I am enjoying a cup of Honduras Copan Las Capucas. This is coffee is Fair Trade, Organic, Rainforest Alliance Certified. Las Capucas coffee is characterized by an aroma of honeysuckle and maple, sparkling green apple acidiy, very light, crisp mouthfeel and a finish of baker’s chocolate. Honduras complements a date bar nicely or savor the flavor solo.

Front Page News! I have enjoyed our local front page news recently because of the creative marketing and events by business owners. These promos included photos and were stories, not paid advertising.
Examples:
1. Spam carving contest at a local bar and grill
2. “Wavers” (people as walking billboards) standing at a busy intersection
3. Elvis show and a local tea house offered special “tea times” prior to the shows
4. Fundraisers for Haiti
5. One of Fieldhead’s customers offers “I Drank 100 Cups at Leilani’s” t-shirts. I offered t-shirts, sweatshirts, and denim shirts to my customers when I was in the retail business and it was truly a hit. Earning something FREE inspires loyalty and excitement.
Let’s get creative and perk up our days with fun events. We can be involved whether we are a café, kiosk, or mobile unit. As I was in a waiting room recently, a mobile espresso van was parked outside, making coffee for employees. When the delivery person brought the drinks in for the staff, he did not stop to offer beverages to the 3 people in the waiting room. He missed the opportunity to make more drinks and increase his revenue for the day.

We’ve talked about our target markets and knowing our customers. It is vital we identify the types of people entering our establishments and buying our coffees.
Ask yourself questions. Track which drinks are the most popular and what your customers ask for. Another of our customers posted this very question on his Facebook page.
The more information you have about your customers, the better you will be able to serve them.

Drink of the week:
Caramel Con Panna – Pull a rich shot of espresso, top with whipped cream, and drizzle caramel sauce on top.

Make it a great week!

Have you tried our House Blend coffee? This is a blend of Central, South American, and an Indonesian coffee. The flavor is full and round, medium body, and has a lingering finish. This is another good choice for someone looking for a “good cup of coffee”. I recommend this for offices offering a better cup to employees and customers.

Retailers and roasters importing green coffee report great upheaval in the market. Coffee growers worldwide are experiencing massive swings in production. Global warming has disrupted traditional growing seasons and wreaked havoc in many coffee producing regions. Simply put: Hardy Robusta varietals thrive in warmer climates, and Arabica will perish. All our specialty coffees are Arabica varietals, representing 10% of all coffee grown in the world.

I talked about social networking a couple weeks ago. Face book is pretty cool making it easy for people to stay connected even while living apart. If you are familiar with it, you know there is a message that reminds you of family and friends’ birthdays. A birthday board in your café would be fun, providing an opportunity to create a “community”, and personalize the service. One creative Fieldhead’s customer takes pictures of her customers and put their happy faces on Face book. Another customer posts events coming up.

Collect business cards for a weekly or monthly drawing for a cup of coffee or pound of coffee beans. Send your newsletters to these customers, Face book, or LinkedIn. Promote your events, daily specials, or even what’s going on in your neighborhood.

Drink of the week:
Cherry Cordial – Add cherry, almond, and vanilla to your latte, frappe, or black coffee
Cherry Nut – Add cherry and almond to your beverage for a tasty drink

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Greetings, Coffee Crew!

Sumatra is an Indonesian country that produces a sweet, loamy coffee. Our Sumatra Mandheling has a creamy body and is a good choice to drink black or to add flavorings. Sumatra is a heavy coffee and is a great choice to complement a juicy burger or a luscious brownie.

Great coffee in the morning, a specialty beverage mid-morning, and an afternoon smoothie give customers a reason to come back to a coffeehouse multiple times during the day. And that doesn’t even account for quality teas or other offerings at your café.
A taste for higher quality coffee brings more consumption and business to the specialty coffee industry. Respect your coffee and choose equally great flavorings.
Ensure each customer has a memorable experience. A great tasting beverage is integral to that.
Get people in your door, sell them exceptional products, treat them well, and they should return. Some of the basics are sometimes forgotten, such as the “please” and “thank you”.

