82% of Class Sessions are Brand New for Coffee Fest Atlantic City

As hundreds of Coffee Fest attendees return to the show year after year, it is paramount to the Coffee Fest producers that the educational programming continue to evolve and mature with the shows attendees. More than 8 of 10 sessions included in attendee’s Atlantic City registration has been added as brand new or re-created to provide classes that attendees continue to request.

NEW CLASS SESSIONS FOR COFEE FEST ATLANTIC CITY INCLUDE:

Gift Basket Construction & Sales
Deb DeBonis - Specialty Wraps

Ice Blended Drinks – Tools & Techniques - Part I
Cheri Hays – Caffe D’Amore

Flavors in the Coffee House 101
Donald Harrell - Monin

Tea Basics 101 – Teas from around the World
Linda Smith - Divinitea

Ice Blended Drinks – Tools & Techniques - Part II
Cheri Hays – Caffe D’Amore

General Technology for the Coffee Retailer
Lee Alexander – Coffee Shop Manager

Blending for an Italian Espresso
Dr. Joseph John – Josuma Coffee Co.

Opening or Remodeling your Retail Coffee Business
Tom Palm – Design & Layout Services

Syrup Concentrates for Lattes, Granitas, Chai, Smoothies and More
Dan Rafferty – Stearns & Lehman

Tea 201 – Specialty Teas as (a)nother profit center
Linda Smith - Divinitea

Industry Trends- Juices – Smoothies & Your Business
Lydia Wanders – Dr. Smoothie

The Ten Essentials of getting into the Coffee Business
Ed Arvidson & Bruce Milleto – Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup

Networking your Coffee Shop
Lee Alexander – Coffee Shop Manager

Writing Your Business Plan
Kent Holloway – Fox Hollow Coffee

Operational Systems for More Profit
Ed Arvidson – Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup

Leading Edge Espresso Business Concepts, Drive Thru, Kiosks, Carts & More
Bob Burgess – Burgess Ent.

Tea 301 – Product Selection & Menu Planning
Linda Smith - Divinitea

Planning and Creating an Effective Menu
Chris Larson – Coffee Universe

Financing Your Coffee Business
Kent Holloway – Fox Hollow Coffee

Boosting Retail Sales through Cause Marketing
Kate LaPoint – To the Point Business Imaging

Coffee Retail Bookkeeping and Profit and Loss Statement Analysis
Rich Shockley – Fox Hollow Coffee Co.

For an up-to-the-minute listing of all of the educational sessions, classes, workshops, special attractions and exhibitors at Coffee Fest Atlantic City, please visit www.coffeefest.com

The Final Word on Caffeine

A moderate caffeine habit -- about three cups of coffee a day -- is fine for your health.

Maureen Callahan

In the annals of food ingredients, caffeine might just take the prize for the most medically scrutinized chemical. Linked to everything from cancer to heart disease to infertility at one time or another, the mild stimulant has followed a roller-coaster ride in scientific literature. One minute it's touted as a weight-loss aid, memory booster, and hedge against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The next it's flogged for raising blood pressure, acting as a carcinogen, and weakening bones.

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Spill the beans

By Ann Geracimos
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

What makes a good cup of coffee? Anyone can say what he or she likes best about America's favorite drink, but few people can explain the science behind their preferred brew. Top Stories
Coffee, above all, is about personal preference — the choice of roast, grind and brewing method. Ultimately, however, taste begins with the bean, which, technically, is a seed.

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FairTrade Coffee advocates living wage

BY SAVINA BOYADJIEVA

Last month the Yale College Council announced its proposal to bring fair trade coffee to campus dining halls next September. The FairTrade organization, the dining halls' new supplier, seeks to assist struggling coffee growers internationally.

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Seattle Coffee parent sued

Three shareholder lawsuits have been filed against AFC Enterprises Inc., parent company of Seattle Coffee Co., which does business as Seattle's Best Coffee and Torrefazione Italia.

The class-action lawsuits allege that Atlanta-based AFC misrepresented its performance to stockholders. Earlier this week, the company said it would need to restate earnings for 2001 and much of 2002, and would possibly need to restate 2000 earnings as well. How inventory was accounted for at Seattle Coffee is one of the issues that triggered the restatement.

AFC stock tanked after the announcement late Monday, sinking from around $17 per share to less than $12, before rallying back to nearly $14 per share later in the week.

