It is a interesting thing, management that is.
Since last post, i have been busy about the work that I mentioned in a prior post. The work that I had no idea existed until fell on me with much the same weight of a wrecking ball mid swing.
Blackbird Coffee has become a deep passion, and my bosses have started to verbalize their recognition of this development.
To date, there are no evaluation forms for this tiny shop that is slowly approaching artisan status, at least that's what we are shooting for; there is also no training manual, or no procedure manual, and until about 3 months ago there was no pre-typed application. This is by no means a knock to the past management at Blackbird, the years that we do have under our collective belt have been nothing short of a learning experience; a learning experience that we all feel and hope will not come to completion any time soon, but that we will continue to develop and further; changing from first points of education to a mastering of skills.
As of this week and the past months work, I have successfully created a printable application, and have finished an in depth outline for our evaluation sheets; I am also working on new recipe sheet formats and a training manual.
Tomorrow I get to go to an Espresso Lab in Atlanta. I called today, last minute to see if there was still room and, randomly enough, I turned out to be the only one that was wanting to sign up for the class. I talked to Rob Tuttle (www.everythingcoffee-tea.com) for a bit, and I have to be in Atlanta from 9 - 5 tomorrow; I can't really believe how excited I am right now. This is the first time that I have had any legitimate instruction since entering the coffee world with the exception of a little time hanging out with Jason Dominy (http://www.dilworthcoffee.com).
So, to understate it I have been hella busy here lately.
On a more personal note:
I'll be moving in about 2 weeks into a new apt. with a barista/ musician friend.
Music is interesting right now. I've decided to take a little time off from tying to right for performance, and simply shoot for going back to learning to write good songs. I used to be decent at this, but in joining other bands, and not be a part of the major song writing, I didn't continue honing that skill, and have drastically backpedaled. I also feel as though my interests have changed quite a bit since those days. So I will still be playing music with friends, and on stage with them, I look forward to reworking and writing new material for the world, or (and probably more honestly my family and nice friends).
I date this girl, she pretty much rules (<- biased) :)
I want to make my own caramel.
I am currently walking up the torrential downpour stricken, muddy, gooey, slip 'n slide 'esque - hill known as QUITTING SMOKING. I hate doing this, every time I have tried before I have face planted on every attempt, but I really want this.
Hang-ups are as follows: I love the taste, I work in coffee (everyone here does this...worldwide), I play music (no real description need here, go hang out with a struggling musician), and I will be living with a smoker. Life is not easy though.
Werd.
That's this for now.
Peace and love. Make coffee not war,
Chris
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
the 20/20 over my shoulder
Undoubtedly I have neglected this little clipboard of my thoughts for the better part of the last few months. Funny how we can start things off with such vigor and zeal and then along the way forget the location of the logs that keep the fire going....
I recently discovered just how much grace I have been given by bosses of the course of the past year. Blackbird can be a Thanksgiving Day plate of food.....every single day, but then again what other management role isn't?
When I came back I thought I had a big "S" on my chest and a bright red cape on my back. I didn't realize the hard work that my bosses had been putting into their coffee shop, I completely missed that. This is a tough industry to introduce into an unknowing market, and they had not given up, rather they were getting a little weary, I was the rookie just up from the minors, that they were placing trust in. I walked out onto the field and fumbled around like I'd never played before, did some things right, and ultimately came out average. The greatest part of this is that my bosses didn't give up, they put me in my place, and even though we don't exactly agree on everything, things have started improving. Seeing their appetite for success, specific success, helped me see what I could and still can learn.
This post is a is in complete apology and gratitude towards Jimmy and Iona. I am a barista because of the shop that you were a part of starting and have found an industry I want to be a part of for the rest of my life because of the shop that you now run, with a little help.
Also, this is not a sad post, quite the opposite. I just felt as though these things needed to be said.
I look forward to the future of Blackbird coffee, and what I will do with what I learn from this experience, no matter what that means. Thanks, both of you.
