starbucks buys high end coffee-maker maker March 21, 2008
Posted by Charles Noble in : coffee, food & drink, add a commentStarbucks has announced, as part of its major restructuring in how it does its business, the acquisition of the Ballard-based Coffee Equipment Company, maker of the $10,000 Clover single serving coffee maker.
This really chaps my hide because as a result of this move, Portland coffee roaster Stumptown Coffee Roasters will no longer be using the Clover at their locations.
A barista yesterday said that the company was no longer going to use the Clover (whose results I loved) and would be selling off the machines and going back to using french press pots.
I HATE Starbucks!!!!
Actually, I hate Stumptown for tossing out an exceptional way to showcase their coffees just because Starbucks bought the company that makes them - it’s a shallow and stupid decision, no doubt made on the basis of a knee-jerk, emotional reaction, and not out of how to best serve their customers.
right coast softening? October 26, 2007
Posted by Charles Noble in : food & drink, restaurants, 2commentsWe’ve been out in New York City the past few days (now we’re very briefly upstate) and I’ve been pretty surprised by what a nice city it’s become in the ten years since I really spent any time there. Some of this may be accounted for by the fact that I’m less of a scaredy-cat traveller than I used to be, but I think the psyche of the City has fundamentally changed since then, too. Some of my New York friends think it has to do largely with the shock of 9/11, and that makes sense to me. Whatever the cause, I actually think that New York is a warmer, friendlier place to visit than Portland. (more…)
