#BringBackKaldis

Today, I ate my last mocha muffin and drank my last cup of coffee at the Kaldi's cart on Missouri State's campus. At the end of this semester, Sodexo is going out and a new food company is coming in. And they have a contract with Starbucks. 

Don't get me wrong, I am stoked that Missouri State is getting new food options such as Chick-fil-A, but it saddens me to see something so unique such as Kaldi's leave MSU campus.

I try make my morning cup at home, but some days I am running late or some nights I am stuck in the library working on homework, and it is nice to have a little extra pick me up on campus. However, Starbucks is not my favorite. Not trying to knock anyone who likes it, but to me, the coffee is always either too bitter or too sweet. Beyond the taste, Starbucks is a global corporation, whereas Kaldi's is a coffee company housed right here in Missouri. It is special, and if you recall previous posts. The South Regional Barista Champion this year was Joe Marrocco, from Kaldi's, so it is legit. 

I learned something very important at PRSSA National Assembly this year from the lovely Rachel Sprung. If you don't like something, hashtag it on Twitter. She started the hashtag #bringbackken when tweeting about anything negative about arranging flights for PRSSA because a guy named ken used to take care of it for them.

I am stealing her idea. I encourage you to use the hashtag #BringBackKaldis on Twitter if you are disappointed in seeing them leave MSU campus.

Who knows maybe President Cofer will hear our cries of wanting good, local coffee and #bringbackkaldis?

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The Coffee Capitol of the World

Seattle, WA, also known as the "Coffee Capitol of the World". 

It is also the place where Starbucks was founded in 1971.

As you know I visited, a "fake original" Starbucks, first.

Of course, being in Seattle, I visited EVERY coffee place I could.

I was in coffee heaven. :)

The first place (besides a Starbucks) I visited was Victrola.

Robbie, my former coffee manager, took me on my coffee tour.

It was a lovely little shop.

I ordered a cappuccino and a homemade coffee truffle. 

YUM!

It was scrumptious.

A little background on the coffee shop, it was founded in 2000.

The name comes from the popular phonograph during the 1920's.

The really emphasized this theme with a 1920's jazz feel in the overall atmosphere of the shop. 

I also could not resist this fair trade coffee bar from Theo Chocolate Factory.

First off, it had a cat on it.

I LOVE kitty cats.

Second, it reminded me of good'ole Springfield's Askinosie Chocolate Company.

Then I headed straight over to the infamous Stumptown Coffee Roasters.

It was smaller than Victrola,

but had a very distinct, clean feel.

The Baristas knew Robbie, so we chatted for awhile.

They were super nice.

We both got an espresso,

and I got some Burundi beans (on the house).

Thanks, Stumptown!

Last and probably least, I did go to the "original Starbucks"

because you have to as a tourist in Seattle.

However, I was not impressed. 

The coffee was worse than the coffee served at my conference,

and the shop was small and had no chairs.

What is the point of a coffee shop if you can't cozy up in a chair?

Overall, Seattle's coffee scene was everything I anticipated.

Great shops mixed in with 1,000 Starbucks.

I am glad I have been to the "Coffee Capitol of the World"! 

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The Original Starbucks #AprilFools

I am a very festive person.

I love holidays.

However, I hate April Fools Day.

Growing up my mom and sister always liked to prey on my dad's and my gullibility. It was always a source of conflict in our family. Looking back, I often overreacted to my sister's antics, but I am still not fond of April Fool's Day.

This year, I figured being in Seattle would secure me from any April Fool's jokes.

Who was I kidding?

No distance is too far for my sister.

This year she convinced our family that she had torn a hamstring at a pivotal track race and had to pull out. It was a brilliant devious joke because it was believable and incredibly scary for my family thinking she could be done with track and lose her scholarship next year.

I also managed to April Fool's myself.

A big group of us at PRSSA National Assembly definitely went to a Starbucks thinking it was the original Starbucks, and it was not. We took such touristy photos that must have made us look crazy.

When we found out, we all felt like idiots,

but I thought I would share photos anyway:

I had a coffee made on the Clover, which was actually yummy, and Veronica and I plan to visit the REAL original Starbucks tomorrow morning. Also, my coffee shops I visited tonight made up for that mistake.

I will share more about my coffee adventures and PR tips from Seattle later!

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Coffee is NOT All Created Equal

Let's Set The Stage:

You are a waitress at a local, sit down restaurant. You serve everything from steaks to chicken fingers. Your hamburgers are the best in town because you use grass feed beef from local farmers. Each patty is hand crafted by the chef with your restaurant's own secret recipe of spices.


NOW, a couple comes in. You sit them down and hand them menus. The lady orders a Gourmet Cheeseburger. She asks if she can make it a double. You reply that is no problem, but it will cost extra. When you tell her the price, she replies,

"You guys are more expensive than McDonalds. How's that?"

Immediately, you begin to explain that your hamburgers are different than McDonald's because of where you get the beef and how it is prepared by hand. Before you could finish your sentence, she retorts:

"I don't care. It all tastes the same."

Absurd right?

Well, that is the same feeling a barista at a local specialty coffee house has when someone says in disgust that you are more expensive than Starbucks. Where is the disconnect? Why do we expect more quality, expensive food from the local sit down restaurant than at a fast food restaurant, but coffee is all treated the same?

I have news for you.

Coffee is NOT all created equal,

as The Coffee Ethic's Clover sign states.

Being a barista at The Coffee Ethic is hard work, constanty trying to improve my skills and learn more about the trade. Each drink is made by hand from scratch. We do not push a button and magically a latte appears. We tamp the espresso with our own strength and pour the steamed milk with our hearts.

All of our coffee is Direct Trade, meaning all the farmer's get a fair price and we have a relationship with them. Our roaster, PT's, gives back to the community the farmer's live in. They don't just take coffee beans; they pass on knowledge and create friendships.

All of the cups at The Coffee Ethic are bio-degardable, and we try to make every effort to be responsible to the environment by recycling and saving our grounds for gardens in the community. 

This is why I hate *bucks a little bit. It has it's place in society, don't get me wrong. If you want a quick, sweet, grande, with lots of milk, cheap coffee drink, go to that place. If you want to sit down, be treated as guests, and sip on a delicious cup of coffee slowly, support a local coffee shop like The Coffee Ethic. And remember:

Coffee is NOT All Created Equal!

Kudos to Scott Bratcher for the Pic of David Soper's Latte Art at The Coffee Ethic

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