Pour it on: Coffee business is steaming

Retailers find plenty to celebrate at annual Seattle trade show

By DAN RICHMAN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Coffee is good business and getting better, not just in Seattle but throughout the nation and abroad, said roasters, suppliers and retailers gathered Friday for the opening of Coffee Fest.

More exhibitors and attendees are expected at the three-day trade show, which convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, than in the show's 14-year history, said assistant manager Marni Heilbrunn.

And many of those attending reported unprecedented success.

"It's growth, growth, growth," said Keith Hayward, vice president of Dillanos, a Sumner supplier of roasted coffee beans.

The 42-person company's revenue grew by more than a third in each of the past two years, with roughly half its new business in Western Washington but the fastest growth in the nation's South and Southeast, Hayward said.

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Drive-thru coffee clash

McDonald's, Starbucks to square off over breakfast, java blends

A new fast-food rumble is brewing, as McDonald's and Starbucks eye each other's turf.

In the past year, Starbucks Coffee Co. has doubled the number of drive-through coffee shops it operates, and the company expects half its new store openings to be drive-throughs. Most of those will be in the suburbs, on roadsides and in blue-collar neighborhoods once dominated by the Golden Arches. Starbucks also has plans to sell hot breakfast sandwiches similar to the biscuit and muffin offerings on McDonald's breakfast menu.

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Stella's Exclusive Supplier of Green Coffee Bean Extract

Green Coffee Bean Extract is one of the hottest new ingredient on the market for anti-aging formulas. Why? It's backed by science! Studies show Green Coffee Bean has stronger anti-oxidant properties than the other natural anti-oxidants like green tea and grape seed extract.

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10,000 Dominicans to resolve coffee harvest in Puerto Rico

The labor deficit that affects Puerto Rico could be resolved by contracting 10 thousand Dominicans, that would come to the island with temporary work permits, thus helping to reduce lost of the crop by Puerto Rican producers.

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Peet's Coffee & Tea Tutorials

KABC By Lori Corbin

FOOD FIND - Most coffee houses sell mainly coffee drinks, but Peet's Coffee & Tea stores sell more coffee beans than beverages.

Most coffee houses sell mainly coffee drinks, but Peet's Coffee & Tea stores sell more coffee beans than beverages. A California chain, Peet's wants their customers to be educated about both coffee and tea, so they are offering tastings and tutorials during the month of October. With coffee beans and tea leaves imported from all over the world, Peet's employees describe the nuances of individual coffee and tea flavors. Smell...swill...swallow. The trick is sampling several types of coffee and tea to discover the characteristics of each.

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Australia taps into Japan's discovery of coffee

By Deborah Cameron Herald Correspondent in Tokyo

Japan's tea ceremony, and the mystical aura that surrounds it, is giving way to the smell of fresh roasted beans and the mastery of the barista.

Young Japanese are choosing to retreat to coffee shops rather than tea houses, and sipping cappuccino, and more than likely, indulging in a bit of cheesecake.

It is a lifestyle shift that is frothing up the hopes of the dairy industry in Australia and Japan as both sides prepare for talks in Tokyo on Thursday and Friday.

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Pre-Registration for Coffee Fest Seattle

Pre-Registration for Coffee Fest Seattle breaks all previous records (and is more than total attendance last year).

Attendee early-bird registration for Coffee Fest Seattle closed October 7, 2005. Coffee Fest early-bird registration finished at 4,788. Last years Seattle early-bird registration was just under 3,200. Final total attendance for Seattle ’04 was 4511 (not including exhibitors and the staff working in exhibitors booths.

Obviously, this will be one incredible Coffee, Tea and alternative beverage weekend in Seattle. Interested attendees may still register at Coffee Fest, October 28-30, 2005 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Educational programming begins at 8:00am each day with the exhibition opening at noon. On-Site attendee registration is still an incredible value at just $30 per person which includes admission to 45 powerful educational programs, the exhibition, Latte Art Competition and Stirling Signature Beverage Open

Open to the trade only – no children under 13.

For more information www.coffeefest.com