Syracuse, NY…

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Now when it comes to a signature drink there is always this line that can be crossed, where on the one side there are flavors that compliment the coffees revealed character …(character can only be revealed by study and exploration…never by assumption…learning about my wife is based on my purposeful study of her so that I may not offend her by assumption and so that I can compliment her effectively)… and then the other side of the line where, because there is an assumption made about the coffee or we are inadvertently ashamed of the coffees character the coffee gets masked and dominated by additions that seek to fix something that was never broken. My first signature beverage was like this…Pumpkin, spices, heavy cream, maple syrup….I drowned the coffee. I killed it by my singular excitement over every ingredient but the coffee and thus the coffee withered away starved for attention. Since then I have learned to learn. I have found that when you explore a coffee and it’s character… any additional ingredient should be selected to function as either a magnifying glass or a complimentary tone…neither of which works well by themselves…Both of which are given meaning and purpose by their subject or by their company.

So now when selecting flavors for my signature I hope that the notes chosen properly magnify the flavors of the coffee I am using to equal a grand Crescendo that celebrates the character of the coffee more that the cleverness of the barista. Although it is a “Barista” competition…we are nothing without something to showcase and are therefore defined by it and should be judged both by ourselves and others by how we respect it’s already revealed, and yet to be discovered virtues. So here’s to a great and fun 2010 competition season…and as my friend Lars would say…Skål!

As for the GLRBC…there are 3 from Vecinos in Muncie, IN (Myself, Chris DeMarse, And Sarah Leslie) and 2 from Grey House Coffee in West Lafayette, In. This is VERY exciting.

In fact I will be helping to train the baristas from Grey House Coffee tomorrow afternoon.  In the hurried and full day to day of a new shop training others is the perfect opportunity to train myself.  Working on the details of the work-a-day…or  “real” barista craft leave little time to plan and dream for the barista showcase that is the USBC.  In the past months I was feel more rusty than ever but being at the cafe practically every day I start to see the efficiency, speed, mind set etc come back. I think it is dangerous not to be behind the bar, especially if you are a consultant or trainer. It is obvious that the kind of information that helps baristas is not the same information that helps owners. If you train baristas you must come from a place of knowing through doing or be currently doing. Other wise the old adage becomes true…”those who can’t do, Teach”..That will eventually be true when you are too old…but how tragic to exemplify this when you are able bodied. I hope to be behind a bar for as long as I am in the coffee world.

Pontification has it’s place (a blog being one of them)… and as many of you know I have had my fair share of opinions…many of which were all about me complaining, putting my foot in my mouth….or, as in recent history, both! I thank God that He is gracious to me but I hope to be embodying more of what I see from three people I have recently been impressed by…

First fellow barista, Jay Caragay  I will quote him from a thread on BX…

“To be quite frank, I’m quite occupied with actually running a company that embodies my vision of coffee and customer experience.”

This is to say that he has little time to argue about the little things because he is busy DOING the big AND little things that it takes to pursue the vision of excellence he has. Props to Jay.

Second, Chef Richard Rosendale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33b8dxOTAnI

Although he and his team has won the worlds most prestigious culinary competition…Chef Rosendale, still works in the kitchen and is grounded in the reality of what it is all about.

And Third…and  still in my mind the epitomy of being grounded with humble perspective yet is most accomplish and respected is         Chef Thomas Keller

Re-listen to his closing statment at 1:40 in to the video. Picture what it would be like if every barista, owner, rosater, trainer etc had that drive in their gut. To elevate, maintain, set an example, mentor…

Here’s to a great competition season…but more than that lets make this a great season of real life competition where, USBC, or not…we are achieving higher degrees of excellence where it counts the most…in our shops!

My wife’s mural is complete!
I married up.

We are pretty happy with how this represents us (aside from the mentioning of the “3rd wave” stuff…which we are weaning ourselves off of using)

Check it out!

HERE

and

HERE

As a trainer I consider this invaluable to keeping sharp and being able to learn new lessons to bring to students.
On top of all the craziness of managing a coffee bar I am preparing for the GLRBC to be hosted in Milwaukee, WI at Alterra Coffee Roasters! Myself, Chris DeMarse, and a newcomer from our cafe, Sarah Leslie will be representing Muncie, IN and we are all pretty excited!

Also…another Barista of our, Casey Trammel has applied to the Millrock Latte Art comp in NYC. Working on a nice design. He is a great barista.

I will post pictures of the cafe and the mural my wife is finishing up soon on the  coffee institute FLICKR account.

I hope you all are well. May Gods Grace be with you.

-Chris