Quality and relationships
Over and over again, I keep hearing two words in my conversations with people in the industry—quality and relationships.
Both are backbones of the gourmet retail industry. If you’re not offering a quality product at a fair price, why bother? And if you’re not maintaining relationships—with your customers in your community, your neighbors, your suppliers and lest we forget your staff, your chances for success are greatly diminished.
Recently I spoke with Ric Rhinehart, the executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America about their annual exposition—which is April 17 to 19 in Atlanta. And while we talked about how the show has evolved—as a result of listening to their members’ feedback—we also touched on some issues facing the coffee industry in general.
Like with so many other gourmet food products, the quality of coffee and its availability has greatly improved in the past decade or so. I could say the same about tea, cheese, wine, breads and private label—just about every food category.
With coffee, you no longer have to go to a local coffee shop to get a great cup of joe. Last March, the folks over at Consumer Reports did their own black coffee taste test—lining up black coffee from McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. The Consumer Reports panel named McDonald’s Premium coffee the best. I’ll take their word for it. My point is 10 or 15 years ago, Consumer Reports wasn't talking about the quality of coffee. And a sign of the times that quality is an increasing concern, Folgers has switched its blend to 100 percent Arabica.
So for some veterans of the specialty coffee industry, they may think the sky is falling. But really, the floor is rising beneath them, Rhinehart said. What a great point. The takeaway for all of us is that quality isn’t a gourmet industry exclusive.
Anna Wolfe, editor of Gourmet News
Both are backbones of the gourmet retail industry. If you’re not offering a quality product at a fair price, why bother? And if you’re not maintaining relationships—with your customers in your community, your neighbors, your suppliers and lest we forget your staff, your chances for success are greatly diminished.
Recently I spoke with Ric Rhinehart, the executive director of the Specialty Coffee Association of America about their annual exposition—which is April 17 to 19 in Atlanta. And while we talked about how the show has evolved—as a result of listening to their members’ feedback—we also touched on some issues facing the coffee industry in general.
Like with so many other gourmet food products, the quality of coffee and its availability has greatly improved in the past decade or so. I could say the same about tea, cheese, wine, breads and private label—just about every food category.
With coffee, you no longer have to go to a local coffee shop to get a great cup of joe. Last March, the folks over at Consumer Reports did their own black coffee taste test—lining up black coffee from McDonald’s, Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks. The Consumer Reports panel named McDonald’s Premium coffee the best. I’ll take their word for it. My point is 10 or 15 years ago, Consumer Reports wasn't talking about the quality of coffee. And a sign of the times that quality is an increasing concern, Folgers has switched its blend to 100 percent Arabica.
So for some veterans of the specialty coffee industry, they may think the sky is falling. But really, the floor is rising beneath them, Rhinehart said. What a great point. The takeaway for all of us is that quality isn’t a gourmet industry exclusive.
Anna Wolfe, editor of Gourmet News
posted by Anna Wolfe at 8:44 AM
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