Many thanks for your on-going support!
Mount & Crew
This past week has certainly gotten me to thinking about Spring. Warmer temps and a few dry days even allowed for some motorcycle rides beyond just the usual commute. Always a good thing!
The shop has been busy this week. A lot of people have been enjoying the new coffees from Rwanda and El Salvador. Rightfully so, they're both stellar in their own rights, both of which are medium roasts. The El Salvador has a subtle fruitiness with a caramel sweetness and slight chocolate aftertaste with a velvety texture. The Rwanda is extremely smooth and syrupy sweet with notes of orange, vanilla and a touch of floral.
And, with the warmer weather, people have been sitting outside, basking in the sun while enjoying their favorite coffee beverage.
For those who didn't see my Facebook post earlier in the week, our friend and customer, Andrew Shroyer hung a new sign for us which he created. It's awesome! Check it out if you haven't yet seen it.
I have a question I would like to pose. Over the course of the past few months, there have been a few folks who have asked about our extending our operating hours into the evenings. I'm just curious if that's something that would appeal to folks? If you have thought/opinions/etc, please e-mail me.
While out completing deliveries, Greg has started spreading the word about St. Johns Coffee Roasters and it appears to be working. There are several prospective customers interested in our coffees. If any of you know of restaurants or cafes who you feel could improve their coffee offerings, we would very much appreciate any referrals.
I met with my web designer this past week and he will be updating our shopping cart with all the new coffees we have in stock so stay posted. That said, it's hard to believe but Valentine's Day will be here before we know it.
We have a great selection of coffee related gift items, perfect for that special someone. Travel mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, coffee, Mexican pottery, etc. And of course, there's Bestow for all your floral needs.
And in March, another jazz concert at Classic Pianos.
Monday March 7th at 7:00 pm, George Fendel presents - Rebecca Kilgore, singing songs associated with Susannah McCorkle, featuring Randy Porter on piano with special guest, Marc Fendel on alto sax.
Classic Pianos is located at 3030 SE Milwaukie Ave, (corner of SE Powell Blvd and Milwaukie Ave.), next door to the Aladdin Theatre. Concerts are held in their recital hall which only has a capacity of 100 people, offering an unforgettable music experience.
Reservations are highly recommended. Call Peggie at 503.546.5622.
In the meantime, many thanks for your continued support and keep the coffee flowing. It looks like it's going to be a good weekend for consuming copius amounts of coffee. But then again, what weekend isn't???
Many thanks,
Mount & Crew
I don't know about everyone else but I'm ready for some warmer, drier weather. I guess I shouldn't complain too much after what the folks in the Midwest have been going through.
After the frenzy of the holidays, things seem to have slowed down just a bit although the shop has continued to be busy. A lot of people have been coming back for items they'd had their eyes on before Christmas but which, for some reason, didn't make it into their gift bags.
The Travel Presses and Espro Presses along with the logo travel mugs and ceramic logo mugs have been top on that list of coveted items.
We also did something this week which we've never done before but which I believe will become a new tradition. When I was taking an inventory of the bags of coffee we had on the shelves, discovered there were a few bags which had been there over one week.
So we created a 1/2 price bin so people could take advantage of that opportunity and, it's been a huge success. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the coffee whatsoever. It's just that we like to keep the roast dates on the shelf to be within a week.
We are currently sold out of these bags but when the opportunity presents itself again, we'll put a notice on Facebook. And, I would encourage you to stop by the shop when convenient to see if there's anything available.
Another new development this week was FINALLY finding an organic, fair trade coffee from Rwanda. I tasted some Rwandan coffee several years ago which was stellar and I've never forgotten it. However, the only coffee ever available was not organic so I never purchased any.
However, that has changed. We're expecting our first delivery of it today. Not in time for this weekend but certainly in time for next Wednesday's home deliveries. It's described as having notes of orange, vanilla, floral and is very sweet. I can't wait!
When coffee cherries are dried at the source, they're spread out on patios which are slabs of concrete. Oftentimes, we find pieces of concrete, stones, etc. amongst the beans after we roast them. We've always tried to be scrupulous in searching for these because well, they don't do anything to enhance the flavor of the coffee. :)
As our volume has increased, it has become more difficult to find each and every stone. To mitigate that, we purchased a new piece of equipment called a "de-stoner". Pretty tricky eh? Anyway, it has been earning its place in our shop, doing a stellar job of removing those unwanted items.
I think that's about it for this week. Several of us are doing double-duty due to being a couple people shy of our normal crew. Which means, I'm getting ready to head out and do deliveries.
Until next week, take good care and many thanks for your continued support.
Mount & Crew
I guess it's just a natural progression but despite the fact we only opened the tasting room a little over a year ago, I felt the need to change things up a little bit. Nothing major but I'm in hopes the addition of some new shelving will do a better job of displaying our products.
What a crazy week it's been and what a perfect time for my motorcycle to have been in the shop. I digress...
