In Part I of this series, we discussed how to conduct an energy audit of your coffee shop or restaurant, to learn where best to incorporate energy efficiencies.
If an audit uncovers expensive fixes for your energy habit—like a need to upgrade your restaurant equipment to Energy Star models or install a new H-VAC system (not easy tasks), don’t fear. You can do those things in phases, and in the meantime, implement green measures that won’t break the bank:
Conserve water.Simple changes in your water use such as running the dishwasher only when it is completely full, loosening dried food by...
Restaurants and cafes use five to seven times more energy per square foot than most other commercial buildings—and create a lot of garbage. Yet when looking to cut costs, even owners who see the value in “green coffee shop” status often focus on staffing or food-related costs—and ignore energy consumption.
The first step in achieving a sustainable foodservice business is to perform an energy audit to evaluate energy consumption in different areas of your café or restaurant. There are two ways to do this:
Working with an energy efficiency professional...
The perfect shot of espresso isn't an elusive goal. It's within any barista's reach, with a little practice. Beyond the basics of pulling a shot, you just need to know how to evaluate an espresso's appearance, smell and taste.
So, what makes a shot of espresso truly great?
The right brew time, for starters. Let's assume you have a delicious espresso roast, you know how to examine and tweak your grind, and how to tamp it into the portafilter just like so. If you've got these initial steps down, your espresso should take somewhere between 20 and 25 seconds to brew.
The stream of espresso...
Put yourself in your patrons’ shoes to find out if you're on your customer service "A" game.
When was the last time you asked a customer for honest feedback? If your answer is, “not lately,” you may not truly know what's great (and what needs improvement) at your café or restaurant. And not knowing what needs improvement will likely lead to a loss of business.
Not only should you solicit feedback from patrons, you should take on their experience as your own. Among the benefits of walking in your customers’ shoes:
As commonplace as they are, airpots can be a conundrum coffeehouse and restaurant staff. There are several models to choose from and they require different things to operate and care for them correctly. This guide to using and maintaining the most common airpot designs will set you on the right path.
Preheating and brewing your airpot:
No matter what kind of airpot you have, preheating is crucial. Brewing hot coffee into a cold airpot immediately lowers the temperature of the coffee by at least a few degrees. Most manufacturers recommend starting the day off right by filling the airpot...
You’ve got a great location, tasty food and drinks, and you've assembled a talented staff to welcome your customers. But have you talked to your team about how to talk to customers? It can seem obvious or demeaning to "teach them manners," but even well-meaning baristas, bartenders and servers can be perceived as impatient, impetuous or indifferent if they don't choose the right words with customers.
The following list of What Not to Say ... and What to Say Instead should be required reading for any employee—especially those who deal with customers. Some of the what-not-to-say phrases will...
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