Seattle Coffee Gear auctions Giro d'Italia Giotto espresso machines for charity

Posted by Melissa Allison

The first of five weekly auctions on eBay starts Friday, and the URL will be linked at www.seattlecoffeegear.com/auction. As of this writing, they were not sure exactly what time it would start.

The Seattle importer is auctioning Rocket Espresso's limited edition Giro d'Italia Giotto semi-automatic espresso machines to benefit Coffee Kids, a nonprofit that helps families in coffee-growing communities.

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McDonald's gains ground from rivals with marketing blitz of McCafé brand

It’s cornered the market on Big Macs, fries, and shakes. And now McDonald’s is riding a massive marketing campaign to make gastronomic gains in premium coffee.

Not only has the Golden Arches stolen share from java leader Starbucks as the place most preferred by coffee drinkers, but McDonald’s has also dislodged Dunkin’ Donuts from its second-place spot, according to the May 2009 survey by BIGResearch of more than 8,000 consumers.

McDonald’s is "like a 9,000-pound gorilla," said Dennis Lombardi, executive vice president of food service strategies for WD Partners, a restaurant and retail design and development consultancy. “They have made a very strong push to build share with its McCafé brand and to show it is an alternative to coffeehouses."

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Survey: How are coffee franchises faring in the recession?

Franchise Direct, a franchise portal, has recently conducted a study on how coffee franchises are faring in the recession. You can find the full 4,000 word survey at the link below.

Here are some of the key points from the survey, which shows that coffee franchises are recession-resistant:

Talking Point one: Coffee consumption has increased or remained level in the last year among key demographics. According to our study, coffee consumption was up last year among 25 – 39-year-old’s and remained steady among 40-59-year-olds. These are the most essential target demographics for coffee franchises and the findings show that people will continue to drink coffee despite the hard economic times.

Talking point two: The coffee industry is now diversifying. Market leader Starbucks experienced a very difficult year in 2008 and consumers are now beginning to look for cheaper options for coffee. Coffee franchises are reaping the rewards. Equally, coffee franchises are going green. The popularity of fair trade and organic coffee runs right in line with a general shift towards more eco-conscious consumerism in the US.

Talking point three: Location is the most important factor in defining the success of a coffee franchise. The rise of van-based or kiosk coffee franchises in recent years has allowed coffee franchisees to go mobile, opening themselves to greater footfall.

Talking point four: The renaissance of coffee drinking in the US is underpinned by a number of studies by elite American universities claiming that coffee has a number of health benefits. Harvard and UCLA are just two of the colleges who have stated that drinking coffee is good for you.

Full Survey