Better ways to drink great coffee:
1. Start with quality, fresh beans
2. Use a burr grinder – We distribute Baratza grinders appropriate for home and light commercial use. Let me know if you would like more information
3. Use a warm, ceramic cup that holds 5-6 oz
4. Taste your coffee black so you are able to enjoy the aroma, flavors, and the mouthfeel of the coffee
5. Add condiments sparingly to continue enjoying the coffee flavor profile
6. Coffee is not a substitute for water, so be sure to include plenty of water in your diet

This is a good time to analyze your financial statements, making adjustments as needed. Keep an eye on the little things such as portion control and waste of cups, etc. Encourage your employees to care as much about the success of your business as you do. Their jobs depend on it. We’ve all seen rents, shipping, products, payroll, and insurance rates increased, so be sure your prices are where they need to be so you are in business a year from now.
If you need to raise your prices, your customers will take it in stride as long as they are receiving the same quality product and service as they have in the past.

Check out our blog at www.fieldheads.com . Tony has set it up for me because we believe it is important for you to be able to access these weekly newsletters if you want to look back for information in a previous edition. Once again, please let me know if there is a topic you would like me to cover.

Make it a great week!

Greetings, Coffee Crew,

Have you tried our Breakfast Blend?  Tanya just purchased a new drip coffee brewer and is enjoying weekly samples of a variety of coffees.  So far, this has been one of her favorites.

Breakfast Blend has a citrus acidity that is mellowed with a creamy, heavy body and has a clean finish.  Great for breakfast, enjoy this customer favorite any time of the day.

Let’s chat about social media marketing.  I am new to much of it myself and a bit intimidated by the variety of “online” networking.  What I have learned is that media networking is a big deal and growing.  A few tips I have picked up are:

1.        Social media is here to stay, and forward thinking coffee companies are joining the online conversation.

2.       Opportunities include Face book, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more

3.       Create a Face book fan page and offer promotions, daily specials

4.       Interact with your customers for feedback on drinks, flavors, gather their ideas

5.       Don’t just market – be sure to interact with your “fans”, have someone designated to keep up with this regularly

6.       Maintain your website and link it to your social media page, keep your website fresh with new and timely information

7.       The Four Basic Principles for marketing the old fashioned way or using social media are:

a.        Target – Who is your target market?

b.      Brand – Create your brand image

c.       Engage – Engage your customers, get their opinions and feedback

d.      Convert – Convert your audience into paying customers

Drink of the Day:

Tanya is the contributing barista with these ideas for fun –

1.        Snow cone – Vanilla & white chocolate

2.       Black & White – Vanilla mocha

3.       Candy cane – Peppermint & vanilla

These drinks are great for latte, cappuccino, or flavoring for black coffee.  By the way, I am still enjoying the Chocó Tea I shared with you two weeks ago.  J

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Greetings, Coffee Crew!

My cup is filled with a brand new coffee for us.  Zambia is an East African coffee, and is our current substitute for Kenya which will be available again when new crops arrive in April or May.  The Munali Estate coffee features a wonderfully soft combination of honey, melon, orange zest and sugar cane, for a mellow cup of coffee.

Clear the cobwebs from your head with a cup of Zambia and a good book.  Books allow us to visit far-off places without stepping foot outside our front door.

Marketing tips:

1.       Samples, samples, samples…  Offer small samples of drip coffee, blended drinks, etc while you are making customer drinks.  Pastries or other food items are great samplers also.

2.       Increase your profit centers…  Coffee shops that are continuing great success are increasing their menu items.  Include breakfast burritos, fruit cups, Panini sandwiches, soup, chili, or protein drinks.  Your current customers will spend more and you will attract new customers.  Be the one stop shop for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Check with your food service vendor to explore their offerings for easy to serve food items.  OR, make your own.

3.       Whole bean specialty coffee sales have increased 12 percent in the grocery stores.  You already have a fabulous coffee to offer, capitalize on this revenue stream yourself.

Trivia:  There is no certification for “shade-grown” coffees.

