Business Week reports on the new coffee bar concept being pulled out by Illy. It’s old news to some, but check out the photos in this cool article. Italian coffee maker Illy is out to conquer the “last frontier”—the coffee bar. By rolling out a global chain of licensed cafes called “Espressemente,” Illy intends not only to sell more of its high-quality coffee, but to purvey the original Italian cult of espresso. That means ensuring everything from the barista’s skills and manner to the Italian furniture and interior architecture of the café. It also means coffee as Italians love it: one short, dark shot that coats the tongue with subtle hints of chocolate, almonds, jasmin, and fresh peaches.
Austin I really like my coffee roasted reasonably fresh (meaning no offense to the Illy providers out there). But there is just something about coffee that is air sealed in a metal canister that doesn’t really appeal to me. Although it still sounds like a cool place. -1 Reply August 4, 2006
Charlie Chris, Did you know that Italian coffee giant Illy has its international headquarters in a place called Phoenix Arizona? True story. -1 Reply August 4, 2006
MikeFTrevino “We use a single blend of the finest 100% Arabica beans meticulously selected from around the world… skillfully roasted and air-cooled… then packaged in an air-free pressurized environment. The result: illy’s distinctive and consistent taste and exceptional freshness provide an unforgettable coffee experience you won’t find anywhere else! ” I believe they nitrogen flush the cans. That is the air-free part, but I could be wrong, so very very wrong. I, myself, welcome our corporate conquerers with open arms. We individuals know not what havoc we wreak when trying to educate the drooling masses about fresh coffee. In fact as it has been noted in other forums coffee now-a-days is comparible to wine, perhaps it ages like wine, hmmm? ALL HAIL ILLY!!! (genuflecting towards the Illy headquarters.) [/sarcasm] 0 Reply August 4, 2006
MikeFTrevino “For Andrea Illy, chief executive of Illy and the third generation to run the 73-year-old company, the barista, or barman, is a nightmare. Even if the coffee beans are of the highest quality and the roasting perfect, the barista has to get 16 variables right to make sure he doesn’t ruin the coffee. ” The rest of the blurb and nice picture if Illy hamming it up with another pod machine, is on the link above. I’ve noticed a trend, as I’m sure many of you have, and that is many businesses are realizing the labor cost of a well produced cup of coffee is not what they hoped. And in that lost hope they have gone automated (or that pod machine Illy wants to push), yeah they say it’s because of consistancy, but you will get exceptional shots more consistantly from a properly trained real person than a machine. The shop owners in general fear having to really pay a well trained barista what they are worth. God forbid they decide to stay a barista for more than a few years. Perhaps it is because most of these owners have no clue what they are doing and in turn think that the hired hand is equally as clueless and should be paid accordingly. I cannot count how many people have talked to me about their desire to open a shop or how they are in the process of opening one, but have had zero experience behind the counter. So they only want to pay minimum wage, but that only inspires the worker to work minimally. Larry and I talked about the role of the barista recently and as much as I hate to agree with him, but “Barista” is not a carreer. At least not currently a viable carreer. The advanced barista generally morph into the manager, owner, broker, consultant, ect. With the current explosion and growth of coffee geeks, there is a demand for exceptional coffee that cannot be met with current coffee shop standards. Perhaps this new growing customer base with a discerning palette and the willingness to pay the reasonable price, will allow the real Barista out there to continue doing what they love without fear of being pushed into another carreer because of economics. Whew . . . . sorry. [/rant] 0 Reply August 5, 2006
Austin I would say that I totally agree. We are trying to hire someone for our shop in Globe. But its freaking impossible. First off personality is a huge part of any local coffee shop hangout (excluding the strict fast paced high traffic espresso bar) But its hard to find anyone who actually is interested in the fine details of making coffee. Then to pay them well enough when you only sell drinks for a couple of bucks. Its a rough task bringing the love of coffee to the masses. 0 Reply August 6, 2006
Carolyne Tait Illy coffee is by far the best cup of coffee you can get in AZ. It is just a shame that the only place to get a great cup of brew on the go is at AJ’s Fine Foods. I usually buy can after can of all types just because when at home or at the office I know I can always count on a great cup of coffee or espresso. I would love to know where else I can get a cup on the go, or buy in bulk so I don’t need to purchase the little darling cans. Coffee Connoisseur, Carolyne Tait, Owner ArizonaBusiness.com 0 Reply March 19, 2016
