Coffee shops have experienced explosive growth in past years, and their popularity continues to grow as people seek places to get a decent cup of coffee, chat with friends, meet for business, or just plug in their laptop to work.
It seems perfectly reasonable (and profitable) to enter this growing industry, but it can be intimidating to start one up on your own. That’s why coffee shop franchises are becoming a well loved choice for people who want to start their own coffee shop, but want security in their investment. With a trusted brand name, training, and support, coffee shop franchises are a fantastic investment.
We have prepared some vital aspects to keep in mind when choosing the coffee franchise opportunity that suits you best.
• Choose if franchising is for you. Franchising can be a fantastic solution for someone that wants to start his or her own business, but wants the support and brand name recognition that come along with franchises. You will need to weigh the pros and cons of franchising for yourself.
• Research the industry and the product. You also want to make sure that the coffee industry is right for you, so find out more about it and the product you will sell. There are plenty of Internet articles that pertain to the industry , including discussion forums by current franchisees who share their experiences. Keep in mind that owning a coffee shop may mean long hours and a substantial capital investment for the leasing of a retail space.
• Examine your franchise options. This includes research on the Internet, in trade magazines and by attending franchise exhibitions. Franchise Direct’s directory of coffee franchise opportunities is a fantastic resource.
Once you start examining the different coffee shop franchises that exist, question yourself the following questions to help you choose the one that makes the most sense for your current situation.
1. Does this coffee franchise have a well-recognised brand name? This can be crucial in the success of your coffee franchise business, as consumers prefer brands with which they are already acquainted.
2. How much capital is required? Find out whether or not you can afford the franchise. Some franchisors offer direct or third party financial help, so be sure to question.
3. What kind of training and support will they provide? This will depend heavily on the franchisor you choose, so make sure to find out exactly what they offer. Usually, they will give you the rights to use the company’s name and brand, and provide training on their products as well as guidelines on managing employees and administrative activities. They also often provide help with the launch of the business and may give you a discount on supplies and products with their bulk purchasing power. But, keep in mind that some franchisors do charge fees for the ongoing support and may even charge monthly royalties on the profit you make.
4. Are there many similar coffee shops in your area? You want to make sure that the area in which you plot to start your coffee house franchise is not one that’s already inhabited by similar coffee houses. Too many of the same type of store in the same neighborhood could be terrible for business. Some franchises may offer exclusive territories, where you are the only franchisee in the area, so it is best to find out what the company’s policy is early on.
5. How strictly do you need to conform to guidelines set out by the franchisor? When you open up a coffee franchise, you will need to reckon about the appearance of your storefront. This may include displays of the logo and specific décor requirements that will need to be strictly implemented.
6. What are the company’s policies on selling your franchise down the road? At some point in the future, you may choose to sell your franchise. This can be for a variety of reasons, including retirement, personal circumstances or starting a new business. Make sure the coffee franchise you’re looking at has resale procedures that are simple on you.
The best way to find out all the vital information about your potential coffee shop franchise is by talking to current franchisees, visiting the franchisor’s head office and carefully reading through the franchise agreement. Talking to current franchisees will provide a real-world perspective on owning a franchise for that coffee company. Question them about their day-to-day operations, their struggles, and earnings both at start up and currently. Visiting the franchisor’s head office will tell you what kind of operation the company is running. A visit will give you insight into the leadership and direction of the company, as well as provide an indication of the support you will likely receive as a franchisee. Finally, reading the franchise agreement should verify all of the information that you’ve discussed previously with the franchisor. This is a crucial legal document that will establish the details your contract term and answers to all of the questions above.
Once you follow these steps, you should be ready to choose the coffee shop franchise that will best suit you.
For more information visit: http://www.franchisedirect.co.uk/coffeefranchises/179

Brewing a fantastic cup of coffee with a basic coffee machine is possible. You don’t need a thousand dollar espresso master to be an at-home barista. But, brewing a tasty coffee takes work and preparation. To learn more about how to brew a fantastic machine cup of coffee, keep reading.

Clean Machine

Start your brewing process by making sure your machine is clean. You should be cleaning out your coffee pot with soap and water after every use and making sure that you rinse it out well. You don’t want to leave behind any used coffee grounds or the bitter taste of previously brewed coffee on the inside the machine.

Ideally, your pot should be thoroughly clean and decalcified or descaled at least once a month. To do this, you can use a mild solution of lemon and water or a specific descaling product designed for coffee machines.

