According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), 60% of U.S. adults drink specialty coffee weekly. “Just as people have gotten more savvy about wine, they are becoming more knowledgeable about coffee – the varieties, flavor profiles, whether it is fair trade, organic, or rain forest certified, and where it is grown,” says Mike Ferguson, director of communications, SCAA. But with all this interest, says Jim Munson, vp, Dallis Coffee, “Restaurants are way behind coffee shops in offering single origin and certified sustainable coffees.”

“Any restaurant that invests in their coffee program will set itself apart from its competition.” – Jim Munson, vp, Dallis Coffee

Jim adds that “The most important thing to remember is that coffee is at its best when it’s fresh, so choose a roaster close to you, which you know is busy and moves through its coffee supply regularly.” Most roasters will do cuppings (tastings) and educate staff. Some have additional benefits. “We care about the environment and were delighted when our foodservice purveyor brought us samples of a shade-grown, organic, fair-traded, locally roasted coffee,” says Dan McGlothlen, managing partner, Hot Dish, Seattle, WA. “Besides the taste, we like the facts that the local roaster is non-profit and the proceeds benefit children in coffee-growing countries.”

“Our goal is to make the coffee as memorable as the meal we worked so hard to produce,” says Chris Hollis, corporate chef, Rothmann’s Prime Steakhouse Group. He says they have eliminated drip coffee because servers would leave the pot on too long, often burning the coffee. Two specialty coffees are available – instead of the frequently repeated “regular or decaf?” servers are trained to ask, “Would you like a press pot of light roast or dark roast coffee?” Chris explains that their customers love service details and a press pot makes a great impression. “Once customers taste coffee from a press pot they never go back; they can taste the flavor nuances like they can with a wine,” says Chris. Recognizing the importance of making coffee service easy on servers, Chris asks his roaster to grind and vacuum pack individual servings.

To ensure customers get the best coffee possible, BLD, Los Angeles, CA, only serves coffee in press pots – no individual cups. Co-owner Neal Fraser says, “We grind beans throughout service, six ounces at a time. All servers have to do is put the ground coffee in the pot and add boiling water, which is constantly available.”