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Coffee/Questions Answered by Expert Bob
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Cost to start up a push coffee cart | 4/23/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering if you could give me some kind of an idea of how much the start up or production ... A: I have no clue about Houston food/health/cart code laws. Easy way to check prices, look at Burgess ... | |
| Drive Thru in Rural area | 2/6/2010 |
| Q: I am considering opening a drive thru Espresso business (also serving slurpies for kids and ... A: If I understand, you want to know how much sales you need to generate $200 profit per day or roughly ... | |
| Coffee Grinding service | 1/18/2010 |
| Q: Does anyone,to your knowledge, offer a coffee grinding service for people who bring in coffee beans? ... A: What is the "coffee club?" Can you pitch it to your local roaster that you'll be loyal if they give ... | |
| CLUELESS | 12/7/2009 |
| Q: I OWN A WATER STORE AND IN THAT AREA, MOST OF MY CUSTOMERS WANT COFFEE, SO I THOUGHT WHAT THE HELL, ... A: Not sure what a water store is. Panera Breads? Hmmm. I think you can and need to do lots better ... | |
| exporting coffee | 9/2/2009 |
| Q: how are you? I grow state coffee in Minas Gerais, Brazil. We usually sell it to the national market, ... A: My limited amount of knowledge in farming tells me that this is a general problem. These products ... | |
| coffee | 8/5/2009 |
| Q: Is coffee good for our health or not? A: There are probably more research studies into the health benefits / concerns of coffee than any ... | |
| How do i sell my coffee? | 7/25/2009 |
| Q: Right now, I own a farm that produces 20,000lbs annually of coffee beans. The prices for coffee I am ... A: This isn't my expertise. I'd try a) talking to another small producer in area about possibility of ... | |
| coffee ratios | 1/28/2009 |
| Q: I read 1 tbsp, grind and that will equal 2 tbsp of ground coffee which is good for 6 oz. of water. ... A: You're using too much coffee (for average people) and that is why you're getting spillage. Start ... | |
| Selling coffe on the internet | 1/23/2009 |
| Q: Bob, I don't know much about the coffee business and was hoping if you have an opinion on the ... A: The better way (in my opinion) to do this would be to arrange a deal with a roaster that they do the ... | |
| starting own coffee plantation | 12/30/2008 |
| Q: i have decided to start my own coffee plantation can you give me some info on how to start please ... A: The way to make $1 million in the coffee plantation business is to start with $2 million. That ... | |
| Import Coffee to Canada | 10/30/2008 |
| Q: I want to start importing coffee from Brazil to Canada. There's many producers willing to export in ... A: Not quite sure why there are so many people out there who want to import coffee. This is the type ... | |
| GREEN COFFEE WHOLESALER | 9/7/2008 |
| Q: Bob: I have read your comments on green coffee wholesalers. I understand you are a roaster perhaps ... A: 1. We buy strictly organic/fair trade coffee. Thus, much of this doesn't apply to me. I'm sure ... | |
| Vietnamese Coffee | 9/3/2008 |
| Q: I am not a coffee person, but on a recent trip to Vietnam I brought home packages of coffee and ... A: Vietnam mostly produces what us in the specialty coffee industry refer to as junk coffee. I'm sure ... | |
| Ugandan Robusto | 8/27/2008 |
| Q: I am trying to help a friend in Uganda utilize his village's coffee production to enable the funding ... A: First, "who" are you trying to sell "what" to? 1) Who is important. Are you trying to raise money ... | |
| Green Coffee | 8/14/2008 |
| Q: I am considering jumping into the coffee world, and more so will be involved in the green coffee ... A: No such thing as "Top 5." Way too subjective and changes by the growing season. Colombian did a ... | |
| Green Coffee | 8/12/2008 |
| Q: I am considering jumping into the coffee world, and more so will be involved in the green coffee ... A: Easiest part: cafe part of the business or the roasting. The cafe part isn't as lucrative as many ... | |
| Green Coffee | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I am considering jumping into the coffee world, and more so will be involved in the green coffee ... A: I don't know the legalities and procedures of importing/exporting coffee. I do know that you are ... | |
| Importation/Wholesale of PNG green beans | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: I have a contact in Papua New Guinea who is able to send me Green (unroasted)Arabica coffee beans. I ... A: First, sorry if I sounded rude when I said "Didn't I answer this already." (or something like that). ... | |
| Importation/Wholesale of PNG green beans | 7/21/2008 |
| Q: I have a contact in Papua New Guinea who is able to send me Green (unroasted)Arabica coffee beans. I ... A: I thought I answered this question. Basically, I know very little about importing requirements. I ... | |
| Average cost/profit on lb of coffee | 6/19/2008 |
| Q: Approximately how much Starbucks or a specialty roaster pay per lb of coffee and approximately what ... A: Yes, this is confusing too. If you go to a a grocery store or a Costco/Sam's club you'll see ... | |
| Average cost/profit on lb of coffee | 6/16/2008 |
| Q: Approximately how much Starbucks or a specialty roaster pay per lb of coffee and approximately what ... A: The simple answer is: use $2.25 as a basic price -- although prices will be much higher this year. ... | |
| Coffee | 6/7/2008 |