Peace, love, and coffee,
Chris
I recently discovered just how much grace I have been given by bosses of the course of the past year. Blackbird can be a Thanksgiving Day plate of food.....every single day, but then again what other management role isn't?
When I came back I thought I had a big "S" on my chest and a bright red cape on my back. I didn't realize the hard work that my bosses had been putting into their coffee shop, I completely missed that. This is a tough industry to introduce into an unknowing market, and they had not given up, rather they were getting a little weary, I was the rookie just up from the minors, that they were placing trust in. I walked out onto the field and fumbled around like I'd never played before, did some things right, and ultimately came out average. The greatest part of this is that my bosses didn't give up, they put me in my place, and even though we don't exactly agree on everything, things have started improving. Seeing their appetite for success, specific success, helped me see what I could and still can learn.
This post is a is in complete apology and gratitude towards Jimmy and Iona. I am a barista because of the shop that you were a part of starting and have found an industry I want to be a part of for the rest of my life because of the shop that you now run, with a little help.
Also, this is not a sad post, quite the opposite. I just felt as though these things needed to be said.
I look forward to the future of Blackbird coffee, and what I will do with what I learn from this experience, no matter what that means. Thanks, both of you.
Peace, love, and coffee,
Chris
Sunday, February 15, 2009
spent like brewed bean would be
So today I finished a whirlwind of a weekend that put my Sweetwater stress levels to trial. I covered quit a few shifts this weekend for those that wanted to do the V-day thing (this is not me complaining, I'm happy for those that enjoy that day.....), to be exact I worked a total of 27 hours over the course of 2.5 days. It was good to be back hard at work, sometimes when pulling regular shifts each week I forget how chill of a job this can be. Friday, started the whole deal, working from 6am until 5pm, at the end of this shift I was surprisingly energetic, but this was mostly due to the fact I was doing two pretty awesome things:
awesome thing #1: going to one of my favorite retreat spots- Octane Coffee in Atlanta
awesome thing #2: getting to see John Fogleman compete in a latte art competition
forgotten about awesome thing #3: I got to have a beer at a coffee shop
This is one of my favorite places to have a beer or a glass of wine simply because we baristi are, although we usually refuse to admit it, slightly if not sometimes extremely snobby about what we involve ourselves with. If you want an opinion, stop by your locally owned coffee shop and bring up music, cigarettes, or beverage choice, and chances you'll get an interesting answer about some obscure band that only five people have heard of eventhough it's been around for like thre years, be informed about a cigarette that just got imported from London, or the best coffee, beer or wine that we may have "just run out of but if you're ever lucky enough, you should try it" I say all of this in a joking manner but I love this life, my life that is, that I choose, that I love. the same life that chose to take on the hella-huge workload this weekend.
After Atlanta, I slept the way back to Milly and awoke just as we pulled into my driveway. Enter double day number two...Ahem:
Saturday, V-day, Feliz dia de San Valentin <-------yeah whatever, hooray!!!
Anyway, I actually called go in and didn't come until 8 this day, thanks Josh and B. Curry for allowing me to get some extra sleep. Bee tee dubs Britters is doing a great job, for those wondering. Anyway, at the end of the first shift I realized that I was working the second double by myself, crap, that was tough <--- and that is an understatement, but the tips were nice thanks to all contributors. At the end of this day it was a night out with the crew of people that have become my non-related family, a huge group of singles, and some not so singles enjoying the company of one another over darts and other add-ons.
Skip to this morning, because that's pretty much what my memory allows, beginning off the last shift of the weekend. 7am until 2pm, good times with Hague on his last shift at the bird:
this picture came when I searched Micheal Hague in Google images.
All in all this has been a long eyeopening weekend, and although I do not plan on working like this again for a while, it was nice to realize my abilities by actually using them, instead of just saying or thinking that I could. Hope you all have a great week this week.
