Yet another Store Idea

[thegoodies]

I guess I am thinking out loud, but what do you guys think about this idea.  Shoot it down if you like but everything starts from an idea.

I am a beer drinker and a coffee drinker,  (Well anything alcohol in fact not just beer)  I brew my own beer and roast my own beans and dabble in bread making on the occasion.
I know there are brew your own beer shops and U Bake it shops out there but is there U Roast it shops,  

The customer comes in and selects from an array of green beans, (maybe organised in sessions or individual customers).  The customer picks out their beans according to their desired taste and roasts them in store.  I could have a variety of coffee equipment from our sponsors on the shelf on consignment as mentioned from another post to sell.

Have recommended blends and roasting styles for the customer.
Sell Roasted coffee as well and sell green beans maybe to the customers for the already home roasters.

Have samples available for customers to try before they buy.

Havent heard of any place like that or even if it would be worth setting up but If it works for Beer, is their any reason why it wouldnt work for Coffee?

[Dennis]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Sounds like a nice, fun idea that might be allowed and OK in an industrial estate, but just ask Andy what he probably went through re environmental impact of the roaster, council enquiries, etc.

I understand this would be on a smaller scale but still lots of smoke, etc to deal with. Youll need some good insurance too - those beans get pretty hot!

[rice]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

In Melbourne, Veneziano have been doing that since last December with their cafe/roastery/machine sales/roast-ur-own - First Pour

http://coffeesnobs.com.au/YaBB.pl?num=116393419
http://www.venezianocoffee.com.au/

[thegoodies]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

I didnt realise that Veneziano was a you roast it shop, I thought it catered more to barista training type courses.

[>Veneziano]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

I didnt realise that Veneziano was a you roast it shop, I thought it catered more to barista training type courses.

First Pour is really set up to be a retail showroom, showcasing everything that we have to offer. Because it is open to the public, we have aimed to offer the same services to coffeesnobs and other home baristi that our cafe customers expect.

What with the tech room, training room and roasting annexe, First Pour is also our own little playground! At the moment, I think that the roast-your-own section really fits more into this category than a serious business idea.

Havent heard of any place like that or even if it would be worth setting up but If it works for Beer, is their any reason why it wouldnt work for Coffee?

It requires expensive equipment and staff that are well-informed. Each roast requires lot of input both before roasting starts, when the blend is being made, and during roasting, to make sure that nothing goes awry. It is also surprisingly difficult to get the message across to people; resting periods, bean densities, origins, processing methods ... it is easy to understand why it will appear intimidating and complicated to many.

That said, one of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping my small but dedicated armada of regular roasters to develop and tweak their own blends.

Roast your own works for us because it is in the context of a one-stop shop. That makes the roast your own corner the logical extension of the services that we already offer. On top of that, we already had the right equipment, beans, zoning and the space. We also have a ready supply of blend recipes and inspiration from the constant experimentation that happens anyway. Doing it as more of a stand-alone thing might be possible, but it will be more difficult to connect with people who are interested.

... just some random thoughts before I go to bed!

Luca

[thegoodies]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Thanks for the insight Luca, gives me some food or thought.

[grendel]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Yeah - toyed with that idea - not sure there is enough market for that on its own yet, but as an adjunct to another business it seems like a great idea. Id certainly jump at the chance to use a 1kg or 2kg sample roaster and would probably do that on a regular basis if it were available - my heat gun died last night so that is another driver!

[robusto]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

I brew my own beer and roast my own beans and dabble in bread making on the occasion.

Are you sure youre not me?

--Robusto

[grendel]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

What is scary is that I brew my own beer at a brew-yer-own place in Joondalup and roast beans and make bread while living only a short distance from The Goodies. . .

[robusto]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Why not brew beer at home? Its like making instant coffee. Well, until its time to bottle. Then its more like 60 stubbies of instant coffee.

--Robusto

[thegoodies]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

I have been toying with the idea of converting to kegs instead of bottling, but suddenly a lot of my time an effort has switched the caffeinated drink variety and roasting beans.

I just put on a Corona Style beer, but Im not too sure about this as it was a 40 degree day I decided to brew on and continued 40+ for a couple of days after that. Probably killed the yeast. Oh well hasnt been the first time ans sure it wont be the last. Im sure I will get better brews in between this time.

I will have to join forces with Grendel and start up a Brew your own, roast your own and bake your own One Stop Shop herein the northern suburbs. All you would need then is a sports lounge and TAB and no guy will ever want to go home.

[robusto]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Dont forget the ashtrays and peanuts.

--Robusto

[thegoodies]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Well Im not a smoker, so the ashtrays can go out in the courtyard with the Dart Board.

But I do like the roasted peanuts idea, just like in the States where you go into some bar and there are peanut shells all over the joint with big barrels of peanuts where you go and get a bucket of nuts to take back to your table. Cool I like that Idea.

[Thundergod]

Re: Yet another Store Idea

Lonestar restaurants used to do the peanut thing here, but not any more.
Probably a public liability risk.
A shame, I liked being able to drop my shells on the floor.