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Vietnam's coffee exports down 13.72%

HANOI - Vietnam exported about 200,000 tons of coffee in the first quarter of this year, down 13.72 percent year on year.

Exporters' lack of capital to procure coffee for export was cited as the main reason behind the export drop, despite prolonged drought, which has devastated thousands of hectares under coffee in the Central Highlands provinces.

In Dac Lac province, which produces 60 percent of the country's total output, 16,920 hectares out of its total coffee area of 237,000 hectares have been damaged. This year's coffee output is estimated to dwindle to 600,000 tons from 770,000 tons in 2002.

The exports chiefly went to the United States, Germany, Spain, Belgium and the Switzerland.

Leading coffee exporters in the country have recently set up a club in a fresh move to promote export of the commodity. The club groups 15 members who have posted an export volume of at least 4,000 tons of coffee annually.

(Asia Pulse/VNA)

A New Spin On Coffee Brewing

By Quincy M. Gibbs
Staff Writer

March 26, 2003

Joseph Mangiapane of Oakdale was on his way to work as a newspaper delivery man a few years ago when he stopped into a convenience store on his way to work to get a cup of coffee.

"I walked over to the coffee aisle and looked at the coffee sitting there on the heater and I asked one of the managers if he can make me a fresh pot of coffee and he said, "No." Mangiapane said he walked out thinking, "We can put people on the moon and I can't get fresh cup of coffee?"

Mangiapane, now 64 and retired, decided to put a new spin on the idea, and after three months came up with the idea for "Dial-A-Cup," which he patented last year.

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Roasting is what converts green beans into what we drink

By MICHAEL HASTINGS
Media General News Service

Green, or unroasted, coffee beans smell and taste nothing like coffee as most people know it.

It's the roasting of the beans that brings out all those wonderful aromas and flavors that have gained coffee such a widespread following.

Two main things happen during roasting. First, water evaporates. Second, a chemical process called pyrolysis breaks down the raw beans' components and forms hundreds of volatile aromatic compounds. These compounds include ketones and aldehydes, which also are responsible for flavors in foods and wine, and sulfides, which are desirable in small quantities but unpleasant, as in rotten eggs, when overabundant.

The optimal release of these compounds is part of the science and art of roasting.

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Where, in this Latte Nation of ours, can purists get a good old-fashioned cup of coffee?

By TONI RUBERTO
News Staff Reporter
3/28/2003

If a dollar and a dream can make you a millionaire, why can't they get you a good cup of coffee?
That aromatic velvety brown liquid that restaurants pour so willingly becomes a different beast in trendy coffee venues where refills stop, lines are unexplicably long, the prices rise along with the noise, and the quality isn't all you might like.

And why doesn't anyone serve coffee anymore? Now even the corner gas station and movie theaters serve it with a fancy name. Wilson Farms has billboards proclaiming the best cup going is its Ja-Va-Na (also available at Tops store). At some Mobil gas stations, you can fill up on a cup from one of up to 15 carafes holding different varieties of Green Mountain brew for an affordable 99 cents to $1.29 (other Mobils have Tim Horton's); Sisters Hospital has a Caffe Aroma kiosk in the main lobby; and in The Buffalo News' cafeteria we don't drink just coffee, but Cafe Via.

What's being missed here is that coffee lovers just want a great old-fashioned cup of coffee - whatever it's called.

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Starbucks hasn't quenched thirst for worldwide growth

By Jake Batsell
Seattle Times business reporter

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz addresses shareholders yesterday at the company's annual meeting at Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

Any Starbucks shareholder who expected a low-key annual meeting yesterday quickly found out otherwise when a flamenco dancer opened the meeting.

That performance was followed by a video skit showing Chairman Howard Schultz superimposed into a crowd running with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, wearing a traditional white outfit with a red scarf and sash.

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Coffee donated to troops in Iraq

By Charles F. Bostwick
Staff Writer

PALMDALE -- Hand sanitizer bottles, chewing gum packs, crackers-and-peanut butter packets and paperback novels are piling up at the Antelope Valley Red Cross office, destined for troops overseas. Antelope Valley residents are donating snacks, toiletries and gifts for the military personnel in Iraq under a weeklong local Red Cross collection drive. Among the donations are 1,000 pounds of coffee in individual packets promised by a Valencia specialty coffee-supply company, the Newhall Coffee Roasting Co.

