An Operational Overview: Caffe Artigiano
Many of you have likely heard of Caffe Artigiano in Vancouver, heard how busy they are likely have heard of brothers Vince & Sammy Piccolo who created and ran this group of cafes. If not, I’ll give you a 2 second rundown: They opened January 2000, have 5 locations in Vancouver and Sammy was the Canadian barista champion from 2003 through 2006. The one I frequent, when in Vancouver, is the location on Hornby. I’ve been at least 10 times and at all times of the day, all days of the week…this place is slammed. There is always a lineup, the tables are filled inside & out and their baristas handle this madness through the operational efficiencies crafted by Vince & Sammy.
I love going to cafes and watching/studying what going on and pay attention to small details and one thing I can say, is this place has it figured out - as it relates to drink delivery, and that is what this video is focusing on.
Posted under Cafe Reviews, Coffee Retailing, Professional Techniques
Next time you’re in Seattle, you have to check out the new Stumptown retail location on 12th near Seattle University (1115 12th Ave). This is the first retail location for this roaster, outside of Portland OR, where the company is well-placed as one of the leaders in the Third Wave coffee movement. Stumptown has built a reputation for expert, perfect-pitch sourcing of green coffee, as well as a true, hands-on policy of social responsibility and awareness in origin countries. Stumptown is utterly real in this, totally authentic. Anyway, Jason Prefontaine and I made our way to the store to have a coffee, while sort of hoping to run into Duane, Stumptown’s founder.
Within the walls and halls of specific cafes around Seattle, around the country, and even Canada, something verging on a Revolution in mind and action is occurring. This revolution is based on paying attention to the finer details of coffee preparation, but it also includes pouring time, energy and resources into developing awareness and formulating action around social and cultural issues–issues that we might ordinarily think go beyond the role of the traditional coffee house. Developments in this direction are happening with remarkable intensity, and cafes focused on this are beginning to show up everywhere, while some old favorites are transcending their previous practices to emerge anew. Its not just those of us who love great coffee who stand to benefit either. It is the whole world. The coffee individualists who carry the banner for this new movement are usually well-informed. In addition to cafe operators, their number includes baristas, equipment developers, and commentators. The most active of these are totally engaged. They are pushing the boundaries at all levels, including the standard ones around coffee preparation, equipment and new culinary experiences around coffee. But there is even more to it than this.