I coincidentally began my Twitter account just before the SCAA
Symposium. It looks like a fantastic
event. I also wonder if I would be completely overwhelmed by the collective
knowledge in that building.
My current approach to coffee is fairly primitive, “Me like,”
or, “Me no like.” I feel, at times, like I am a tadpole trying to push my
evolution onto the sand while others are building the Tower of Babel. I read
blog posts and picture them in lab coats and pocket protectors instead of
aprons. They can be very difficult for me to follow because many of these posts are
written with assumptions about coffee that I have not yet established. *
For example, I just learned that the ideal cup extracts only
the first 20% of the grounds which results in a 1.4% solution (please correct
me if I am wrong because I am assuming brew strength is equal to the percentage
of coffee in the solution). I read that and instantly my eyes glazed. Panic
filled my heart and I flashed back to Chemistry 151, freshman year of college
and a 34% in the class right before the final. The feeling of hopelessness,
futility, fear (that class sucked…a lot). I shook it off and dug a little deeper.
My buddy at work, who has a Chemistry degree, was able to help bring it into
terms I could understand.
See, I am a value based individual. If something does not
add (both real and perceived) value to what I am doing, that information passes
straight through. I am also fairly pragmatic, so I value things that can be
utilized quickly. I figure there is no point in clouding my brain with
information that does not add value, or I will not use in the immediate future.
More often than not, I let information go because I do not understand how it
adds value.
Here is the kicker though; all this science mumbo jumbo DOES
add value. It just isn’t easily accessible, especially for common folk
like me. As coffee shop owners or baristas, we have to learn the technical
aspects, the science behind it all, so we can translate science to value for our customers. So
when someone asks, “why do you go there for your coffee?” They can answer with confidence (this is also known as word of
mouth marketing). They may not be able to fully explain the solubility of roasted coffee, but they have confidence that the barista does. This allows them to make claims without scientific support such as, "This is the best coffee in town because [insert huge assumption of quality here]."
Answering the question “why” is one of the most important
things we can establish in our clientele. If we do not know why, we will not be able
to explain it to our customers. There will be people who want to know the
science behind what we brew and have the pallet to back it up. Then there is
the other 90% of people in the world who cannot explain why they enjoy the
coffee and can be easily overwhelmed by science and math.
Our job is to have all the information necessary to add value
to our customers. So don’t get overwhelmed. Keep digging for the answers.
*Here is the link that inspired this post.
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