Peace love and coffee <----lame, but deal with it, out!
Chris
awesome thing #1: going to one of my favorite retreat spots- Octane Coffee in Atlanta
awesome thing #2: getting to see John Fogleman compete in a latte art competition
forgotten about awesome thing #3: I got to have a beer at a coffee shop
This is one of my favorite places to have a beer or a glass of wine simply because we baristi are, although we usually refuse to admit it, slightly if not sometimes extremely snobby about what we involve ourselves with. If you want an opinion, stop by your locally owned coffee shop and bring up music, cigarettes, or beverage choice, and chances you'll get an interesting answer about some obscure band that only five people have heard of eventhough it's been around for like thre years, be informed about a cigarette that just got imported from London, or the best coffee, beer or wine that we may have "just run out of but if you're ever lucky enough, you should try it" I say all of this in a joking manner but I love this life, my life that is, that I choose, that I love. the same life that chose to take on the hella-huge workload this weekend.
After Atlanta, I slept the way back to Milly and awoke just as we pulled into my driveway. Enter double day number two...Ahem:
Saturday, V-day, Feliz dia de San Valentin <-------yeah whatever, hooray!!!
Anyway, I actually called go in and didn't come until 8 this day, thanks Josh and B. Curry for allowing me to get some extra sleep. Bee tee dubs Britters is doing a great job, for those wondering. Anyway, at the end of the first shift I realized that I was working the second double by myself, crap, that was tough <--- and that is an understatement, but the tips were nice thanks to all contributors. At the end of this day it was a night out with the crew of people that have become my non-related family, a huge group of singles, and some not so singles enjoying the company of one another over darts and other add-ons.
Skip to this morning, because that's pretty much what my memory allows, beginning off the last shift of the weekend. 7am until 2pm, good times with Hague on his last shift at the bird:
this picture came when I searched Micheal Hague in Google images.All in all this has been a long eyeopening weekend, and although I do not plan on working like this again for a while, it was nice to realize my abilities by actually using them, instead of just saying or thinking that I could. Hope you all have a great week this week.
Peace love and coffee <----lame, but deal with it, out!
Chris
Sunday, November 2, 2008
out of town coffee
So about a month ago Chachi (my brother) asked me to go to Asheville N.C. on the first weekend of November. I half-heartedly agreed, and forgot about it until sometime this past weekend when he reminded me of my agreement, and to be honest as much as have wanted to go to Asheville the trip was not one I was looking forward to because of the work load at Blackbird; but I went.
The ride up was gorgeous, once Chachi and I left the fifty mile radius that Chachi refuse to call unfamiliar because we've seen it so much we settled into the north Georgia foot hills, and a Chik-fil-A in Commerce, Ga.
Gobble gobble and get back on the road, and we cruising. An hour or so more and goodbye middle Georgia flats and "hills", hello 6:00pm sunset ( surrounded by mountains = awesome......and early dark). The colors on the trees lining the mountains were as vibrant as Martha Stewart's fall collection of towels....I would imagine, but it's a good image either way.
Finally, South Carolina. And freedom from all that is where I grew up. I love my home but I needed a break apparently, and as soon as I saw the the mountains, literally everywhere, I took in the deepest breath I could, closed my eyes, and laid back for a minute. Funny how little it actually takes to be pleased.
We arrived in decent time to Asheville, after only missing one turn- Chachi was driving, saw a Young Life sticker, and while waving missed the exit, hahaha- classic.
We stopped off at the visitor center for stickers, and met this older guy named Dan who gave us advice on where to, and where people our age go, but honestly I wanted to go have a beer with him and just let him tell stories; btw he knows where Milledgeville, Ga is, even better.
From there we wandered and found some of the coolest art galleries that I've ever seen. there was your traditional quilted stuff, and other added beauties, but then there were amazing things and indescribably astounding ingenious artwork. I grabbed a couple of business cards, and I'll post the links as soon as I fish them out of the bottom of my bag.