Clean Tools

Next, make sure your coffee preparation tools are also clean. This includes your reusable filter container and coffee spoon. Most coffee brewers use the same coffee spoon over and over, going as far as to store the scoop inside the coffee container. But, the metal or plastic from your scoop can react with the coffee and affect its natural flavor, so avoid doing this. Instead, store it in a clean area perhaps with or near your other silverware.

Filtered Water

Try using filtered or pure water the next time you brew a pot of coffee and note the difference when compared to tap water. By removing sediment, minerals and other taste-affecting particles, you can ensure the pure water you’ll be using won’t affect the taste of your brew.

Many coffee machines come with water filters. If yours includes a filter, remember to clean it and replace it on a regular basis to avoid build-up or calcification.

Additionally, some people also like the clean taste of distilled water, using their own countertop water distiller. Using home distilled water can significantly improve the taste of coffee.

Properly Stored Coffee

Coffee should be stored in a dark place at room or refrigerator temperature. Freezing your coffee may make it last longer, but it can also negatively affect the taste.

So, instead of buying your coffee in bulk and freezing it, buy freshly roasted coffee and use it within the week. Find a local roaster in your area and go directly to the source for that truly fresh taste.

Freshly Ground

Ideally, you should be buying whole ground coffee and grinding your coffee beans immediately before you start brewing. This will lock in freshness and keep your coffee from going stale.

When grinding, remember that how fine you grind the coffee will affect the taste. If coffee is too finely ground, it will taste bitter, but if it’s not ground enough, it will taste flat.

Excellent Measurements

A excellent measurement ratio is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every six ounces of water. Using much more than that will give the coffee a taste that is too strong for most.

• Five pounds of roast to order premium Masterpiece Coffee!
• Packaged immediately after roasting using premium one way valve bags!
• Ships Quick and Fresh!
• Simply tell us the grind level you would like in the order notes!

Product Description
Blended with twice the amount of “Extra Fancy Kona” required by law, this medium bodied coffee is packed with delicate floral notes along with a one of a kind smooth, champagne like end…. More >>

Kona Blend, Five pound bag

• Five pounds of roast to order premium Masterpiece Coffee!
• Packaged immediately after roasting using premium one way valve bags!
• Ships Quick and Fresh!
• Simply tell us the grind level you would like in the order notes!

Product Description
Medium in body with a bright and vibrant “front of the cup” sensation. This coffee is lively and nicely balanced with its delicate and flavorful end. We’ve recently been roasting a Oaxaca Pluma from the southern part of the central mountain region in Mexico. Roasted a tad longer than our lightest roast. Specs of oil will start to surface as this coffee is cooling…. More >>

Mexico, Five pound bag

Spray dried coffee, freeze dried coffee and liquid instant coffee are used the world over with limited appeal. But what really is instant coffee and how are the different forms produced? The initial production process is the same for all three, but they undergo different final processes depending on the variant required.

Typically the coffee beans chosen for instant coffee production are from the lower end of the quality scale, since many of the subtle flavors and aromas of the more expensive types are lost in the production process.

Freeze dried coffee was discussed in a different article, so here we concentrate on the production of Spray Dried Coffee. Much waste product is produced in the initial brewing chambers in the form of used coffee grounds. But these days they are recycled for use in animal foods, used as organic fuels or processed as compost.

Stage One – This stage involves the production of large quantities of freshly brewed coffee using industrial bulk brewers. Freshly ground coffee is place into contact with hot water in industrial brewers until the desired degree of extraction has occurred. The process can either be the drip filter method that many use in the home or an industrial version of the coffee percolator. Much waste product is produced in the initial brewing chambers in the form of used coffee grounds. But these days they are recycled for use in animal foods, used as organic fuels or processed as compost.

Stage Two – The resulting coffee liquor liquid is then concentrated through an evaporation process where some of the volatile aroma components are removed and stored to be returned later prior to packing.

This stage produces a thick more viscous coffee liquid that is then ready for the next stage in the making of spray dried instant coffee.

Stage Three – The concentrated liquid coffee is then sent to the spray-drying tower where it is turned into powder. This is achieved by pumping the coffee concentrate through an atomizer where it is broken into small droplets. The falling droplets lose their water content rapidly as they come into contact with the drying gases. They are are suspended in the drying air and typically separated by centrifugal action.

