Coffee Shop

History

I wonder if you realize as you lounge on the sofa or comfortable armchair of your neighborhood coffee shop, gently sipping a cappuccino or a frothy latte, just what a significant history the coffee shop has.

The word coffee probably derives from the name of the Ethiopian province of "Kaffa", although some would argue the derivation is from the Arabic word awah", meaning coffee.  However, coffee was introduced into Europe by the Turks and the first record of a coffee house dates back to 1475.  The location was Constantinople, which has become the modern city of Istanbul. 

The Turks did not drink Cappuccino, Latte or Mocha but instead drank the brew black and strong, and it would have been served in a traditional Turkish coffee pot, called an ibrik.

The first British Coffee House was called the "Turks Head".  Although the name was more redolent of a public house, it did acknowledge the role the Turks played in introducing this beverage to Western Europe.  The coffee here would have been filtered as the strong draft favored by the Turks proved too much for the refined British palate. 

To tone down the flavors Londoners added milk and sugar too.  However, coffee shops like the Turks Head soon sprung up all over the place.  These cafes became talking shops where the middle classes and intelligentsia would meet not only to drink coffee but also to talk, argue discuss ideas and above all politics. 

Quick to follow the fashion set in motion by "The Turks Head", was a coffee house started by a gentleman called Edward Lloyd, which became a successful business centre.  It became home to a group of members who set up an insurance company that lasts to this day - Lloyds of London. 

The members or "Names" agreed to insure ships' cargoes for a fee.  If the cargo was lost, stolen or destroyed in any way the members of Lloyds coffee house agreed to compensate the owners of the cargo for their loss.

By the way, the espressos, and cappuccinos that you drink today come to you by way of Italy where a man named Gaggia invented the espresso machine in 1946 - directly after World War II.  The strong espresso brew or liquor is now the basis of the specialty coffees that you drink as you muse over the morning paper in one of the many coffee shops that have become so popular the world over. 

Gourmet Coffee

Gourmet coffee retailers know what their customers want.  It is there job.  If they didn't know how to better reach their customers, they would miss out on their chunk of the millions spent annually on coffee and coffee products.  Of course not one coffee fits every drinker.  If it did, the coffee industry would be boring and lack imagination.  Everyone would drink a slightly watered down coffee somewhere between decaf and regular.  Thank goodness that all coffee drinkers enjoy a slightly different brew.  The key to the coffee shop is the merchandising and taste of its specialty drinks, which involves having the right coffeemaker and coffee, and people who understand the art of making good coffee.

Gourmet coffee comes in all shapes, sizes, tastes, smells, and price ranges.  It may seem obvious that the higher the price, the better the quality.  However, this is not always the case when considering gourmet coffee.  Who decides the best gourmet or specialty coffee is the coffee drinker.  Tastes and styles differ form one person to the other.  In addition, tastes and styles are not dependent on the price tag of the coffee.  Coffee specialty shops offer the coffee drinker a chance to experience all qualities, styles, and tastes of gourmet coffee through a trial and error method.  This proven trial and error method allows even the fussiest of coffee drinkers to choose a gourmet specialty coffee that is perfect for his or her lifestyle.

Speciality Shops

Coffee specialty shops are often a franchise business owned by major corporations.  However, many of these fine specialty coffee shops are privately owned and ran by smaller groups of people.  The benefits of both the corporation and the small business are completely different.  I know I enjoy the small business coffee specialty shop mush more than the larger franchise.  Customer service, quality, and home style comfort all while enjoying that awesome cup of gourmet Java.  Larger franchises have the advantage of having conformity of coffee tastes from one location to the other, even from one country to the other.  Whatever your choice, coffee specialty shops offer all coffee drinkers a truly different coffee experience.

Gourmet specialty coffee shops reach out to their customers.  Offering gourmet specialty coffees that carry the coffee shop's company label gets potential coffee drinkers to trust that coffee shop.  Building trust is important in the coffee industry.  When dealing with customers willing to spend millions annually on coffee and coffee products, the coffee retailers are more than willing to customize coffee and coffee products for their customers.

As with all specialty coffee, specially grown gourmet coffee beans are used to create a uniquely flavoured coffee bean.  Only the finest of gourmet coffee beans are used in the process of creating the most exceptional specialty coffees.  The components of the soil create the coffee bean used by specialty coffee shops around the world.  Of course, coffee shops also sell the roasted coffee bean by the pound to loyal customers.  Exposing the gourmet coffee beans to the public allow coffee drinkers to build loyalty and ultimately to buy only that specific gourmet coffee bean. 

Many specialty coffees are infused with additional flavours to better please the coffee drinker.  These additional coffee flavourings add a completely new element to gourmet coffee beans.  Not only do these flavourings add a new taste, but these flavoured coffee beans also add a completely new robust aroma.  The two qualities together make an idealistic opportunity for coffee retailers to present their loyal customers with new and often improved qualities of coffee beans.  Coffee retailers are always ready to find new ways to provide high quality to loyal customers as well as new coffee drinkers.