Seattle Coffee Works

Friends, we have been growing a lot. Knock on wood.

Our growth hasn’t been miraculous – it’s been the result of a lot of passion and a lot of work.

When last year we always worried about how to have enough work for everyone to make a living, this year we’re more worried about how to get it all done.

We need some help!

Here’s the kind of things we need help with:

Managing and nurturing a few of our most exciting small businesses.
Manage roastery operations, a fast-growing mail-order business, and be a face for the company. (This is  an odd mix of marketing, operations, creativity and detail-oriented execution – you better know why you’d like to do this one!)

In one day, we might encounter any of these kinds of tasks:

• answer a call from BBC London with poise and authority;
• respond to an online customer who’s wondering where her package is;
• set up a new coffee offering in the cafe and online;
• swiftly and effectively respond to an event organizer who’d like to pre-order 400 pounds of coffee, ground for flat-bottom filter, with a customized label;
• pack 500 bags of coffee, because the person who’s usually doing that is on a much-earned vacation (you have to be able to rally some help for that one – a winning personality helps!);
• plan, prepare, and execute an ad campaign which will create 3,000 mail orders within a couple of weeks;
• sweep and mop the floor.

Cashista-ing / Barista-ing.
We’re a somewhat unusual coffee house. Everyone on the team gets to play with amazing coffees. Everyone has a voice. Everyone sweeps the floor.

On any given day we might run into these challenges:

• explain how we survive, nay: thrive, amongst the 999 corporate coffee walk-throughs around town. (This might happen any number of times on any given day, and even when you’re on number 10 it must sound as if you’re explaining for the first time;)
• make some amazing coffee by taking great care about each step in its preparation (if you don’t know much about coffee that’s fine – but you must be extremely eager to learn everything you can about this ambrosia!);
• taste almost every cup of coffee before your customer gets to taste it, and make it again if it’s not excellent;
• professionally, cheerfully, energetically lead a coffee tasting with four groups – one corporate team from Procter & Gamble, one party of ten family members celebrating their great grandmother’s 101st birthday (the great grandmother is there, too!), a small group of tourists visiting from Tokyo; and a tour group from Texas taking a peek at Seattle on their way to the cruise ship to Alaska (they voted for the presidential candidate you hate the most, twice);
• assemble sandwiches;
• do the dishes;
• sweep and mop the floor.

Managing the cafe at 107 Pike Street.
This one might seem like a far shot. First of all, we have a cafe manager, she’s awesome and not going anywhere anytime soon, so no need to rush. But if you think you’re born to manage a mid-size little coffeehouse operation and grow it grow it grow it, then please do step forward. No rush but we’re dead serious: we do need another cafe manager.

Here are a few examples of things you might need to be able handle to be a star store manager:

• one refrigeration unit or another breaks, or two at once, on the hottest and the busiest day of the year (you calmly get someone to help, pronto!);
• one of the team members is sick – you get the call at 6am. You’re in the store at 6:30am to cover for the poor soul;
• you puzzle out the schedule for next week. One team member has had something come up, you have another five emails or notes from other team members as to their scheduling needs, you know that a two-day weekend is a must for everyone, including yourself, and you make it all happen;
• you notice that we’re buying more pastries than we’re selling; you make a call and adjust the pastry order;
• oh, man, you notice so much. You might notice that a team member is having personal trouble – check-in required; your day is busy, you’re the boss;
• sweep and mop the floor.

Ok, friends, that’s the short of the long of it. If you know anyone (including yourself) who might be interested, send ‘em on down. (They should read that blog post about our unique process first though.)

I should mention a couple of things that would pretty likely be show stoppers: we noticed that while cigarettes and coffee go together really well, it’s hard for smokers to taste the fine differences in coffee – probably doesn’t make us a great fit for you if you smoke (you’d miss all those delicate flavors). And, yes, it’s retail: lifting 50lbs or so happens all the time; we’re open 363 days a year, including Sundays and Holidays (and that means certain times are just not ok for a vacation).

And, did I mention?, everyone mops and sweeps the floor. It’s fun for us. And you?

Coffee Drinking Man is taking a brief rest. Many friends of our café have noted that his arm, which normally moves up and down as he “sips” from his coffee cup, is bound in a sling. Yes, our very own 14.5-foot tall Coffee Drinking Man needs a break. Constructed by City Lights Sign Company, Coffee Drinking Man has been experiencing slight muscle fatigue from tirelessly sipping his cup of coffee for over 365 consecutive days. His arm, gripping his orange cup, lifts and lowers every 45 seconds, which translates to around 788,400 cycles per year.

The “muscle fatigue,” as diagnosed by the experts at City Lights Sign Co., lies simply in a simple bounce. Drinking Man has an internal motor that powers his 50-lb kinetic arm to rise and fall. As the motor fights gravity to raise his arm, it also struggles to apply a break to lower his arm as well. In the transition between the rise and the fall, his arm bounces which places a strain on the rod that connects his arm to his body.

