I spotted a news item about a billboard-like banner that was put up for advertising and them removed due to consumer complaints. It featured a bikini-clad woman holding a cup of coffee and saucer. The interesting part is the complaints.

Perky Cups

After I checked a few sources, it appears that Perky Cups in Aurora, Colorado opened in November of 2009. They opened with baristas (coffee bartenders) wearing bikinis. They seem to be doing well and are planning to expand to other locations.

Other coffee shops, most notably in the state of Washington, have had a bit more trouble. Some of the baristas were charged (back in September) with prostitution and lewd conduct at one particular coffee shop I won't mention.

I only found the banner for Perky Cups at the Associated Press via Google News (and I don't know how long it will exist). Here's the link: Some unhappy with bikini ad for Perky Cups coffee

Frankly, I didn't see anything to complain about, but who am I? Apparently, one of the landlords of the leased building was one of the complainers and forced it to be taken down after a mere three days earlier this month.

An Effect of the Economy?

The things I've read over the past couple of hours indicate that establishments of various kinds are popping up all over the place with bikini-clad women. It's not really a new idea, even though Perky Cups is the first coffee shop of its kind in Aurora, Colorado. Bikini car washes have existed for quite a few years.

Some economists are saying it's partly being caused by the effects of the recession. The businesses are using the sex factor to get customers in the door. I don't know if I agree, but who cares? There are more than enough coffee shops without this sort of thing taking place to please consumers who aren't enticed by bikini clad coffee baristas.

I live in the Philippines and nothing like this will ever happen here. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. By the way, if you want to see some of these bikini clad women, take a look at Perky Cups.

Similar Posts:

• Coffee and Tea – Diabetes, Strokes, Hypertension and Blood Pressure
• Did Someone Say Coffee and Donuts?
• Starbucks Instant Coffee? Via Ready Brew is Just Too Expensive
• Chocolate-Covered Coffee Beans
• Keurig Coffee Makers

I spotted a news article and read various sources to discover that Starbucks will be rolling out with a new instant coffee called "Via Ready Brew" in the US and Canada during September. The price? While there is no firm price set, they plan to charge USD $2.95 for a "book" of three or $9.95 for a box of 12. Come again? There is no way on Earth I would spend that much for instant coffee, regardless of what brand it is.

A Mistaken Assumption?

Apparently, Via Ready Brew had a successful introduction in Seattle (the home of Starbucks) and some places in the state of Illinois. Each packet is equivalent to one cup of Starbucks coffee, making each cup of "instant coffee" more expensive than people pay for the current top brands.

I personally think they're assuming too much. After the novelty wears off, I'm guessing they'll have excess product on the shelves and will start putting it on sale just to clear their inventories. Even if they sell it in the regular Starbucks coffee shops, I predict sales will be lukewarm at best.

Why do I think this way? Most people who can afford to drink coffee at Starbucks are looking for hot coffee prepared in a unique way. They're not looking for instant coffee which won't be any better than the best instant coffee already on the market. Now, I don't know what the "best" instant coffee brands on the market are, but I'm willing to guess they're the most expensive brands found at grocery stores. I speak of brands like Folgers and Nescafé.

Folgers Coffee Crystals

I don't pay attention too much to names on the labels, but I can't help remembering the commercial advertisements on TV. Things like "it's mountain grown, the freshest kind" and "we've secretly replaced their gourmet coffee with Folgers coffee crystals" readily come to mind.

I don't know what the current price is, but I guarantee you it's a jar for less than $9.95 and a lot more than 12 cups.

Nescafé Taster's Choice

My parents always drank Taster's Choice instant coffee, long before I knew it was a label from Nescafé. They marketed it as freeze-dried coffee to seal in the flavor. Ho-hum, it doesn't taste any better than Folgers, but it's around the same price.

When I buy instant coffee, I buy Nescafé Classic, which is a coffee powder. It's around 30 cups for about $4.25 a jar. One of my relatives gave me a jar of Nescafé Red Cup, which is coffee granules instead of powder, but I really couldn't tell the difference in taste.

A Huge Instant Coffee Market

Who can blame Starbucks for trying to get a chunk of the $17 billion in annual revenue generated by instant coffee sales? I don't, but I think they're going about it the wrong way. Going up against the longtime favorites, two of which I mentioned, is going to be a difficult task at the prices they're planning to charge.

I'm no expert, but I believe most instant coffee buyers are grocery shoppers, not coffee shop regulars. Only time will tell, but I believe we'll see the results of their efforts within six months. Prices will either come down or sales will stop. That's my prediction and I'm sticking to it.

Similar Posts:

• When Trying to Save Money by Buying Cheap Coffee, Never Settle for Second Best
• How I Plan to Save Money by Buying a Coffee Maker
• The Cuisinart DCC-1150 Coffee Maker
• The New Starbucks Coffee Shop at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone
• Nescafé Protect – Green Coffee Beans Combined with Regular Coffee Beans

While it seems that nearly everyone is doing their best to simply survive the global recession, the coffee franchises seem to be unaffected by it. If the recent coffee franchise report at franchisedirect.com is to be believed, the coffee industry is doing very well despite the receding economy.

