From Brian Cornelsen, our Sacramento representative:
Well, it has been a busy first five months here in Sacramento. I have been doing my best to get the word out that we are now in town and ready to offer customers some of the best and most responsible coffee they can get a hold of, and the response has been tremendous. We have signed up some great new customers and have become more involved partners for our loyal long-term customers in town.
We have loyal caffeine enthusiasts, helping to create a stable supply of consumers, but how they get their fix has changed. Whereas, once a commuter would have gotten a flavored latte and bagel each morning, habits have changed to a drip brew with toast from home. This “trade-down” phenomenon has hurt profit margins at some café retailers, where other segments, such as the grocery business, continue to be solid. We, at Portland Roasting, have a good mix of both retail café and grocery customers, but we empathize these days most with our partners in the café business.
In order to combat the “trade-down” effect, it is more important than ever to make sure that drinks served in the highly competitive café market are the absolute best they can be. Over the course of last week, one such Portland Roasting customer took great steps to ensure that her stores were doing all they could to attract new and retain old espresso business. FLOUR GARDEN BAKERY, with three locations in Grass Valley and Auburn, has given all employees, over three nights, detailed contemporary espresso training.
Susan Copeland, the owner of Flour Garden Bakery, wants to make sure that she stays a step ahead of her customer’s expectations of a great espresso experience. Steve Jacques, Portland Roasting’s lead trainer, came down from the Rose City and spent three days making sure that all of Flour Garden’s team were up to date on how espresso should be handled, equipment maintained, and excellent drinks produced. We will continue to help Susan’s staff along with continual coaching and QA checks, so that she feels she is connected with the coffee performance in her stores.
Since I am an Auburn resident, I am excited to have Flour Garden’s new espresso recipes at the ready for a place to plug in and get some work done for the afternoon. I am encouraging anyone in the Auburn and Grass Valley areas to take a trip to Flour Garden and experience what a real cappuccino is supposed to taste like.