The powdered coffee produced can but often be too fine to be easily used. Consequently it often undergoes an additional process called agglomeration, which results in a more useable and appealing product. The fine coffee particles are gathered into larger particles using a partial re-hydration process which produces a more visually tempting finished product somewhere between the consistency of powder and freeze dried coffee.

Spray dried coffee is considerably cheaper to produce that freeze dried coffee, the latter of which is considered the higher quality product. The concentrated liquid coffee is then sent to the spray-drying tower where it is turned into powder. This is achieved by pumping the coffee concentrate through an atomizer where it is broken into small droplets. The falling droplets lose their water content rapidly as they come into contact with the drying gases. They are are suspended in the drying air and typically separated by centrifugal action.

In this article we look at the origins of coffee from the South American continent.

Brazilian Coffee – Brazil produces roughly a third of the worlds’ coffee, but the bulk of it is of the Robusta variety and is not considered to be of high quality. It is mainly used for blending, and the Brazilians have always had the priority of low price over quality.

But there are some brilliant Arabica coffees grown around the Sao Paulo region, where the well know Santos or Bourbon Santos bean are produced. Another well loved variety is the Rio, a dry-processed bean with a characteristic medicinal-like flavour. Considered a defect by most westerners it is but much loved in the Balkans and Middle-Eastern countries.

Coffee From Colombia – Colombia produces a large amount of brilliant and consistent quality – predominately Arabica – beans each year. It is now the largest producer of Arabica coffees on the planet.

The standard Colombian coffee is wet-processed, and is grown by small farmers or smallholders – mostly in the three main mountain ranges (called cordilleras) – and collected, processed, milled and exported by the Colombian Coffee Federation. It is all well balanced, has brilliant consistency and can range from a superb, high-grown, mildly fruity flavour, to a rather ordinary, yet still fruity coffee.

The coffee industry in Colombia is known the world over for its high quality production.

Peruvian Coffees – Despite domestic political problems, Peru still manages to figure among the top ten coffee producers in the world.

The best Peruvian coffees are high grown arabicas, which are flavourful, aromatic, gentle, and mildly acidy, and they are highly valued for their blending properties.

Ecuadorian Coffees – In 2007 Ecuador produced nearly a million bags of both arabica and robusta coffees. These coffees are medium-bodied and honestly acidy, with a straightforward flavour typical of most Central and South American coffee.

Whilst the country has everything to produce top quality coffees, in fact most of the coffee exported is aimed at low price rather than high quality. Much of the coffee is consumed within the country itself.

Venezuelan Coffees – Venezuela used to produce large quantities of coffee comparable to that of Colombia but since the discovery of oil it’s past glories have waned substantially so that today Venezuela only produces around 7% of Colombia’s production. Most of this is drunk by the Venezuelans themselves.

Unsurprisingly the best arabica Venezuelan coffee comes from the far western corner of the country – the part that borders Colombia.

Coffees from this area usually are called Maracaibos, after the port through which they are shipped. The best-known Maracaibo coffees are Caracus, C?a, M?da, Trujillo, and T?ira. Regardless of market name, the highest grade of Venezuela coffee is Lavado Fino, (fine washed)

Look out for my other articles in this series of coffees from around the globe.

Because of higher retail prices we now have a wide range of various Types of Gourmet coffee Beans in our every day lives, it can be more and more hard to discern what you’re buying at the market. And that’s not surprising given the sheer numbers game.

From what we know, there are more than 6,000 variations in the world, with at least 25 major types of gourmet coffee beans underneath that. When it comes down to it, though, the two most commercially vital types of beans are Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica Types of Gourmet coffee Beans account for over 60% of gourmet coffee production worldwide. The Arabica plant is a large bush and is very susceptible to frost, disease, and pests. Because of this, its beans are more expensive. Arabica can be used in its pure form or used as the base for gourmet coffee blends with Robusta. Arabica has a delicate flavor and is used to add body to the gourmet coffee when used in blends.

The flavor of Arabica beans varies widely according to the region of the world where they are grown. Indonesian beans produce the richest, most full-bodied cup of gourmet coffee. Hailing from Java and Sumatra, the brew is a excellent dessert gourmet coffee and very suitable to flavoring with cream and sugar. Arabica beans grown in Central and South America offer moderate body and aroma. Most breakfast blends are made with American gourmet coffees, as are most flavored gourmet coffees.

