Report: Starbucks wasting 6 million gallons of water a day

by: Jeffrey Wolf

LONDON – A U.K. newspaper is reporting that coffee-giant Starbucks wastes about 6 million gallons of water each day because stores are told to keep water running in their sinks.
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The Sun says the water is kept running as part of a company policy to keep utensils clean and wash away food.

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Groundwork Coffee Company’s Wholesale Division Joins The Supreme Bean Coffee Roasters

NORTH HOLLYWOOD & LOS ANGELES, Calif. (October 7, 2008) – The Supreme Bean Coffee Roasters and Groundwork Coffee Company have entered into a strategic partnership to better serve the customers of both organizations. Under terms of the agreement, Supreme Bean will add Groundwork’s wholesale portfolio to its business and represent both brands beginning October 15, 2008.

“We see the addition of the Groundwork Coffee brand to our wholesale business as an exciting win/win opportunity to enhance our premium line by including a brand recognized for outstanding certified organic and fairly traded coffee,” said Supreme Bean president, Jeff Chean.

“Transitioning responsibility for our wholesale customers to The Supreme Bean will allow Groundwork Coffee Company to focus on the operations and growth of our retail café business,” commented Groundwork president Richard Karno. “We know that our wholesale customers are going to really like these guys –their reputation for excellent service and consistently high quality coffee is well known. Working together, we will ensure a seamless transition so that Groundwork’s distinctive coffees will be available to our wholesale customers for years to come.”

About The Supreme Bean Coffee Roasters

The Supreme Bean is an artisan specialty coffee roasting company based in North Hollywood, California. Founded in 1994, the business began as modest wholesale coffee roasting and catering business (as Joe to Go), within a few short years becoming a must-have feature of television productions like The Tonight Show, Friends, The Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards and numerous motion picture sets. Consistently recognized for quality by trade publications and industry experts, including the highest-ever scored decaffeinated coffee by the venerable Coffee Review, The Supreme Bean has grown to become a leading supplier of premium specialty coffees, training and support services to businesses nationwide. For more information, please visit http://www.thesupremebean.com.

About Groundwork Coffee Company

Groundwork Coffee Company is one of the first certified organic coffee roasters in the State of California. Founded in 1990 as the addition to a rare book store and café, the company now has six retail locations throughout metropolitan Los Angeles that offer certified organic, fairly traded, shade grown and other economically and environmentally sustainable coffees. For more information, please visit http://lacoffee.com.

Contact:

Andrew Hetzel +1 (808) 990-8717

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Andrew Hetzel
Cafemakers, LLC

T: +1 (808) 885-5292
C: +1 (808) 990-8717
F: +1 (808) 443-0190

http://www.cafemakers.com
Your business + better coffee = more money.

Starbucks faces another NLRB complaint

By LAUREN SHEPHERD

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks Corp. is facing another complaint from the National Labor Relations Board alleging that the gourmet coffee chain engaged in unfair labor practices by firing a barista in Michigan.

The complaint, filed last month by the Detroit office of the NLRB, stems from an investigation into a charge made by employee Cole Dorsey earlier this year.

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5th round of negotiations starts between EU and CA In Guatemala

Guatemala - The negotiating teams start today the 5th round of talks about the Association Agreement. The focus is on better offers to access the European markets and to flexibilize the rules about the origin of industrial products for export to Europe.

Last week EU and CA negotiators exchanged a third commercial offer and a chapter of investment and services. CA bring to the table an offer of access the EU markets to up to 84% of the exportable offer and the demand to include important products like sugar, ethanol, shrimp, coffee, pineapple and bananas. The expectations of CA are to obtain similar privileges as the General System of Preferences (GSP and GSP +) to have immediate access to the European markets with 90% of the exports duty free.

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Caffeine Withdrawal: What to do when you fast.

If you are reading this, you are most likely a coffee addict, which means that when you abstain from coffee, you get a whopper of a headache from caffeine withdrawal. There are several reasons to avoid coffee and caffeine, but the most common are surgery and Yom Kippur (and other religious fasts). Hopefully, you won't have to contend with surgery too many times in your life, but if you are Jewish, "the holidays" come around every fall, ready or not. Yom Kippur is a complete fast day; no water, no food, and no coffee, from sundown Wednesday to sundown Thursday (more or less).

The best way to avoid caffeine withdrawal headaches is to gradually reduce your caffeine intake to zero before the fast. You will still get the headaches as you taper off, but you can take aspirin or ibuprofen and you won't have the discomfort caused by not eating or drinking. Read the label on your pain reliever because many contain caffeine.

Yom Kippur is on Thursday, October 9 this year, so start reducing ahead so that the withdrawal is gradual and relatively painless.

I usually drink about 4 cups coffee per day, so I will start the Monday (tomorrow!) before Yom Kippur getting ready. I will drink 2 cups Monday, 1 cup Tuesday, and no coffee Wednesday. Yom Kippur begins Wednesday evening. I will get headaches during that time, but at least I can still eat and drink and take ibuprofen. By Thursday, I will have almost no headache. Be careful not to ingest caffeine from any other source, such as soft drinks, candy, or pain pills (Excedrin, et al) while you're withdrawing. Read the label to be sure.

Drinking lots of water while you are tapering off caffeine also helps reduce the headaches.

I have been doing this routine for many years and I urge you to try it. Please let me know how it works.

L'Shana Tovah,
Robert

Coffee Falls to 11-Month Low as Credit Crunch Crimps Buying

By Ron Day

Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Coffee fell to its lowest price in New York since November amid speculation that tight credit has made it hard for buyers to finance purchases.

Credit markets have frozen as banks balk at lending to each other for longer than a day amid concern that more of their peers will fail. U.S. payrolls shrank in September, signaling the country may be heading for its worst recession in at least a quarter century as the 13-month-old credit crisis worsens.

``We're not getting enough small loans to get coffee and keep it in place,'' said Jaime Menahem, a trader at Alaron Trading Corp. in Miami. ``We're seeing a slowdown across the board in demand for any commodity.''

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