We then stopped at this cool bar which I regrettably have forgotten the name of but if you are ever here it's just down the street from The Asheville Civic Center. Next, more wandering time, found a couple coffee shops most of which I thought we a little less than Blackbird, but not in a snobby way, although maybe just a little biased. Then we found this really awesome Tobacco/ Head shop,that's not what it was called but lets just say you don't need Einstein to figure that out sometime, and let's all be honest, even if you don't partake in either of the options in these places they intrigue you; therefore gaining a mention in this blog. After that we went To Brandon Murphy's house and and chilled for quite a bit just catching up with a friend and checking his new house.
After unloading and decompressing we headed to dinner at this killer burrito shop that Barberitos and and Moe's should be glad has no existence in Georgia, they wouldn't stand a chance. Then on to a tavern, a few beers, long conversations with random strangers, then back home for the evening.
Meant to get up for church, but didn't make it. I love going to church out of town, for some reason it works for me, except for this Sunday I guess. So, instead we headed back to town. Last night the kindly drunken strangers told of the local land of milk and honey, at least that's what I think Chachi and B-muprh heard when the guy said something about Chaco's on sale for $32, and there's a brand new two-story R.E.I. here. I opted to be left in the city to wander.... ;)
First stop was this really cool bus+ coffee shop place dbldecker.com. What a great idea. Please go to the website and check it out if you are ever in Asheville. Since it was my first caffeine fix for the day, I just ordered a cup of coffee black, it was Yirgacheffe Ethiopia Organic Shade Grown. it wasn't stellar but it was perfect for the moment and to be honest it went wonderfully with the morning's Bali Shag. Hung out here for a while and read a bit then headed on down the street to where I am now, writing this.
The Green Sage. Yet again, you wanna check this out. Friendly staff, delicious coffee, good foods and very "green" for more than trendy reasons. Baristas know what they are doing and if you bring something up they don't know about they are eager to learn (experienced that :P !!!!!). Live music some nights and a clean environment. I got here about an hour ago and started with a Double Cubano Macchiato. The girl behind the counter didn't know what it was but the barista di and she showed it! There was no artwork to, simply perfection. Their espresso finished so well and the raw sugar didn't overtake the flavor. She put the perfect sized dollop of foam on top perfectly marking the drink, and adding just a hint of sweetened lactose: love at first sip. Now I'm off to wander.
ciao- Chris
The ride up was gorgeous, once Chachi and I left the fifty mile radius that Chachi refuse to call unfamiliar because we've seen it so much we settled into the north Georgia foot hills, and a Chik-fil-A in Commerce, Ga.
Gobble gobble and get back on the road, and we cruising. An hour or so more and goodbye middle Georgia flats and "hills", hello 6:00pm sunset ( surrounded by mountains = awesome......and early dark). The colors on the trees lining the mountains were as vibrant as Martha Stewart's fall collection of towels....I would imagine, but it's a good image either way.
Finally, South Carolina. And freedom from all that is where I grew up. I love my home but I needed a break apparently, and as soon as I saw the the mountains, literally everywhere, I took in the deepest breath I could, closed my eyes, and laid back for a minute. Funny how little it actually takes to be pleased.
We arrived in decent time to Asheville, after only missing one turn- Chachi was driving, saw a Young Life sticker, and while waving missed the exit, hahaha- classic.
We stopped off at the visitor center for stickers, and met this older guy named Dan who gave us advice on where to, and where people our age go, but honestly I wanted to go have a beer with him and just let him tell stories; btw he knows where Milledgeville, Ga is, even better.
From there we wandered and found some of the coolest art galleries that I've ever seen. there was your traditional quilted stuff, and other added beauties, but then there were amazing things and indescribably astounding ingenious artwork. I grabbed a couple of business cards, and I'll post the links as soon as I fish them out of the bottom of my bag.
