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Nicki McDonald
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nicki@thefunkybrewster.com

 

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On the journey of coffee and espresso catering in Denver, Colorado

Update

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted!  Business is going well, and The Funky Brewster is beginning to take off!   The most exciting part of business is when people have actually heard of you before.  With Starbucks closing 600 stores nationwide and many other coffeeshops struggling to stay open, I feel very thankful to be moving right along.  Thanks to all of you for supporting the biz and especially to those who've stopped by the Parker Farmer's Market to check out my mobile espresso cart!  Look for a posting with my TV Debut on Foxnews soon...

Hollywood goes Funky Green!

Check out this press release about coffee being distributed to celebrities on Earth Day! http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/33027/

The Difference Between a Latte and a Cappuccino


Probably the most asked question at any coffee shop is "what is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?" Often, those who order cappuccinos are expecting a 7-Eleven type cappuccino, which is actually not a cappuccino at all. If you're one of the customers who refuses to pay for something you don't want, you may say something. On the other hand, many people leave disappointed with their drinks, and maybe even throw them out instead of drinking them. In an effort to combat this problem, especially when The Funky Brewster visits your business meeting or office event, I would like to provide an explanation of each type of espresso beverage. Just to warn you, though, this is a standard definition, but your drinks may vary depending on where you get your coffee!


"In this country, cappuccino is a serving of espresso (about 2 ounces) with essentially similar amounts of milk and a rather stiff milk foam. Caffè latte is a serving of espresso with about three times as much milk, topped with a short head of foam. So a latte is milder and has a milkier taste." (Obtained at http://www.ochef.com/)


I hope this helps ease your coffee-ordering anxiety! And remember, you will always get a consistent drink with The Funky Brewster, so if you don't like foam, definitely order a latte!

What?! I can't afford my coffee?

Has anyone noticed that, no matter where you buy your coffee, prices are going up and up and up? Starbucks has increased prices a couple of times in the past year, and even Folgers and Maxwell House (which I would not recommend drinking) are $1 more than they were a year ago. Don't worry, there isn't a coffee shortage! Apparently, the US dollar is weak, which makes all of our commodities, like coffee, wheat and oil, sky high. In fact, world coffee prices have increased about 23% in the past 6 months!! So, here's the good news for all of you. Most of the increase has been in lower grade beans. Since no one I know would drink the icky lower-grade stuff, we are safe! The Funky Brewster uses Highland Coffee, a local roaster right here in Parker, CO. Anton, the owner, already purchases high quality beans (organic and shade grown) and also purchases at fair prices for coffee farmers. These coffees have not seen nearly the increase as the low quality robusta beans. Since I can still get coffee for a great price, so can you!The Funky Brewster's prices are not increasing, and a pound of coffee is available to any of my customers for only $8.95. My favorites are Italiano and Organic Peru. Watch those coffee prices, and if your sphere of influence has stopped revolving around who goes to Starbucks and who doesn't, give me a call and I'll bring coffee to you!

Your (reasonably priced) coffee friend,

The Brewster

Your coffee could determine the next President

That's right. Your coffee could determine the next President according to a recent article in the Boston Globe titled "Democrats are divided along coffee lines"
(http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/03/18/democrats_are_divided_along_coffee_lines/).

The article says, 'In several primaries and caucuses, Obama has shown strength among white-collar professionals with a college degree - the so-called "Starbucks Demo crats" - while Clinton has won support from blue-collar workers with a high school degree, dubbed "Dunkin' Donuts Democrats."'

If you think about the demographic/stereotypical customer for both Starbucks and Dunkin, it makes sense. Its always fun to look at the routine aspects of daily life in new and surprising ways.

But I wonder what else our coffee is trying to tell us? What is your coffee saying to you today?

Amazing Opportunities!

I have had some great opportunities for marketing in the past few weeks, and I just wanted to give kudos to a few people....

