FROM THE EDITOR

RECENTLY, I HAD the opportunity to gab about coffee with Jeff Grinta, a film-maker who’s currently completing a coffee documentary. Of course, opportunity and gab are probably not quite the correct phrases, as the process was really an on-camera interview, an experience that is close to my worst nightmare. This is the kind of situation where my mind goes blank, my lips freeze up and I sputter extremely intelligent phrases such as, “Wow, I haven’t really thought about that. Let me think…” followed by a blank stare.
     Give me a computer and a blank page any day, please, to anything that involves me being in front of the camera. That being said, the interview went as well as it could have (thanks to the others in the room, and not me), and we eventually got around to talking Starbucks.
     “What,” asked Jeff, “do you think is the appeal? I don’t get it.”
I tried to answer as best I could, something about consistency and comfort. But it wasn’t until I remembered something I’d read in The Starbucks Experience, a book that explains the success of the Green Monster, that I had an answer that seemed satisfying.
     At one point in the book, when they’re talking about the appeal of Starbucks stores, a customer says, “Starbucks could very well operate without selling coffee. They could charge an entrance fee and offer nothing but a room…and people would still come.” And I realized that this was not only a true statement, it was a large part of the answer to Starbucks’ continued appeal. It’s atmosphere, place consistency, a sense of comfort…
     Which got me to thinking about how often we choose our favorite stores or restaurants for more than their products. My favorite coffeehouse has great coffee, but it also has free wireless and nice people behind the counter. The grocery store that I’m addicted to offers great produce, but it also has lots of natural light, wide aisles and a sheltered place to lock up my bike. On the other hand, good coffee isn’t enough to get me into a place if the service is poor or the tables aren’t clean. And if a restaurant’s coffee is great, but the food is so-so, well…you can guess my decision on that one.
     I know that coffee’s probably your number-one product, but if you didn’t serve coffee, would customers still come to you? What else, besides coffee, do you offer? The options are many: Perhaps you’ve cultivated the best-feeling retail store in town. Maybe you offer the most reliable free Internet. Or possibly customers bring their relatives in to watch your roaster through the glass partition. Maybe your wholesale customers love your customer service or your adorable printed bags, or your website is so easy to use that even newbies feel comfortable.
     Of course, you can’t please all customers all of the time. Which is why it’s so important to know who your customers are, and what they want from you. First and foremost, they likely want great coffee. But if you’re already giving them that, why not find something else to addict them to?
     Hopefully none of you will give up offering coffee anytime soon, but it’s a great way to look at the other aspects of your business more carefully and make sure you have all of the details right. That’s why at Roast, we want to make sure we not only offer you the most up-to-date technical information, but also beautiful photos, solid customer service and people who care about roasting and roasters. They’re small details, but they can make all the difference and keep your customers coming back.

     Keep the flame burning,
     Shanna