We then stopped at this cool bar which I regrettably have forgotten the name of but if you are ever here it's just down the street from The Asheville Civic Center. Next, more wandering time, found a couple coffee shops most of which I thought we a little less than Blackbird, but not in a snobby way, although maybe just a little biased. Then we found this really awesome Tobacco/ Head shop,that's not what it was called but lets just say you don't need Einstein to figure that out sometime, and let's all be honest, even if you don't partake in either of the options in these places they intrigue you; therefore gaining a mention in this blog. After that we went To Brandon Murphy's house and and chilled for quite a bit just catching up with a friend and checking his new house.
After unloading and decompressing we headed to dinner at this killer burrito shop that Barberitos and and Moe's should be glad has no existence in Georgia, they wouldn't stand a chance. Then on to a tavern, a few beers, long conversations with random strangers, then back home for the evening.
Meant to get up for church, but didn't make it. I love going to church out of town, for some reason it works for me, except for this Sunday I guess. So, instead we headed back to town. Last night the kindly drunken strangers told of the local land of milk and honey, at least that's what I think Chachi and B-muprh heard when the guy said something about Chaco's on sale for $32, and there's a brand new two-story R.E.I. here. I opted to be left in the city to wander.... ;)
First stop was this really cool bus+ coffee shop place dbldecker.com. What a great idea. Please go to the website and check it out if you are ever in Asheville. Since it was my first caffeine fix for the day, I just ordered a cup of coffee black, it was Yirgacheffe Ethiopia Organic Shade Grown. it wasn't stellar but it was perfect for the moment and to be honest it went wonderfully with the morning's Bali Shag. Hung out here for a while and read a bit then headed on down the street to where I am now, writing this.
The Green Sage. Yet again, you wanna check this out. Friendly staff, delicious coffee, good foods and very "green" for more than trendy reasons. Baristas know what they are doing and if you bring something up they don't know about they are eager to learn (experienced that :P !!!!!). Live music some nights and a clean environment. I got here about an hour ago and started with a Double Cubano Macchiato. The girl behind the counter didn't know what it was but the barista di and she showed it! There was no artwork to, simply perfection. Their espresso finished so well and the raw sugar didn't overtake the flavor. She put the perfect sized dollop of foam on top perfectly marking the drink, and adding just a hint of sweetened lactose: love at first sip. Now I'm off to wander.
ciao- Chris
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
repairs
So today I met Gary. Gary is the owner and lead repairman of Espressofix. One of the most pleasant and knowledgeable people that I have met in person in the coffee world; albeit I am fairly green in this this "world".
Our Astoria double head machine was, for the pleasantries of understating, in dire need of attention. The back flush button casing had broken and was hanging on by a "string". A couple of our grinders had more or less stopped working. And the group heads on the machines were starting to leak a little bit. He took care of it all, and the whole time that he was working he was explaining everything that he was doing, teaching me how to do each thing. It was the single most instructive two hours I have experienced in hands on training in the coffee world since my inception into this business. Awesome!!!
So with all of that we have a the Sweetwater Festival coming up in Milledgeville this weekend. We have some serious business ahead of us, we have in the past made a week's worth of income in one day. Busy is entirely an understatement. But I honestly can't wait and listening to the bartenders complain to me about the amount of work they'll have to do around that time is rather entertaining.
I have also been in contact with M'lissa Muckerman now for about a month just conversing over coffee and learning new things. I love coming in contact with people that know more than I do, that are also willing to share, with patience, their knowledge and to encourage the growth of willing listeners. I've also been reading about and studying the works of the late Dr. Ernesto Illy. If you care at all about coffee knowledge history and what has gotten us to where we are now, read all you can of this man.
thats that for now.
g'night, - Chris
Our Astoria double head machine was, for the pleasantries of understating, in dire need of attention. The back flush button casing had broken and was hanging on by a "string". A couple of our grinders had more or less stopped working. And the group heads on the machines were starting to leak a little bit. He took care of it all, and the whole time that he was working he was explaining everything that he was doing, teaching me how to do each thing. It was the single most instructive two hours I have experienced in hands on training in the coffee world since my inception into this business. Awesome!!!