Dr. Elizabeth Bisgard - You Rock! Thanks so much for loving my idea, and supporting me all the way through it. I am excited to see you more over at Centennial, as I am hoping to set up there on a regular basis. Also at your office, Tarek, thanks for all of your encouraging words as I start this super hard journey.

Dr. Chris West - Of course, I have already talked about your help, but thanks again for being my guinea pig. Zem, you too! Thanks for passing my name along to all of the drug reps who come in.

Dr. Dan Mallett - I am having so much fun helping out your business as you help out mine! It is truly a win/win.

Gary Gaessler - Thanks for the opportunity to speak in your class, and for everything else you've helped me with!

There are many more of you who are helping me get my business under way. Thank you, thank you!

The Fender Bender

Have you ever gotten a journal, and vowed to write in it every day? My husband has a journal that he started in 1993... it is not even half full. Thankfully, I am not quite that bad, but I have been a little behind in my blogging recently. In fact, I think Kent actually posted something I had written earlier, maybe he should transfer that fervor to his own journal!

Anyway, I do have a fun little story to share with all of you. About a week ago, my sister was driving in downtown Denver. A woman behind her rear-ended her (just a little - she's ok). When they both got out of their cars, the woman immediately started apologizing, and this is what she said: "I am so sorry, I saw you, but I wasn't paying attention because I was distracted by your bumper sticker. What on earth is TheFunkyBrewster.com?" No joke, the fender bender was caused by The Funky Brewster!

New Snack Offering?

I saw something recently that caught my eye. "Smoked applewood bacon flirting with deep milk chocolate. Snap off just a tiny piece and place it in your mouth, let the lust of salt and sweet coat your tongue."

Perhaps this item should be added to The Funky Brewster's offering of Pastries and Snacks? Take a look, and let me know what you think by posting your comments on The Funky Brewster blog. Has any ever tried this candy bar before? If there is enough positive response, we just might start carrying this on the cart.

See more about this item at: http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars

My First Big Event!

Last Saturday, January 26th, was my first paid gig! Compassion International down in the springs hired me to make coffee during a conference. Thanks, by the way, to Kirsten Meazy and her brother-in-law Jason for the referral! The event went super well, especially considering all the problems we had before the big day. I purchased a beautiful Nuova Simonelli machine after my other one went kaputz, and it made beautiful espresso and superior foam! I'll put a picture up next time....

Anyway, the gigs are presenting themselves at a pace that is just right for me, and my hope is that I can get my name out there more each day. The most important thing, though, is that when I think about the business and all that it already means, I smile. By the way, check out the coolest blessing David wrote in Psalm 20 - I found this on the day of my event. I am so glad I did.

Ta Ta for Now...

My Favorite Helpers!

Thought I'd include a picture of my three best helpers... Jake, Ben and my web guru, Kent.

Trials and Tribulation

So, my first time out, the "dry run" as I like to call it, wasn't exactly dry!  Dr. West in Parker was gracious enough to let me practice the whole rigamarole that is the coffee biz, and in the process I found that I had a leak in my machine.  Of course, this after Kent spent hours fixing leaks on the cart.  Anyway, I brought the cart home with the intention of working on it over the weekend, and left it in the bus in the meantime.  Low and behold, did you know you can't let a water filter freeze?  So it busted, and when we plugged in the machine to fix it, water flooded the entire kitchen!  That led to an adventure to find a new water filter on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  I learn something new every day, and that day I learned that you can find small water filters at RV stores.  So, all's well and good today!  The cart is fixed, and the machine is at the espresso doctor, my new best friend Tom! 

The First Demo Week


Here is a shot of the cart setup at Parker Family Care's office.

This week we sprung a tiny leak under the espresso machine after Kent spent a gazillon hours working on all the real plumbing and getting it working like clockwork. But that's why its called Demo Week, right?!?

Anyway, there will be some machine work this weekend, followed by the first official gig next week.

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