By contrast, Robusta gourmet coffee accounts for nearly 40% of world production. Robusta differs from Arabica in that it’s much simpler to grow and is resistant to disease and weather and is therefore cheaper.

But, this does not necessarily mean that a gourmet coffee blend with Robusta is lower quality than pure Arabica – gourmet coffee blends are designed to bring out the best in different flavors. Robusta has a strong flavor and is used to give ‘kick’ to gourmet coffee. Robusta doesn’t vary in flavor as widely as Arabica does. It was first learned growing naturally in the area now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Growers in Africa produce a gourmet coffee of medium aroma and body. If you like very flavorful gourmet coffees, you will like those from Kenya and Tanzania. Now that you know the basics of Gourmet coffee Beans, the question turns to which Types of Gourmet coffee Beans are right for you. It really depends on with what you’re plotting to serve the gourmet coffee. If you’re serving with breakfast or a dessert of fruit and sorbet, beans from East Africa (particularly Kenya and Ethiopia) or Mexico will best complement the food.

If you’re going to offer your guests light desserts like cakes, cookies, or pie, the beans of Guatemala and Colombia will warm up the food with their slight acidic tendency. With rich desserts like truffles, trifles, and tiramisu, Indonesian Gourmet coffee Beans are full-bodied and smooth enough to perfectly offset the dessert.

Another key point to consider is how much gourmet coffee you’ll need. These high quality beans shouldn’t be bought in bulk and should instead be bought so that you have just enough for your immediate need. They should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a week or in the freezer for up to a month. To learn what beans are best for your daily cup of Joe, conduct a taste test. Brew several types of beans separately. Pour each in its own cup. Pick up each cup individually, smell the gourmet coffee, and then slowly sip and taste the gourmet coffees. Later, take a sip or two when it’s cooled, as many gourmet coffees change flavor as they cool.

One type of Arabica mean is a Kona bean, though some people mistakenly call it a third bean. Kona is extremely small commercially compared to Arabica and Robusta, but is extremely expensive and therefore vital economically. Kona is really a Arabica bean grown in Hawaii.. Kona offers average bite and body but is in high demand worldwide because of its powerful aroma. These Gourmet coffee Beans are rarely blended with others because of their high desirability in and of themselves

a) Traditional Espresso Machines

These machines incorporate the art and theatricality of coffee making, and therefore excellent barista training is essential to ensure a detailed knowledge of fantastic coffee production. A barista is an expert at making espresso and a master of a variety of espresso based beverages. Once these skills have been mastered, a excellent barista can produce hundreds of drinks per day.

Prices can vary from around £800 to £6000, but remember, you get what you pay for, so make sure that the machine you choose is new and fully warranted, including full barista training and a excellent support service. The fantastic thing about traditional machines is that there are no major moving parts so less to go incorrect.

b) Bean to Cup Machines

A bean to cup machine does exactly what it says! The fresh coffee beans are placed inside the machine and on the press of a button the machine automatically grinds the beans and pours both coffee and milk into your cup. The machine automatically heats and froths the milk to produce the perfect latte/cappuccino etc. The milk is usually kept in a fridge or milk chiller next to the machine; a pipe from the machine connects into the fridge and when the drink selection button is pressed the machine draws the milk from the fridge and sucks it into the machine steams, heats it and drops it into the cup.

These various coffee machines are designed to produce anything from 50 cups per day to over 500 per day. The cost of these can vary from under £1000 to well over £10000, so it is vital you make the right choice.

c) Pod System

Similar to traditional, but you would usually only have 1 or 2 group versions and you wouldn’t need a grinder because you would use what are called pods. The advantages are that they are simple to use, producing excellent quality drink and nice aromas. The time taken to make the coffee is approximately the same as a traditional machine. The disadvantages are that they are more expensive per cup due to packaging cost. Typically a excellent quality pod will cost 20p per cup to produce. These machines will suit any small site and tend to be cheaper than the other machines, costing around £395 upwards.

d) Filter System and Bulk Brew System

These systems are for simply using filter coffee. A 2 jug filter makes fantastic coffee for about 5 to 7 minutes, but if it’s left to stew for a while, as filter coffee usually is, the quality quickly deteriorates due to constant warming. Typically there can be waste, and so while the cup price is around 10p per cup, with waste, this could work out to be nearer 20p per cup. It can be used if there is a high demand for coffee over a small space of time such as serving 120 wedding guests after the dinner. A filter machine is always a back up to a traditional or bean to cup machine for use at very busy times or in case of a machine breakdown.

