establishment shunning I
June 12, 2006 – 11:39 pmsurreal, really, to discover that the same bush-bred brother who mere months ago was roasting in a hand-woven wire basket and grinding with a mortar and pestle now boasts a set-up mechanically superior to my own — though the homemade espresso bar (complete with hand-hewn bamboo trim!) did flex a bit, under tamping pressure. well, ah … it flexed a lot. a pregnant pole vaulter’s got nuthin’ on my brother’s ‘spro bar.
but the vetrano, it of the paddle wheel pump, high-grade pressurestat and bruising boiler that’s insulated thicker than my own, was set up to do some serious damage. the sibling had it plumbed, in and out, with the flojet — so helpful in the pursuit of the elusive clarity. and quite frankly, i forgive him for the square-bottomed cups.
the ostensible purpose of this investment: college funding. this would appear to be either a gutsy/moronic move on the chicago turf of everyone’s favorite midwestern barista juggernaut or the most elaborate quasi-economic denial scheme ever hatched to justify the purchase of costly prosumer espresso equipment. (it should be noted: this brother is not yet blessed with a sensible wife who would require such a labyrinthian justification.) but the business model is quite simple — it’s a one-man catering gig. weddings, parties, receptions, bat mitzvahs. one guy, one indefatiguable machine and a lot of intrigued and wowed party goers impressed by the latte art.
and though this blog had to provide a crash course in temp surfing and sundry particulars, the project is already paying dividends. the placard needs a little work (“szobody’s sztellar eszpresso,” it said, or something similarly elegant) and the biz will take a bit to build. but it has me thinking about niche opportunities prime for amateurs and side-jobbers that don’t require venture capital. no overhead or payroll or rent. no universal dream of owning a cafe only to shutter under duress because location and pastry freshness and flavorings didn’t match up with a charbucked clienetele. no massive drink markup. no societal preconceptions. just an amateur, pushing the high-end envelope and evangelizing in places where few had thought to go.
the natural way in which (Critical Third-Wave Jargon alert) the coffee is on display is almost profound in its simplicity. not to mention, it got a few loose rocks tumbling around this blog’s sullen, cubicle-weary cranium …
Any pictures of the bar? Where is he getting his beans?
ah, yes. the fundamental details i conveniently ignored.
the bro, he’s using black cat for espresso. an unintentional great choice, since it’s so doggone forgiving of brew temp fluctuations. once we nailed down a flush routine and rejiggered the pressurestat a bit, he really started pulling sublime stuff.
the bar: laugh if you like, but i had topped off my camera’s meager memory allotment with intelly pics by the time i got to the bro’s pad. it’s not the most stellar thing to see (more in the african tack-a-shack mode of construction), but it’s not what he uses at events anyway. it stays in the basement.
i will indeed get him to supply some pics. and, ah, maybe you could crash a bat mitzvah sometime… you’re in the area, right?
Yeah I am in the area. I admire the initiative with the catering idea- I would be interested to hear how one figures out how much coffeeto bring to an event, and if this has to be bought at retail etc.
I have been mulling over the idea of manning a ramshackle stand at the summer block party.
currently, he’s buying retail from intelly. obviously, a bit of volume could change it.
i don’t think he’d mind my posting his e-mail, if you want to ask him about particulars. nathanael@szobody.com
he’s out of reach on a far-away indian reservation for a few days, though. might take a bit to get an answer.
your idea — and his — is just so deceptively simple. if one can wow any number of friends from the kitchen counter, why not take the same equipment (which is perfectly adequate, as any pro will tell you) and wow entire crowds of folks in a social setting? it’s third wavery without the establishment, and i wonder how far amateurs could push it if they really wanted to.
nice idea, and the more people pushing the envelope and educating the masses the better!
The paradigm shift starts with seeds like these. Amateurs (who do it for love) will take it only as far as the current coffee shop model as long as they compare themselves against that model. I think they (we) can take it much further.
You shouldn’t have to pay retail for beans when you’re preparing and serving coffee with this much love – talk with the roaster… or with your local cafe. Work a deal so that whatever you don’t use at your gig, they can use up in the next couple days.
jon: amen, bro. without being all snobby about home-junkies, this has occured to me in numerous ways lately — as i read certain high-profile publications that address, for example, brewing award-winning SO coffee as espresso (me: “huh?! we nerds have been exploring this for years!”), as i realize the power of one-to-one and word-of-mouth evangelization vis a vis the coffee shop model (where profit — necessarily — must come first), as i shake my head in amazement that a certain large midwestern coffee joint has its clover machine hidden behind the counter, etc.
all these are ways i realize just how much of an opportunity we nerds have to break the mold. my brother’s endeavor, for example, is just so doggone simple and doable.
as far as not paying retail price for beans, i suspect he’s gonna have to show a little more volume before that works out. but i will pass your word along.
random thought: you had a competition line, “let it flow, let it flow, let it flow, like espresso,” that is remarkably similar to something i often say when a newly wowed friend or acquaintance reluctantly drags himself away from my home espresso bar marveling at the coffee and offering to tip me or suggesting that i go into business. my reaction is always, “nah. the brew is always flowing here, man. you’re welcome any time.”
the sheer impact of free-flowing brew like most have never tasted never ceases to amaze me. of course, there are money-making opportunities, and my brother is doing it. but the effectivenes of taste … it’s all you really need.
Your brothers make much of you. We’ve met twice, and have exchanged only a common greeting. It seems Coffea arabica or Coffea canephora occupy your time as a means of expression rather than a end in itself. What is the narrative that subsists underpinning the metaphors employed? Are you exhibiting the paradigm of Tacitus to see who shall penetrate the surface? Or is it a phospholipid bi-layer that only the gatekeeper allows in?
definitely the phospholipid bi-layer. thing. but don’t tell anyone.