Comments for R. Willbur

Comment on Pour Your Heart Into It by Ryan Willbur

Ryan Willbur — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:01:21 +0000

Most of the time, I shutter at the term “Third Wave.” I think it’s something we’ve created just to please ourselves. However, I was recently writing about Specialty Coffee and trying to explain the difference between Starbucks and Stumptown. On one hand, the people who read this blog would not necessarily consider Starbucks to be Specialty Coffee. But the honest truth is Starbucks very much is Specialty Coffee… Especially when trying to explain it to the average coffee drinker. That said, I had almost forgotten the term Third Wave until writing that piece.

Since it’s been back in my head, I look at it more like this… We are still very much in the Third Wave. Third Wave is said to have started in 2002. Until 2007, we’d done nothing to change how we presented coffee at a retail level. Every coffee bar functioned like a Starbucks. The only differentiating factors were the coffees being offered and maybe something special about the appearance of the lattes and such. In 2007, creative retail stores began to emerge. Think of Intelligentsia Silver Lake, La Mill, 4 Barrel (and their slow bar), Intelligentsia Venice (and their slow bar), Madcap’s Sunday Morning Service, and others that are slipping my mind right now. These are Third Wave Coffee bars. These are the business models that are changing how coffee is presented. I think Tonx.org and Handsome are what Third Wave coffee roasters can be, selling their coffees in a different model. You see the Third Wave is just starting to go from crawling to taking it’s first baby steps. We’ve got a long way to go before the average coffee bar no longer takes an order at a register which results in the calling out of a “Triple grande caramel latte!”

Again, it’s not that I like the words “Third Wave.” It’s just that I’m not sure how else to say it.

To all of us, I’d say that if you haven’t addressed customer service in your business, you’re already behind the curve. Especially, if you respond to customers the way that is exemplified in the “Shit Baristas Say” video. If that’s the case then you need to reevaluate before calling yourself a professional barista. I’m excited to see Handsome’s new retail operations and see how their mission statement manifests itself. I think we can all steal from their notes and pay more attention to the customer service at high-end cocktail bars.

Bottom line, the world is still our oyster. People are drinking a ton of coffee. The good stuff is out there, but we can easily continue to improve the experience they have while getting it.

Comment on Pour Your Heart Into It by Jeremy Williamson

Jeremy Williamson — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:10:25 +0000

I’m not sure if it’s accurate to say we’re still in the “third wave” of coffee. To me, “Third Wave” was almost strictly reactionary to corporate coffee. I think now, we’re coming to a place where we are starting to understand the science behind how to consistently turn out a very high quality product, and exist and expand to a broader, non-urban clientele. With this comes the service/quality clash, as mentioned. I do not think the two are mutually exclusive. I think you can have great service, and not compromise too much on quality by restricting options, and being able to articulate politely and professionally why you choose to do so. I think it’s the polite part that we currently have the hardest time with. Until specialty coffee figures out how to provide customer service that is not elitist, but welcoming, and empathetic, we will have a real struggle growing beyond where we are now. That being said, I’m not sure if large scale, rapid growth is healthy or sustainable for quality anyway. I’m with you, in that it will be interesting to see the choices the larger specialty roasters make as they expand, and when/if they choose to stop in the name of quality.

Comment on Pour Your Heart Into It by Nathanael May (@Radthanael)

Nathanael May (@Radthanael) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:01:15 +0000

I read that book when I first started at Starbucks 7 years ago, and I was thrilled by the ideals that shaped the company I was joining. What had transpired by the time I got there had changed things significantly, which I started to see right away.

It was a great way to start, though. “Pour Your Heart Into It” kick-started my latent passion for an industry I don’t intend to ever leave.

Comment on 10 Favorite Coffee Things of 2011 by Jared Linzmeier (@jaredlinzmeier)

Jared Linzmeier (@jaredlinzmeier) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:14:55 +0000

Thanks for the love! You also spelled Wille’s (of Heart) name wrong..

Comment on 10 Favorite Coffee Things of 2011 by Ryan Willbur’s top 10 things in coffee 2011 | coffee business strategies

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:09:02 +0000

[...] Read the list on Ryan Willbur’s blog [...]

Comment on 10 Favorite Coffee Things of 2011 by Immobilier Djerba Midoun

Immobilier Djerba Midoun — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:36:59 +0000

nice xD

Comment on Clovers 1 – Urn 0 by illusion mages 3d animation software

illusion mages 3d animation software — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:51:42 +0000

At least some bloggers can still write. Thanks for this blog post.

Comment on Dream Machine? by bostoncoffeehub

bostoncoffeehub — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:20:13 +0000

May I just say that your idea is absolutely brilliant! That is a fantastic analogy.

Comment on Are We Missing The Mark? by Eric Zuniga (@ZoonyTime)

Eric Zuniga (@ZoonyTime) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:49:16 +0000

Couldn’t agree more! Wrong temps are being used, big pour over stands are being used without ever weighing the water being poured over but instead baristas just eye balling by volume, and shops are literally using 10 different brew methods without having many of them dialed in. These are problems I see way too often from city to city. I just want my coffee to taste good when I visit a shop. Use great coffee, grind fresh, pick a brew method or two, dial it in, make it repeatable, serve, and be nice!

Comment on Mazzer Grinders and Burrs… by Carlos

Carlos — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 18:19:46 +0000

Ryan, it’s Carlos from Los Angeles. Thanks for keeping me informed about the nuances of the process. I’m moving on from my daily Intelligentsia fix (I’m the LAFD-guy that would come in most mornings) and would like to get your opinion on some machines I’ve considered buying. If you have a moment, I’d appreciate some advice: iuvare@yahoo.com. Thanks!