I had THE conversation again this morning with a customer. It's 100-degrees F. here today. My AC is running full blast. She loves the atmosphere, the cleanliness, the friendly staff. It's cool inside. The drinks are great. We have our own bakery and a trained baker. The machne is a LM 2AV pid'd. The water is softened, filtered, triple filtered, RO'ed and then trickle-filtered to maintain a TDS of 150. We roast our own coffee and it is never brewed after 10-days. Rarely does it go 5 days. The tables are custom made and don't wobble. The music is classical and the morning radio is NPR. We use mugs from Fiestaware and Churchhill. No paper cups are served inside. You only get a clean glass for water. Real flatware. Real plates. The staff is well trained, conversant and intelligent. They are all better looking than me. Sure enough, as the lady was getting her drink she directs a comment to me behind the bar that she is complaining about the prices. I retort that, yeah, the prices are too low. Then I go around to be civil and ask her which prices are too high. "The Breve. Why is an 8oz drink $3.50?"
It's a prepared drink, I tell her. Then she goes on to explain to me that the half and half is only so much more than regular milk and furthermore I let customers pour h&h into their brewed coffee. Yep, but its a prepared drink and the staff does an excellent job making them. "I'm having a cappuccino". Some days.
Bernie

If you wouldn't mind, please move to Ann Arbor! I'll be the guy with $4 and change for the tip jar.

Was it Gorbachov who said to the Russians: people are born, people suffer, people die.
Was it a drug dealer who said to the junkie: money talks, bull <faeces> walks.
Was it the corporate investor who said: that price per cup of coffee does not give enough ROI to your real estate.
Was it Archie Bunker who said: Meatball, get those pills - she's changing again.

In my country
$9.00 buys you 1 US gallon of gas
$8.10 buys you 1 US gallon of diesel
$3.50 buys you a simple cup of drip filter coffee in a cafe

In Italy
$0.95 is probably the lowest price in a coffee bar for a single shot espresso, standing at the bar.
$1.40 is probably the normal price in a coffee bar for a single shot espresso, standing at the bar.
If you want to sit by a table you pay way more.
But then, normal Italian families are so poor, relatively, they cannot afford to have children any more.

I can imagine you want a shoulder to cry on with all that civilization on your side and so much culture on hers.

Regards
Peter

bernie wrote:(...)The staff is well trained, conversant and intelligent. They are all better looking than me.
(...)
I retort that, yeah, the prices are too low. Then I go around to be civil(...)

CafSuperCharged wrote:(...) all that civilization on your side and so much culture on hers.

Bernie,

don't be civil. Redress your staff and play her System's 'Sugar' instead.

(...)I sit in my desolate room,
no lights, no music, just ice cream.
I've l$#cked everyone(...)
How do I feel?
What do I say?
(...)it all goes away

(or imagine yourself saying 'SUUUGAR!' to her.
When I used to work with people it really did help )

bernie wrote:"The Breve. Why is an 8oz drink $3.50?"

"Great coffee shops that do excellent work are closing all the time, because of financial woes. Great baristi are taking 'real' jobs because pulling 'spro ain't paying the bills. $3.50 allows us to keep the doors open and the coffee to be made by artisans instead of paper-hatted apathetic kids that just want enough cash to buy some new ill-fitting pants.
Try the breve at the local international chain coffeehouse tomorrow, and then come immediately here and have one of ours, on me. If you can't see the value in the entire experience that a mere $3.50 gets you, you aren't one of my customers anyways. My customers come here for something unique and beautiful. A sense of decorum, class, and comfort. If that is what you want, it costs more. Just as a great steak sandwich, hand made in a fine restaurant will cost more than a mass-produced burger-inna-bag, you wouldn't go to a fine dining establishment and complain that the burger is cheaper, would you?
Quality costs money. If you find that you are are willing to sacrifice quality for a bargain, there are no lack of establishments willing to make that trade for you. If, however, you've decided that you are willing to pay a bit more for the better quality things in life, there are only a few that will be willing to risk their livelihood to provide that. I'm one of those few. Welcome to my shop. Please find me if anything you are served isn't to your satisfaction."

Highlight, copy, paste, print, hang up at the counter. Tell 'em I said so.

It's very aggravating when people start to argue about end-product based on what ingredients cost and don't take in consideration that someone had to prepare their product and provide an ambiance and atmosphere and has to pay employees. You pay for what you get and you get what you pay for.

It seems often to be the people with disposable income that complain most about the things they choose to spend their money on. Is this ironic or just stupid?

bernie wrote:The machne is a LM 2AV pid'd. The water is softened, filtered, triple filtered, RO'ed and then trickle-filtered to maintain a TDS of 150. We roast our own coffee and it is never brewed after 10-days. Rarely does it go 5 days. The tables are custom made and don't wobble. The music is classical and the morning radio is NPR. We use mugs from Fiestaware and Churchhill. No paper cups are served inside. You only get a clean glass for water. Real flatware. Real plates

Reminds me of a great coffeehouse from my college days. I'd buy a drink an hour just for the right to hang out in that space. If I find myself in New Mexico again, I'm coming in. I am sad to hear that gruff about prices, but I'm glad that you are still doing 'coffeehouse' right. Now, there is a shop very near my home which has a great environment (much like you described, Bernie), pays its employees well, and roasts its own beans. A straight cuppa coffee costs $2.25 and it sucks. They haven't figured out how to make good coffee, so I don't go there much. That woman should consider herself fortunate to have a shop like yours in town.

Paul

bernie wrote:It's a prepared drink, I tell her. Then she goes on to explain to me that the half and half is only so much more than regular milk and furthermore I let customers pour h&h into their brewed coffee. Yep, but its a prepared drink and the staff does an excellent job making them. "I'm having a cappuccino". Some days.
Bernie

Really not your customer. You are selling an experience, relaxation, an excellent cup of coffee, ambiance, well trained staff - an oasis in the midst of the day's hustle. If she doesn't value that, there's always McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts. There are some customers who probably ought to be "fired," probably she is one of them.

One more thought: I don't think the staff at Blue Bottle in SF hear much grief about prices. After the big splash they made with their $20k halogen vac-pot bar, folks must expect to pay more. I did, and it was worth it. Almost three cups of very fine coffee plus a great experience (full-view brewing, a barista who knew his stuff and was as happy as a lark to talk coffee with me the whole time) for only $11. Far better than a movie, if I do say so. So maybe you need some local press about your dialed-in LM, custom-roasted beans, and knowledgeable staff and how that all costs more than *$ but is so much better...

I hope that tomorrow is better!

hperry wrote:Really not your customer. You are selling an experience, relaxation, an excellent cup of coffee, ambiance, well trained staff - an oasis in the midst of the day's hustle. If she doesn't value that, there's always McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts. There are some customers who probably ought to be "fired," probably she is one of them.

Bernie, I feel like the best thing to remember is you're selling the real thing. Everything that Starbucks pretends to be and more, for less money than you would pay at Starbucks. I thought your line about the "prices being too low" was great. I think that maybe your customer needs a little "Tony Sciandra" love....

Next time I'm in Las Cruces, I'll buy a cappuccino from you, and I'll be glad to tip the difference... Heck, I hope you raise your prices. Things are getting pricey.