So with all of that we have a the Sweetwater Festival coming up in Milledgeville this weekend. We have some serious business ahead of us, we have in the past made a week's worth of income in one day. Busy is entirely an understatement. But I honestly can't wait and listening to the bartenders complain to me about the amount of work they'll have to do around that time is rather entertaining.
I have also been in contact with M'lissa Muckerman now for about a month just conversing over coffee and learning new things. I love coming in contact with people that know more than I do, that are also willing to share, with patience, their knowledge and to encourage the growth of willing listeners. I've also been reading about and studying the works of the late Dr. Ernesto Illy. If you care at all about coffee knowledge history and what has gotten us to where we are now, read all you can of this man.
thats that for now.
g'night, - Chris
Sunday, October 19, 2008
To passion and the nurturing thereof ....
To a man that changed what we know as a job...click this
If you have read the above link, then writing anything else is wasted energy, but for kicks I'll throw some quotes that have inspired the way I look at and/or approach coffee and the passion that I have and am ever developing.....
A question posed to the late Dr. Ernesto Illy
"How do you make the perfect espresso?"
Dr. Illy -"Why, it takes love, of course."
"There is no mystery to cupping, only endless intrigue."
-Geoff Watts
"Coffee is a love affair....you must love what you do, the espresso that you serve or the cappuccino that you serve must be perfect, the foam of your cappuccino must be perfect....the most important thing to remember is, the customer will not return because the ambiance is elegant or beautiful, they will come back in more and more and bigger numbers if the content of the cup is perfect. if you have no complaints it is not enough. Look at the faces, look in the eyes of your consumer, look to their smiles; if they smile they will come back...."
-Dr. Ernesto Illy
Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.
-Drew Sirtors
If you have read the above link, then writing anything else is wasted energy, but for kicks I'll throw some quotes that have inspired the way I look at and/or approach coffee and the passion that I have and am ever developing.....
A question posed to the late Dr. Ernesto Illy
"How do you make the perfect espresso?"
Dr. Illy -"Why, it takes love, of course."
"There is no mystery to cupping, only endless intrigue."
-Geoff Watts
"Coffee is a love affair....you must love what you do, the espresso that you serve or the cappuccino that you serve must be perfect, the foam of your cappuccino must be perfect....the most important thing to remember is, the customer will not return because the ambiance is elegant or beautiful, they will come back in more and more and bigger numbers if the content of the cup is perfect. if you have no complaints it is not enough. Look at the faces, look in the eyes of your consumer, look to their smiles; if they smile they will come back...."
-Dr. Ernesto Illy
Coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.
-Drew Sirtors
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
the difficulties of patience
First things first, it's been a while since my last entry, and for the sake of this blog I apologize. No one really reads it but for it's intent it must be kept relevant, ahem...it' just takes me a bit to get going with these things. So Blackbird Coffee(sometimes ground zero and sometimes home base depends on the days happenings) has seen some real action over the past month and or so. We've gotten rather busy, and sales have reflected that it's not just foot traffic(insert Southern Baptist styled "Hallelujah!").
The team of baristas here seem to have started to really step up there game. To their credit, there hasn't been a check and balances for them here in quite a while, and they have really pushed themselves to learn in there own time and also to help create a great atmosphere of coffee knowledge and neutrality in the shop. The new standards are probably a bit strict, they have taken to the new adjustments well, and although there have been a few kinks here and there, there has been an obvious effort on all ends to step up their proverbial game.
On that note I would also like to welcome our newest barista to join the flock, Clair Guy. She is still going through training and is showing some promising colors. She's been really receptive of instruction and is great with all of the people coming through the shop. Good luck Clair.
