How many of you professionals are forced to make coffee drinks?

I am. And I have to say our coffee tastes like sh#t compared to the Peets across the street. Meanwhile, I waste my time making double nonfat lattes instead of the martinis I thought I was hired for...gripe, sorry.

Brenda

[m brown]

restaurant startagy, serve bad coffee so folks will ask for cappuccino, espresso and coffee cocktails.

[Nicko]

I agree, very few restaurants take coffee seriously and it is one of the finishers to a meal. That means to me it is something people will remember. Do we really want people remembering bad coffee? Also, I can't believe that the pastry chef in a restaurant can be to happy about it. Just like a chef wants a great wine to compliment the meal, I am sure a pastry chef wants a great cup o' Jo to compliment their artistry.

Just my feelings.

I think that a lot of bad coffee has to do with the way its made. Many a times I have seen burnt pots used again and again, coffee machines dirty and covered in grounds. Just with anything else a dirty machine doesn't work right and the wait staff isn't to keen in cleaning something that cooks, that's the lines job. I had a place that used a coffee company, it was expensive but the coffee was GREAT!! We never had a complaint and they even showed everyone how to make "specialties" the right way. You're right though bad coffee leaves a bad impression.

[m brown]

I worked at a restaruant named Rosemaries in NYC. Great little place. Rosemarie, the owner, is, to this day, the only restaurant professional I have ever whitnessed toss the pot of coffee after 15-30 min. She knows coffee and serves the best.

The bar is really swell their to and the wine list is very, very.

Yeah, I usually see the coffee sitting there for hours on end. It does leave a bad impression having a foul tasting cup of garbage served with your nice dessert.

This may sound stupid, but when I brew my coffee at home every morning it isn't that easy. I like coffee so I handle it like all food that I prepare, with care. If I do it right, it comes out the way I like. If I sling it, it will taste like ****. Many restaurants, great ones and diners sling it. And it is the last thing you put in your mouth before you walk out the doors, and for sometimes $5 a cup, they should put the same care in their coffee as I do for mine!

The kind of coffee makes a big diff, of course. The place I work at uses Peets, which I had never personally tried till then and its pretty good. Sure, the equipment makes a difference, the care put into making it is important, but you can factor in freshness, as well. After those beans are ground, coffee retains its freshness for a couple, three weeks at best.
I saw Peets.com is giving alot of the stuff away this week from their site. Worth a try.

Richard

My name is Sherry and I am Project Manager (editor) for a magazine that is mailed to those people whose profession is in the Foodservice Industry.

We are in the process of compiling information for a future supplement that covers Coffee and Tea Marketing in Foodservice. Any general feedback would be greatly appreciated. Restaurants who have successfully established a coffee program, training issues, lack of knowledge/education issues regarding serving coffee, tea, specialty coffee etc., food safety issues, service issues and anything else I haven't covered.

Thanks for the feedback!