We've added another beverage to our menu this week. The peppermint mocha! As with the rest of our beverages, the peppermint mocha is a perfect balance of mint and chocolate. Not overwhelming and not too sweet. The kids have also been enjoying the "non-espresso" version of this drink as well. Or, if you're really up for an adventure, let 'em have the espresso! :)
'Tis the season for indoor bulbs. Bestow has narcissus bulbs and boy do they smell great! Another seasonal fragrance is all the many varieties of evergreens being put into wreaths and centerpieces.
Swing by for a wreath to adorn your front door and remember to order your holiday centerpieces. Orders placed by December 14th will receive a 15% discount. Call Nyki at 503.208.4395.
The travel mugs have been a huge hit! The vacuum insulated stainless steel interior keeps drinks hot or cold for hours and remains condensation-free and the threaded snap shut lid prevents unwanted spills. They're slim enough to fit vehicle cup holders as well as those with smaller hands.
The ceramic logo mugs have been on order for what seems like an eternity. I still hope to have them back in stock before Christmas but it's going to be close.
People are already talking about Holiday parties and such. If your office is hosting a party and would like to provide brewed coffee, just let us know. In addition to the coffee, we'll provide all the accoutrements so everyone will get to enjoy their coffee the way they like it. Just give us a call at 503.445.2249 to reserve yours.
And if you would like to send fresh-roasted organic and fair trade coffees to friends and family, now is the time to submit your orders. Orders can be placed either through the web site or just call or e-mail. And of course, if you have any questions or need suggestions, we're here to help.
If you want something really festive to include with your coffee gifts, don't forget about the beautiful Mexican pottery from Delores Hidalgo. Always festive and we'll have more next week.
And last but not least, I was finally able to figure out a way to add a donation function to the shopping cart for those would like to support The Coffee Trust's effort in dealing with the La Roya blight in Central America.
I think that's it for this week.
Many thanks for your continued support and keep the coffee flowing.
Mount & Crew
Greetings Everyone!
Most of you probably know by now I'm a motorcyclist. Several months ago, meteorologists were saying how we were going to have a warmer and dryer winter this year. I know we need the rain but COME ON! A friend sent me a cartoon the other day saying I was suffering from PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome). I digress...
Lot's of things happening this week. Our new logo travel mugs arrived yesterday and I'm so proud of the way they turned out! Not only do they look great but they're a great design, functionally. Insulated stainless steel and slim enough to fit smaller hands as well as vehicle cup holders.
Yesterday we were visited by a couple of film makers who produce documentaries focusing on small businesses and, they want to feature St. Johns Coffee Roasters in Season Two. Sometime before Christmas, they'll be in the shop filming for what will ultimately air sometime after the first of the new year. I guess I'll need to buy a beret and new sunglasses. :) Anyway, it's pretty exciting! I will let you know when the show airs.
The Travel Presses and Espro Presses are proving to be popular items as well. It's looking like I'm going to have to order more of both these items. We still have some in stock but they're selling well, as they should.
Amidst all of this, we've been busy roasting and roasting and roasting. Our shelves are stocked as well as those of the grocery stores who offer our coffees. Some of the coffees I've been drinking this week are the Honduran, the Ethiopian Sidamo and the new coffee from Java. So good!
Time for more jazz -
George Fendel Presents: Mike Palter and Lynne Jackson Concert
And on Sunday December 13th, we're going to hold a benefit here at the shop. My son, who is a ballet dancer, attends a performing arts high school called Arts & Communications Magnet Academy. The dancers from their dance department, Dance West, will be traveling to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania next Spring to compete in the National High School Dance Competition and are raising funds to defray the expenses for this trip. So on Sunday December 13th, we will donate 15% of the days sales to go toward this effort.
The shop is beginning to look pretty festive. Bestow has a variety of holiday wreaths available, both in traditional styles as well as something more unique.
I think that's about it for this week. I hope everyone has a great weekend and keeps the coffee flowing.
Many thanks,
Mount & Crew
We have the perfect solution for curing those turkey hangovers, black coffee. Come and get it!
We also have an abundance of fresh roasted organic and fair trade coffees, packaged and ready to take home to enjoy. I think I went a little crazy when packaging yesterday so the shelves are over-flowing with whole bean coffees.
Just a few updates today. We'll have a new selection of the beautiful pottery from Mexico arriving in another week. In addition to the cups, saucers and serving platters we already stock, we'll be adding some larger serving platters.
The new Travel Presses and Espro Presses have turned out to be very popular. They're a great improvement over standard French Press coffee makers and their design is stunning. A perfect gift for yourself or someone special.
Our new logo travel mugs should be here in another week as well so we're looking forward to their arrival.
Now that we're officially into the "Holiday Season", I have a couple schedule changes to let everyone know about.
This is the final week for supporting The Coffee Trust Program's effort to raise funds for the training of Guatemalan coffee farmers in organic solutions to the La Roya epidemic in Central America. Look for the donation jar when you're in the shop.
I had intended to add a donation button to our web site for this project but haven't made that happen yet. Look for it next week.
I think that's it for this week.
Many thanks for your continued support and let the holidays begin!
Mount & Crew