Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Coffee Drinker Opinions NEEDED!!!!

I've been in the restaurant business my whole life. I worked for Starbucks for almost three years. Considering your plan and who you will be selling to (the "general" public), here are my thoughts:

1. A 75 cent cup of coffee will taste like a 75 cent cup of coffee (crap) and won't have broad appeal.

2. A $2.25 cup of coffee will taste much better, but damn, that's an expensive cup of coffee. That will not have broad appeal at all!

3. Brewed coffee is a very high margin product. Sell it.

4. Go somewhere in the middle. A good cup of coffee with broad appeal will be medium to mid-dark in roast and run about $1.50 per 12 oz. cup. There are plenty of good options for beans that will deliver quality and margin.

Good luck!

Thanks guys, I really appreciate this input and will take under advisment.

remfak, I appreciate that very much.

Go with Community Medium Roast, 12 oz. for .75!

Taste great, not too strong for the lite drinkers and has some taste for the strong drinkers.

At 1.50 a 12 oz. cup, you wont sell any around here. We pay .50 for a 12 oz.

Dude at the store went up to .65 and stopped selling coffee, one week later it was back at .50.

I feel the same way, but up here "coffee" are gussied up 'til they're 6, 7, even 8 bucks!

If it were me, I'd sell 16 oz cups. For a lot of coffee drinkers, a 12 oz. cup is like a shot glass. A 16 oz cup won't cost you a hell of a lot more, but the value will be there for the customer. Keep the price in the $1.50 range, give or take a small bit.

AT a Big Box hardware store? Go for the cheap stuff, which is still pretty good. No gourmet coffee. Can't see a manly man in overalls ordering a triple soy latte decaf.

Yep, no gourmet coffee, no gourmet prices... just good, fresh, and hot.
What did we do a few years back before Starbucks?

I kinda felt the same way, we'll see.

I really appreciate the thoughts, guys. Hope to hear more...

Oh, and I thought the 8oz was the shot glass and the 12 was the serving. The 16 is the road trip! But then again, I'm not the coffee drinker!

Seems the "all day long" guys drink it weaker...???

Just remember, it ain't really coffee if it won't float a horseshoe.

I used the VIA on the last campout I took, it did the trick for me.

Folgers.

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Have a bunch of Starbucks all around me and a streetful of folks always with a Starbucks cup in their hand but I have never heard of VIA, till now.

Don't rape the working guys over a damn cup of coffee. You're not a diner giving multiple free refills with high overhead. If you can't supply a decent 16oz cup of coffee for a buck (tax included) I'd find another line of business. Don't forget if they stop for a coffee they will buy a danish to go with it but if prices are out of line they will run through the McDonalds drive thru.

Could do a 16oz Folgers for a buck. Wife doesn't like the idea.

Still working on it....

I admit that i really do like a good cup of coffee, that said i would opt for the fresh ground reciently roasted gormet, but if you scrd me i'd never be back no matter what

I can't imagine actually paying for a cup of folgers coffee, but that's just me.

Enough said. The question though is who will be your customers, your wife and homeowners with upper scale tastes or contractors and their crews just looking for some caffeine? You might want to spend a day in the parking lot, investigating how many and what type of customer shop at what time of day. That might give a starting point. On the other hand, how long does it take to brew a pot of coffee? Might be worthwhile to invest in an extra thermos carafe and have both available, at least until you know your market.

MJB or Yuban, can't stand that gourmet stuff, and then Hot, Black, and Strong!


Phil

I have and still do drink a ton of coffee. I have had all kinds, especially when stationed in Panama for three years. Get a decent quality premium coffee and brew it right and 90% of people will be happy. When it is done brewing take it the hell off the burner and remove the grounds and filter. Put the coffee in a thermal container of some sort. Your customers will let you know what improvements you need over time if any. IMHO starbucks blows. Not to offend but it tastes bitter and burnt to me. Check your area and see if you have a small mom and pop operation that roasts their own beans. That would be my first choice if you are so lucky to have one.