In short, gravity works.

Back at the drawing board, City Lights Sign Co. is working on a stronger motor and a less stressful mechanism to power his arm. The goal, says City Lights, is to find the right gear combination to fight the bounce by keeping equal pressure on the rod that holds his arm in place.

Drinking Man's Motor

Installed one year ago in July ’09, Coffee Drinking Man has become an iconic host for a city known for its coffee culture. Like Seattle Art Museum’s Hammering Man, who pays homage to the working class, Coffee Drinking Man honors the gathering of people over coffee and the burgeoning influence of coffee in culture and society.

We’re optimistic Drinking Man will make a full recovery. Last November SAM’s Hammering Man underwent a similar procedure and, after a successful surgery, is persistently hammering his 15 hours a day again. We’re confident Coffee Drinking Man will emerge from his procedure healthy and ready to sip from his cup by the end of the summer. Just in time for a good cup of coffee in Seattle’s cool autumn weather.

They were all from El Salvador. Oh, El Salvador…

#1 Apaneca Ilamatepec Suiza: Sweet tobacco, tart dried fruit and rich earth.

#2 Apaneca Ilamatepec El Ausol: Lots of high notes - very tart and sweet with a bit of creamy earth.

#3 Alotepec Metapan La Matanita: Tart, nearly shrill approach leading into earth & chocolate, though slightly out of balance.

#4 Apaneca Ilamatepec San Isidro: Tangy cherry & woodsy earth, dark chocolate, and a light finish.

#5 Apaneca Ilamatepec Los Andes: Tropical fruit, sweet cream, tobacco & dark chocolate. Great balance and nice, round mouthfeel. Delicious.

We tasted the Atlas Importers coffees again. These were the same coffees as last week with the same roast dates, and another week’s aging. Looking over the two sets of notes, it seems that the week’s age made a big difference to me in most cases.

FTO Cascadia Blend (decaf): Creamy, rich & nutty. Round & sweet.

Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna: Dusty. Earth & chocolate, with a slightly bitter finish.

Costa Rica Santa Elena Miel: Earth, wood & baking spice. Dusty finish.

Costa Rica Cerro Paldo: Creamy tropical fruit leading into a chocolate and baking spice finish. Delicious.

Costa Rica Cloza Estate: Sweet tobacco, chocolate & caramel finish.

El Salvador El Toreador: Rich & sharp, a little caramel sweetness though acrid on the finish.

We tasted some great single origin coffees from Atlas Importers, which were surprising and delicious:

FTO Cascadia Blend (decaf): Mellow. Nutty, creamy earth.

Guatemala San Pedro La Laguna: Smooth & sweet. Lemon candy, nuts & baking spice.

Costa Rica Santa Elena Miel: Tangy & sweet. Dried berries & dusty earth in great balance.

Costa Rica Cerro Paldo: Creamy and hearty. Lemon, smoke & toasted nuts.

Costa Rica Cloza Estate: Tart & funky. Spice & cream spiked with dried tropical fruit.

El Salvador El Toreador: Dusty. Earth, baking spice & toast.

Welcome friends and welcome foes
Welcome you fools, and you sages.
Welcome you thinkers and you laborers,
Men and women, young and old.

We gather to taste of that divine nectar,
That permeates the air with its fine fragrance,
That dances on our tongues like a tango,
That sings to our pallets of symphonies unheard,
Yes, coffee is all of this,
This and much more.

For there is mystery here…
From farmer to roaster to barista,
Passion is channeled into attentive labor – this bean desires care.
And care we give it, as much as we’re able,
Not because we have created this thing,
But because we know the glory it has to give,
And so we tend to it – meticulously, tenderly,
As a mother to her child,
That it may be birthed into its fullness,
That wonder we are here to enjoy.

So drink you fighters and you lovers,
Drink you cynics and you hopeful,
Drink you orthodox and you heretics,
Drink you conservatives, and you liberals.

Join us in this most human endeavor,
As we delight in this gift—
From Creator to all humankind,
Dissolving the boundaries which separate us,
And forming community where we thought we had none.

It is precious,
It is beautiful,
It is coffee – Let us drink!

At the occasion of our Panama Esmeralda Tasting & Fundraising event on May 18, 2010.
Pictures by Joya Iverson.

We tasted most of our blends that day instead of the usual single-origins, and it was a great opportunity to try them all side by side. Here’s what I tasted:

Seattle Space: dried raspberry/loam/smoky chocolate

Mellow Seattle: dried apple/toasted walnut/nutmeg & cream

Emerald City: toasted bread/dark-roasted nuts/dark chocolate

Molly’s Blend: caramel/firewood/baking spices

Seattle Sunrise: toasted nuts/cream

-Delicious!