| Q: Ok, this sounds dumb but twice been to this restaurant for coffee weeks apart and after m first cup ... A: Not sure.. 1) Maybe they don't clean their equipment. 2) Perhaps you're "allergic" to lousy ... | |
| Importing unroasted coffee beans from Costa Rica | 6/4/2008 |
| Q: Bob- A fellow co-worker had mentioned to me at dinner recently that his father in law, who lives in ... A: This isn't my specialty either...I'm guessing the easiest way is to pay an existing importer to do ... | |
| NEED IT SO MUCH 2 | 5/1/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering would you please explain to me: why whenever I have a cup of coffee every day I'm ... A: Coffee is a drug; it's a stimulant. People react differently to it. You've obviously developed an ... | |
| NEED IT SO MUCH | 4/27/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering would you please explain to me: why whenever I have a cup of coffee every day I'm ... A: Basically, you've become a bit addicted. Or, at least you've developed a habit. Just like any ... | |
| Roasting | 2/17/2008 |
| Q: I would like to learn to roast and blend beans where do I start? seminars or coffee school and where ... A: Perhaps the best thing would be to attend the Specialty Coffee Association of America conference. ... | |
| Grinding Coffee Dilemma | 1/23/2008 |
| Q: This is a very basic question. I use an electric coffee mill (Cuisinart Auto Burr Mill) to grind my ... A: If you put the grinder in the freezer overnight it will kill the static. In the morning, rinse it ... | |
| coffee film project | 11/20/2007 |
| Q: I am the producer for a coffee film for my university in Germany FH-Worms worms Germany, the topic ... A: Most USA coffeehouses buy their coffee from a roasting company. Thus, most do NOT roast their own ... | |
| Import/Export Coffee | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: My husband and I are interested in exporting coffee from Mexico (though we live in the U.S.) and ... A: Don't know much about importing, to be honest. I suspect that it'll be hard to sell to small ... | |
| aged coffee | 10/5/2007 |
| Q: Why is it coffee from indonesia is better to be aged than coffee from latin america? A: Don't think it is....just think it is done more. Experts disagree whether any aged coffee is worth ... | |
| Specialty Coffee | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: I am entering a barista competition and am wondering if you have any drink ideas. The only ... A: I had an employee experiment with espresso/tea. Nothing great came of it. Closest she came to ... | |
| Physical characterists of fresh coffee--espresso grind | 9/5/2007 |
| Q: What are the physical characteristics of fresh coffee? Assuming one grinds their own beans, what ... A: I'll have to check on the bar pressure on our machines. Or, just call La Marzoco. NO!!!! About the ... | |
| Physical characterists of fresh coffee--espresso grind | 9/3/2007 |
| Q: What are the physical characteristics of fresh coffee? Assuming one grinds their own beans, what ... A: When you buy whole bean coffee, it should be no more than two weeks old. You can tell how old ... | |
| import coffee | 8/24/2007 |
| Q: Would like to import coffee to the states but don't know where to start and how to find potential ... A: Darn tough to do if you have a single origin coffee. Small roasters (like me) need to combine ... | |
| Start up funding | 8/23/2007 |
| Q: Can you tell me the best method for obtaining financing with less then great credit? I have seen ... A: I used a combo of bank loans and investor money to start up. Both have good/bad points: loans you ... | |
| Grinding coffee | 8/19/2007 |
| Q: Do you know of any ways you can grind coffee beans without a grinder? Thanks, Evan A: You can use anything to "grind" coffee that gets the beans the right size. You can use a hammer, ... | |
| fresh start | 7/1/2007 |
| Q: im currently not working and going to school to drive trucks but i want to run my own buisness ive ... A: Don't let anyone tell you any part of the restaurant business is easy! Yes, there are high mark ups ... | |
| lemon | 5/17/2007 |
| Q: I recently ordered and espresso an was given a lemon slice on the side. I didnt really know what to ... A: Hopefully the lemon wasn't a reflection of the quality of an espresso. Actually, before getting ... | |
| Developing a coffee | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: How should someone go about developing their own brand of coffee? Should I start with looking at ... A: Not sure that "looking" at beans will help. You need to taste 'em. What do you like? Full-bodied? ... | |
| caffeine in cappucinos | 3/21/2007 |
| Q: How much caffeine is in a 24 oz Wawa English Toffee Cappuccino? A: No clue. The important thing to know is how many espresso shots are in this drink. It could be 1 ... | |
| coffee & health | 3/4/2007 |
| Q: As a lover of coffee I often desire multiple cups of coffee throughout the day, being health ... A: Depending on the day or perhaps the hour you look it up, there will be a new study saying coffee is ... | |
| de-caffienated coffee | 2/17/2007 |
| Q: How do they remove caffeine from coffee? I heard many years ago that they used carbon tetra ... A: A few different ways. Yes to the above. Also there is a water process (very simplified) beans are ... | |
Coffee
Answers by Expert:
Bob
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Own coffeehouses and coffee roasting company. Thus, anything about starting a business, etc.
Experience
Been doing it since 1993.
Publications
One in a coffee magazine.
Education/Credentials
Too many but not related.
Awards and Honors
Speaker at coffee conventions.
Past/Present Clients
Many.
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