Recipe:

Chocolate Plunge for Super Bowl Sunday:

1 c. fat free half & half                                   1 tsp. finely ground espresso

2 Tbsp light corn syrup                                   ½ tsp. vanilla extract

8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped                    Assorted fresh and dried fruit

Heat half & half and corn syrup, just to a boil, whisking until smooth.  Remove from heat, add chocolate, whisk until melted and smooth.

Return to heat and boil about 1 minute, careful not to scorch. Remove from heat, add espresso and vanilla.  Serve warm or let cool to room temperature.  (If making ahead, transfer to airtight container and refrigerate up to 1 month.  Gently reheat)  Serve with assorted fruit such as strawberries, orange slices, dried apricots or mangos, etc.

Promote Super Bowl Sunday at your café if you have tables and television.  If not, consider deliveries during the game.  Have fun!!!

Quality keeps your customers coming back time and time again.

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Hello Coffee Crew,

Happy New Year!  2009 has been a challenging one and 2010 is predicted to be more optimistic nationally.  If you are a country music fan, you may have heard the song with a line “if you’re going through hell, don’t let Satan catch you”.  I am always thinking about ideas to help us all in business, and this line reinforces to me the importance of determined optimism in life.

My coffee cup is filled with Peru this morning.  I choose these beans when I just want an easy to drink coffee that is mild,  with medium body, and cane sugar sweetness.  Fabulous with a touch of hazelnut syrup for a nutty taste.  Yum, yum…

Reaping & Sowing…  We have all heard this concept.  We reap what we sow.  Our marketing efforts are rewarded directly in our cash register.  Let’s not forget all our ideas  and strategies:

Passing out coupons for tips and thank yous – My hair stylist loves coffee for her tip and my chiropractor trades adjustments for coffee

Online coupons

Email newsletters to customers

Flyers

Direct marketing to local businesses

Partnering with local businesses and organizations on projects

The key to budgeting and financial strategy is making sure your short-term plans support your long-term goals.  Now is the time to evaluate our plans and goals for 2010.

Trivia:

Coffee – People who drank 3 -5 cups of filtered coffee each day reduced their risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s by 65%, according to results from a Finnish/Swedish study of more than 1400 people over 20 years by the University of Kuopio and published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Tea – Place a chilled brewed chamomile tea bag on your eyes until it reaches room temperature to reduce inflammation.  This will constrict the capillaries around your eyes, making circles and bags appear less dark.

Drink of the Week:

Elvis Special – Banana, Hazelnut, and a touch of cinnamon  Let’s celebrate Elvis’ 75^th birthday on January 8!

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Merry Christmas, Coffee Crew!

My cup is filled with our Holiday Blend, and I have enjoyed a Pecan Pie Brownie AND a Cherry Danish Kringle with it.  This coffee pairs nicely with just about anything you desire.

Tony, Tanya, Rick, and I would like thank each of you for your business and loyalty during this very challenging year and wish good health, financial prosperity, and peace during 2010.

Blessings,

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Merry Christmas, Coffee Crew ~

Let’s focus on a few coffee drinks that you might offer to your customers.  I would love to hear what your favorite signature drinks are, so please share when you have time.

1.       Raspberry Fizz – One of my favorite specialty drinks is fun for special days.  Use a martini shaker, add espresso, raspberry, chocolate and ice; shake well and serve in a martini glass.  Top with a dollop of whipped cream.  Try also with Mango.  This is great if you have seating at your shop or for holiday parties.

2.       Pumpkin Pie Latte – Just add pumpkin pie spice to your latte for a seasonal favorite.  Tasty hot or iced.

3.       Divinity Latte – White chocolate, almond, and toasted marshmallow syrups added to your latte.  Top with slivered almonds

4.       Decadent Pumpkin Mocha Latte – Crème de Cacao and chocolate syrups, add pumpkin pie spice.  Sprinkle cinnamon.  Dark or white chocolate change the flavors nicely on this drink.

5.       Peppermint Vanilla Latte/Steamer – This is a great drink for everyone.  Peppermint and vanilla are added to your steamed milk, with or without espresso.  Garnish with whipped cream and a peppermint stick.