For the longest time Blackbird has quite honestly just been about making the money to pay the bills. I think gradually the owners are beginning to see the positive idea of taking your time and cultivating a product that draws people as a specialty worth a bit more, rather than just a stop along the day that one may or may not get to.
A lady just contacted me about helping her and her husband open a coffee shop. They actually know nothing more if not less than what the owners of Blackbird knew when they first got into this idea, so she has a chance here. She sent me a list of what she needs to know though, and it won't be a quick lesson. Simply put.
Last Friday night the grinder in the store stopped working, great. I took it apart from the top and cleaned grime from no telling how many months of disregard concerning equipment, after that it would work for a handful of beans, but anything over an ounce would make it literally grind to a halt. So I took it completely apart, everything unscrewed on the table apart, and the burrs (parts that do all the grinding) were caked so thick with old grinds that you could barely see the teeth, this is when a cigarette entered the picture :) Apparently there has never been an sort of cleaning regiment here....that just changed.
In other news I have begun recycling the burlap coffee sacks that our green coffee beans come to the store in. I started making messenger/satchel bags out of them, and they will soon be for sale.
Last but not least, we finally got a new coffee!
Welcome El Salvador Santa Barbara "Bourbon" Certified Rainforest Alliance to the line of Fresh Roasted Coffees delivered by Blackbird Coffee.
We will be doing free in house tastings of all of our coffees, in about a two weeks. They will be led by my long time friend and coffee compatriot Erik Gotrich. He is young in his coffee indulgences but the extent to which he researches the coffees he will discuss or the zeal for understanding that information and explaining that to willing listeners is unparalleled in this middle Georgia area we currently call home.
hope to see you around the shop,
Chris- amor y paz
The team of baristas here seem to have started to really step up there game. To their credit, there hasn't been a check and balances for them here in quite a while, and they have really pushed themselves to learn in there own time and also to help create a great atmosphere of coffee knowledge and neutrality in the shop. The new standards are probably a bit strict, they have taken to the new adjustments well, and although there have been a few kinks here and there, there has been an obvious effort on all ends to step up their proverbial game.
On that note I would also like to welcome our newest barista to join the flock, Clair Guy. She is still going through training and is showing some promising colors. She's been really receptive of instruction and is great with all of the people coming through the shop. Good luck Clair.
For the longest time Blackbird has quite honestly just been about making the money to pay the bills. I think gradually the owners are beginning to see the positive idea of taking your time and cultivating a product that draws people as a specialty worth a bit more, rather than just a stop along the day that one may or may not get to.
A lady just contacted me about helping her and her husband open a coffee shop. They actually know nothing more if not less than what the owners of Blackbird knew when they first got into this idea, so she has a chance here. She sent me a list of what she needs to know though, and it won't be a quick lesson. Simply put.
Last Friday night the grinder in the store stopped working, great. I took it apart from the top and cleaned grime from no telling how many months of disregard concerning equipment, after that it would work for a handful of beans, but anything over an ounce would make it literally grind to a halt. So I took it completely apart, everything unscrewed on the table apart, and the burrs (parts that do all the grinding) were caked so thick with old grinds that you could barely see the teeth, this is when a cigarette entered the picture :) Apparently there has never been an sort of cleaning regiment here....that just changed.
In other news I have begun recycling the burlap coffee sacks that our green coffee beans come to the store in. I started making messenger/satchel bags out of them, and they will soon be for sale.
Last but not least, we finally got a new coffee!
Welcome El Salvador Santa Barbara "Bourbon" Certified Rainforest Alliance to the line of Fresh Roasted Coffees delivered by Blackbird Coffee.
We will be doing free in house tastings of all of our coffees, in about a two weeks. They will be led by my long time friend and coffee compatriot Erik Gotrich. He is young in his coffee indulgences but the extent to which he researches the coffees he will discuss or the zeal for understanding that information and explaining that to willing listeners is unparalleled in this middle Georgia area we currently call home.
hope to see you around the shop,
Chris- amor y paz
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