This is a good year to be in coffee. We see it in our cafe, and we hear it from our industry friends. It’s nice to have arrived in 2010.

A new analysis on mintlife (based on mint.com spending patterns) shows that:
+ Seattle is the top coffee market in the country when you consider spend per person (capita?)
+ Spending on coffee is up for folks who do spend on coffee (”users”) by 20% over 2009.
+ The average ticket is down a smidgen vs. 2009.

What we have seen at Seattle Coffee Works confirms these national trends but with one twist. Our average ticket is up by almost 4% vs. 2009: we’re selling more whole bean coffee and we see a trend away from consuming coffee in our cafe to home brewing. We also see a strong interest in single-origin non-espresso coffees away from the usual 12-oz latte. We’ll give an update on those numbers in the fall (once we’re through our busy summer season.)

Here is the graph from mint.com:

A quick alert about and an invitation to our event on Wednesday May 12 at 4:30 pm at Seattle Coffee Works (107 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, 206.340.8867)

The event is open to the interested public. There is a suggested cash donation of $10 to participate.

If you’re planning on coming, just so we know how many to expect, please sign up in the comments for this blog. Or send us an email. Or both. Otherwise just show up. We’ll have a good time either way!

Here is the skinny:

+ Ahead of the May 18 Hacienda La Esmeralda auction (which last year saw prices of more than $100 per pound for green coffee), we’ll be tasting samples for the seven lots this coming Wed. The format will be part traditional cupping part samples made through another contraption (either the Trifecta or Hario filter)

+ The event is a fundraiser for Facing the Future, a local Seattle nonprofit currently reaching 1.25 million students nationwide each year. Facing the Future develops curricula for all grade levels to help teach about issues of sustainability, global inter-connectedness, North-South issues — all topics critical for the future of the enjoyment of coffee.

+ The event kick starts Seattle Coffee Works beer & wine offering and showcases various coffee making contraptions including the brand new Trifecta.

Tentative Program:
4:30-5:30 Hors d’oeuvres (appetizers, $3 beer & wine cash bar, free coffee)
5:30-5:45 Introduction to Facing the Future and why sustainability matters in an increasingly interconnected world. A short introduction of Hacienda La Esmeralda and why we believe this coffee farm can show the way to more sustainable coffee consumption
Speaker: Pipo Bui, Director of Development Earthcorps; Member Board of Directors, Facing the Future
5:45-6:00 Cupping and Tasting.
6:00-7:00 Raffle for top coffees; cash bar.

We hope you can make it.

The second most common question in our café, next to “do your roast your own beans,” is “how should I store my coffee?”

“What’s the best way to keep coffee fresh? Can I store it in my freezer?”

Gulp.

A tough question that requires some scientific research.

First, let’s tackle what we know about freshly roasted coffee. We know coffee gives off CO2 for a few days after it’s roasted. We know that coffee left in open oxygen deteriorates more quickly than coffee protected from air.

In our café we store coffee in bags with one-way valves to let gas out and keep oxygen from getting in.

We also know our bags aren’t great for the environment, but compostable bags with one-way valves have yet to hit the market, so we stick with the bags with the best storage quality. Since this month is Earth month, we took another look at packaging. How much does that one-way valve really affect the lifespan of a cup of coffee?

Turns out, it affects coffee in a big way.

Last month we roasted our Colombia Huila Monserrate (March 30) and packaged it in six different ways. Each week after the roast, we blindly tasted each coffee, diligently trying to discern the palatable differences between them.

Over three weeks the coffee aged and each Monday we tested the six differently packaged coffees for new flavors during the aging process. Here’s what we found:

–The multi-ply bag with one-way valve scored high marks of freshness evenly throughout the three weeks. The coffee retained chocolate and sweet notes and some liveliness in its body.

The Kraft bag with no valve scored high the first week but deteriorated rapidly in the second and third weeks, developing a chalky mouthfeel and some grassy notes.

The silver tin with valve scored similarly to the bag with valve, particularly in the second week. The coffee showed a beautiful balance of caramel and nuts.

The silver tin without the valve scored a C average with decent chocolate and earth notes but became flat as it aged.

The espresso hopper showed more promise in the first week but the coffee in weeks two and three became thick and developed a toasted or char-like characteristic.

The heat-sealed multi-ply bag with valve, opened in the third week, showed the most complexity compared to the other coffees in week 3. Milk-chocolate base, earth and cinnamon.

So what did we learn? The valve seems to help the most in the final weeks of the coffee’s life.

In short:

–Keeping coffee longer than two weeks? Have it heat-sealed in a bag with a valve to make sure it retains its springy-ness in the cup.

–Drinking it sooner rather than later? Either the bag with valve OR a silver tin with valve will keep the coffee fresh and ready for enjoying. As long as it can let the gasses out and keep oxygen from getting in, the coffee should last a few weeks and keep the palate happy.

Six ways to package coffee side by side