6.       Eggnog lattes are a hit this time of the year.  Be careful not to burn or scorch the eggnog.

Offering a specialty drink with a pastry for one price will increase your sales.

Tony’s Tip:  It is always important to use the proper proportions of coffee to water.  This is especially true with coffees that have high notes such as African beans.  Bright coffees will taste bitter when over-extracted.

Enjoy your customers, family, and friends while you are serving them.

Cheers,

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Greetings, Coffee Crew,

Let’s just talk coffee and tea this morning.  You are all busy, I am sure, yet I hope you are enjoying the festivities of the season.

Holiday Blend:  Lemon & toffee notes with a nutty finish.  Medium body, so this coffee is great with most meals and foods.  I would pair it with richer and heavier foods and recommend it to a coffee lover.   (Similar to our Caesar’s Blend)

Sleigh Bell Blend:  Brisk, bright, and crisp finish.  Medium body, yet more refined so it pairs nicely with lighter fare.  Sugar cookies and lemon bars are great.  I would recommend this coffee for tea drinkers.  (Similar to our Big Mountain Blend)

Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is considered the cleanest and most refined of the Ethiopian coffees.  Our current crop has distinct lemon and red berry flavors and a tea like finish with hints of jasmine and bergamot.  I typically recommend the Ethiopian and Kenya coffees for tea drinkers who are trying a new coffee.

Do you offer tea in your shop?  Tea is becoming a large part of most coffee cafés and is a product you want to consider.  Our Mighty Leaf teas are fabulous and those of you that offer them know how popular they are with your customers.  Here are a few tea facts:

Black tea has 40 mg of caffeine and can be decaffeinated.

Oolong tea contains less caffeine than black tea, about 30 mg per cup.  It also can be decaffeinated.

Green tea contains less caffeine than oolong tea, about 20 mg per cup.  It can be decaffeinated.

White tea contains less caffeine than green tea, about 15 mg per cup.  It can be decaffeinated.

Herbal infusions and tisanes contain no caffeine.

Hot water temperatures and steeping times vary with some teas also.

Drink of the Week:

Choco-Nut Latte – Add chocolate, almond, and a hint of mint flavors to your drink.  Yum yum…

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga

Greetings, Coffee Crew,

Peru is a lovely sweet and mild coffee.  Most of the Central and South American coffees are enjoyable when you just want a “good cup of coffee”.  Peru will pair well with a sugar cookie or toast and jelly.

We occasionally receive requests for Jamaica Blue Mountain, but most people don’t want to pay the price for it.  My suggestion is to try Peru or Honduras as a substitute.

Who are you and what are you in business for?  Certainly, we are all in business to make a living, buy groceries and pay our mortgages.  Beyond that, we have to determine our focus and goals for our business.

Are you interested in the coffee farmers, sustainability, and all the issues at origin?

Are you most interested in the quality of the coffee in the cup, and providing the very best drink to your customers?

Are you more interested in the art of being a barista and competitions?

In my opinion, we need to embrace all aspects of the coffee business, from farm to cup to really appreciate what we are doing.  We can still focus on our interests and why we have chosen the coffee business and what we want to do with it.  Identity yourself, your shop, and your customers.  Then go for it!  This is the time of year we have the opportunity to present ourselves, shops, and products to many people.  Let’s be sure we are passionate and focused.

Drink of the Week:

Venetian Coffee is easy to make.  Choose your favorite coffee beans; preferably a bolder blend such as True Blue, Lewis & Clark, Breakfast Blend, Sonoma Signature, or Safari Blend.  Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon over the grounds in the brew basket.  Put 1/4 – 1/2 cup of sugar in the bottom of the carafe to make a pot of this festive holiday coffee.  My suggestion would be to make it by the pot if you offer several drip coffees at a time; otherwise you can make this by the cup.  Simply add the cinnamon and raw sugar in the cup of coffee.

Take time to enjoy the festivities during this very special time of year.

Make it a great week!

Peggy Sue Ennenga