Coffee Consumption

According to the study, coffee consumption has either increased or remained level in the last year among specific age groups. People in the 25-39 age group are have been drinking more coffee while the people of the 40-59 age group (my age group) are drinking about the same amount as always.

They say these age groups are the essential age groups targeted and who am I to argue? The findings show that people will continue to drink coffee regardless of the economic climate. I know the economy has no bearing on how much coffee I drink and I drink as much as I ever did.

Coffee Industry Diversification

The big-time leader in the coffee franchise market, Starbucks, had a difficult year and had to make some adjustments. Consumers are starting to look for cheaper coffee options and that spells rewards for all of the coffee franchises.

There is a general shift by consumers from the typical commercial offerings to more ecological products and coffee is no exception. People are looking for organic coffee — shade grown coffee that hasn't been treated with expensive pesticides.

Coffee Serving Mobility

This is something I've witnessed in the Philippines as well as what has been described in the US. More coffee companies are going mobile and serving coffee from kiosks, vans and carts. The days of only being able to find good coffee at coffee shops in strategic locations may be coming to an end.

It makes sense — take the coffee to where the people are instead of expecting them to come to you. I appreciated this the last time I was at a shopping mall. There wasn't a coffee shop in the mall and the closest thing to good coffee I could find (if I wanted to trudge to the other end of the mall) was the crappy coffee served at Wendy's. Well, I didn't have to think about it very long because a coffee vendor set up a kiosk right in the middle of the food court where I was sitting with my family. I won't mention the brand since I've mentioned it too much on this site already.

Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee

This is part of the reason that coffee continues to be a favorite beverage. As I've mentioned in several places, the consumption of coffee has measurable health benefits. Since coffee comes from a red berry, it contains a bunch of antioxidants and this is what helps deter the aging process of cells in the human body.

There are other health benefits, which I won't mention at this time, that far outweigh the negative health concerns. Regardless of what other studies come out, I'll continue to drink coffee until the day comes when I'm unable to drink anything at all.

Cheers.

Similar Posts:

• Coffee and Tea – Diabetes, Strokes, Hypertension and Blood Pressure
• Health Benefits of Drinking Coffee and Tea
• Are Non-Dairy Creamers Like Coffee-Mate Bad For You?
• What is 'Organic Coffee'?
• Bikini Clad Coffee Baristas

It seems that all of the coffee drinks in US coffee shops start with espresso as the base. It may not be true for all coffee shops, but it's certainly true for Starbucks and Seattle's Best.

Unlike most people who come and go and pay little attention to anything but what they're doing at the time, I observe everything that goes on around me. I have seen how both of these companies make coffee drinks — I purposely observed every facet from start to finish.

What Exactly is Espresso?

Espresso is sometimes referred to as espresso coffee and it's often mispronounced and misspelled as "expresso". Invented in Italy, as were most coffee beverages, it's a concentrated form of coffee, up to three times as strong as a regular cup of coffee.

You can't make espresso with ordinary automatic drip coffee makers. You need an espresso machine which brews the coffee under extreme pressure. Most people don't have one at home.

When served as espresso, the coffee is normally served in espresso cups of one kind or another. In most coffee shops, they use cheap containers that can be thrown away. Restaurants use fancy cups designed specifically for espresso. The cheapest espresso cup is usually more expensive than expensive coffee mugs.

Observations

I don't normally buy coffee at Starbucks or Seattle's Best (which has been owned by Starbucks since 2003). It's good coffee (at least in the US), but it's just too damned expensive. Of course, I won't buy coffee from fast-food joints either and that's because it usually tastes like they made it with my dirty socks.

On rare occasions, when I really needed my coffee fix, I bought coffee at both Starbucks and Seattle's Best. In March of 2008, while I was picking out books at a Border's bookstore, I succumbed to the smell of the coffee brewing nearby (within the bookstore). The aroma is what caused me to buy coffee at Starbucks on previous occasions.

I always ordered cappuccino. I like cappuccino a whole lot more than the other coffee drinks. Whenever I ordered a regular-sized cup, I noticed they used one shot of espresso. Whenever I ordered a large-sized cup, they used two shots of espresso. No wonder I always got a quick caffeine buzz after drinking the cappuccino (I never really thought about it until now).

Espresso Experience?

Other than being used for the cappuccino I drank, I have never tried espresso as a stand-alone coffee drink. With cappuccino, it's diluted by the added milk. I picture acid reflux coming back to haunt me if I try espresso straight from the cup, therefore I will probably never try it.

I know a few people that only drink espresso. It's not for me. I love the smell and flavor of coffee as it's normally brewed at home. I don't need a caffeine buzz every time I drink coffee, thank you very much.

Similar Posts:

• Coffee Similar to Starbucks at Home
• The New Starbucks Coffee Shop at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone
• The "Real" Coffee Drinker
• Starbucks Instant Coffee? Via Ready Brew is Just Too Expensive
• The Many Kinds of Coffee