Bulk brew systems are large scale filter systems used in locations such as banqueting facilities, hotels and sporting events. There are hundreds of different coffee machine systems available depending on how many litres of coffee need to be served and in what time scale.

Plotting a wedding and want a unique wedding favor to send home with your guests? Coffee wedding favors are a very well loved and unique item that will be used with joy. Don’t get something that will just sit on a shelf and collect dust or worse yet get place in the back closet and your guests home. By giving a wedding coffee favor you can ensure that you are giving your guests something they will use. Not only will they delight in using the gift they will delight in thinking about the wonderful memories and fun times they had at the wedding as they sip their wonderful full bodied flavorful coffee.

Well, if you are already sold on coffee wedding favors then you will want to read through this article for some simple thoughts to really make unique and outstanding wedding favors.

Coffee- This is the obvious place to start as it will be the central theme to your wedding favor. You should try and plot the theme of the wedding first and then select a coffee that goes along with that theme. For example an simple one would be if you are getting married in Maui or even having a Hawaiian theme wedding you will want to use Kona Coffee in your wedding favor basket. If you have not yet selected a theme for the wedding another thing you can do is look for a local coffee roaster and buy from them. This will give you guests a small taste of the local area and it supports your local businesses also. Of course if neither of these easily fit into your wedding and still do not strike an thought for you a third option would be to choose your own favorite flavor of coffee. Do you like a certain blend at your local coffee shop or maybe something fancy from Starbucks? Well, choose this as your coffee. As forethought you might want to buy both regular caffeinated coffee and some decaffeinated.

Next you will want to add some personal touches and make the coffee wedding favor really stand out. There are so many ways to do this but we will give you just a few. These are mostly just to spark thoughts for you that you will hopefully use and alter or personalize to suit your own needs.

Coffee Packaging – If at all possible it is a very classy to personalize the favors. You can print a computer mark or buy from a shop that will do this for you. Putting things like the Bride and Groom’s Name, date and location of the wedding can be a nice touch. IF you are doing this yourself adding in the guests name can also be a lot of fun. To easily make a mark you can look around online for free clip art and then just customize it with your own colors and writing.

Mugs – If you want to round out the coffee wedding favor and expand from the basics a small bit more purchasing coffee mugs can be a quick and simple edition. You can easily buy customized mugs to any color you would like. You can also add a picture easily to custom mugs and have the bride and groom smiling at everyone as they drink their coffee wedding favor.

Stir Spoons – But a large bunch of plastic spoons and drip them into melted chocolate. Then wrap these spoons with tulle and add a gorgeous ribbon that matches the colors of the wedding. Now you are taking the gift from a oh! Nice to a WOW level.

Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans – Another fun addition can be a personalized bag of chocolate covered coffee beans. These can easily be bought in bulk and then place into a tin or bag and customized with a quick mark on the computer.

Chocolates – There are not many coffee drinkers in the world that would turn down a wonderful elegant chocolate in addition to their coffee. You do not need to place too many chocolates in with the coffee but a few high quality chocolates nicely wrapped with a ribbon can go a long way to add class.

Hot Chocolate – Have a lot of guests with young children coming to the wedding? If so you might want to include some fun hot chocolate with the favor and this way the children can join in on the fun also!

Teas – If you are worried about those non-coffee drinkers out there are there are always a few you can appease this crowd by placing a nice tea or some tea bags in with the gift.

Chocolate covered almonds – Chocolate covered almonds can be bought in bulk in a wide variety of colors and finding one that matches the colors of the wedding and again making tins of them can be a fun addition to the coffee wedding favor.

As you can see coffee wedding favors are a fantastic thoughts that can become very creative by adding a few simple touches of class to them. Hopefully the thoughts above will spark something for you and you will be off and working on making your own custom wedding favor. Just reckon about all the people who the morning after the wedding will wake up and delight in the wonderful coffee wedding favor you have so lovingly prepared for them.

• Five pounds of roast to order premium Masterpiece Coffee!
• Packaged immediately after roasting using premium one way valve bags!
• Ships Quick and Fresh!
• Simply tell us the grind level you would like in the order notes!

Product Description
Our well-known Hazelnut Cream selection in Decaf! This lightly roasted decaf coffee is rich and flavorful without the caffeine!… More >>

Decaf Hazelnut Cream, Five pound bag