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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Announces Expansion into the Philippines

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a Los Angeles based privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer, today announced plans for further expansion in the Southeast Asia market with an Area Development Agreement in the Philippines. The new partnership was signed with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Philippines, Inc. to open a minimum of 22 branded stores in 5 years, with the concentration in the Manila area. The first stores are scheduled to open this spring.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Philippines Inc., lead by Walden Chu, managing director, comes with over 20 years food and beverage experience in the Philippine market. The company manages a diverse food and beverage portfolio, including a vested interest in Royal Sporting House Philippines Inc. and the master franchise for Hong Kong's Banana Leaf Curry House.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring an internationally-recognized brand to the Philippines," said Mr. Chu. "We are confident we will be able to create the same success that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has in the U.S. and Asian markets. Both of our groups adhere to the same principle of delivering a total quality experience to our customers."

The Southeast Asia region is a cornerstone of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf international business with over 100 successful retail stores operating in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has become a market leader in this area since opening its first store in Singapore in 1996.

“We are proud of what we have accomplished in the Southeast Asia markets with all aspects of our business delivering solid results,” said Sunny Sassoon, Chief Executive Officer of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. “The expansion into the Philippines is a logical step as our brand has had strong acceptance in the surrounding markets."

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has maintained a strong celebrity following and a reputation for trend setting drinks that will bring Philippine customers an exciting new and different coffee house experience. The friendly non-corporate ‘home away from home’ approach begins with a passion for providing its customers with a total quality experience, in a warm comfortable atmosphere, amid an extensive line of premium coffees, teas and unique proprietary beverages, including the original Ice Blended®.

About The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf:
Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the oldest and largest privately held chain of specialty coffee and tea stores in the United States. With a reputation for excellence, the company is a leader in product innovations, having developed the Original Ice Blended®. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf serves over 30 million coffee and tea beverages annually worldwide. Providing the highest quality coffees and teas for forty years, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf currently has more than 200 stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Brunei, Indonesia, UAE, Israel, Australia, China and continues to expand both domestically and internationally. For more information visit www.coffeebean.com.

Today's Quote

"Man, I'm just an entertainer." Elvis Presley, when asked his views on the Vietnam War.

Best new Products at Coffee Fest Las Vegas Announced

COFFEE FEST TRADE SHOWS ANNOUNCE:

“Top Three New Products - Best of Show”

Twenty Two new products were showcased at Coffee Fest Las Vegas Feb 28-March 2, 2003. Displayed near the entrance of the show floor, the new products were judged and the top three were awarded prizes on opening day, Friday, February 28, 2003. Each new product was judged based on retailer appeal and technological advancement.

Final results were announced as follows.

1st Place – Best of Show:

Ambex Coffee Roasters and Grinders: “Retail Grinder ARG 1”

Weighing in at 62 pounds and coming in Green, Black or Red, the ARG 1 has a stainless steel hopper with capacity of 2lbs of beans and reportedly sells for roughly half of what most comparative grinders are offered for. Using slicing burrs, the ARG 1 has grinding speeds up to two pounds per minute. At 7.5 inches wide the footprint of the ARG 1 is a perfect for all retail applications.

2nd Place – International Paper Foodservice: “KX2 Cup”

The new KX2 cup and lid system is a unique paper cup that provides the consumer with a cooler, more comfortable cup by limiting the level of heat transference.

Its non-slip, textured surface also makes is easier to grip and boasts of a tighter-fitting lid. The new design also eliminates the need for paper cup sleeves to protect hands from hot cup contents.

"We believe this new cup and lid system will have enormous consumer appeal and will help operators attract new customers," said Janet Haubold, director of marketing and business development for IP's Foodservice Business.

3rd Place – Cappuccine: “Hawaiian Liquid Cane Sugar”

Using an exclusive handcrafted process, sugar cane grown in the rich Hawaiian sun is converted into pure liquid sugar. These premium quality sugars come in two types, Estate Gold (with the rich molasses taste of a premium turbinado) and Plantation White (the non-processed alternative to ordinary white sugar). Each type is rich in micronutrients and comes packed in easy-to-use plastic bottles. Better yet, this exclusive sugar does not produce sugar shock – compared to highly process cane and beet sugars, this sugar metabolizes slower. These convenient, instantly dissolving sugars are perfect for coffee houses, bakeries, delis and restaurants. A space-saving condiment caddy is also available to increase consumer usage and satisfaction.