Coffee Zone

Coffee high on list of stuff white people like

Zoner George points us to a delightful website called Stuff White People Like where we learn that coffee is high on the list:

"White people all need Starbucks, Second Cup or Coffee Bean. They are
also fond of saying “you do NOT want to see me before I get my morning
coffee.” White guys will also call it anything but coffee: “rocket
fuel,” “java,” “joe,” “black gold,” and so forth. It’s pretty garbage
all around."

I'm starting to think Taisir and his family might not be the only ones using the term "rocket fuel."

Taisir makes cover of Vogue

On his recent trip to the East Coast, Taisir snuck down to the Big Apple for an interview ("The Man Behind the Counter") and photo shoot. We're pleased to announce he made the cover (in Bulgaria) of this month's issue. We still have a few copies left here at the Coffee Zone.

Put a spritz of seltzer in that Rocket Fuel, would you?

In this post, Jeff Simmermon shares an experience he had at an Arlington, VA coffee shop called Murky Coffee. It make us appreciate the nice people behind the counter at The Coffee Zone.

"I just ordered my usual summertime pick-me-up: a triple shot of espresso dumped over ice. And the guy at the counter looked me in the eye with a straight face and said “I’m sorry, we can’t serve iced espresso here. It’s against our policy.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll have a triple espresso and a cup of ice, please.”

He rolled his eyes and rang it up, took my money, gave me change. I stood there and waited. Then the barista called me over to the bar. I reached for it, and he leaned over and locked his eyes with mine, saying “Hey man. What you’re about to do … that’s really, really Not Okay.”

He continued: “This is our store policy, to preserve the integrity of the coffee. It’s about the quality of the drink, and diluting the espresso is really not cool with us. So I mean, you’re going to do what you’re going to do, and I can’t stop you, but”

You can read the full post here but be warned there's some strong language. My favorite part of the post is the video clip for Five Easy Pieces. A classic.

No, I thought YOU said something.

Smaller coffee shops perking along

Zone Regulars Greg and Carolyn point us to a story at WashingtonPost.com that speaks to the health of small, independent coffee shops... even as Starbucks retreats.

In the zone, in The Zone

Coffee drinkers schadenfreude

From a Reuters story on reaction to news that Starbucks will close 600 stores:

"The people that work there are very pleasant, but the stores are devoid of any kind of real charm or personality," he said. "They push a button, and a machine does everything from grinding the beans to brewing the drink.

This story just reminds me how fortunate we are in Jefferson City (and Columbia) to have the Coffee Zone, where the personality is ankle-deep.

If I tell you Rocket Fuel formula, I must kill you

Once we got Taisir talking we couldn't shut him up. Ten minutes of this 15 minute interview should be plenty. Coming Up: The Katie Story.

Yanis Doodle Dandy! 4th of July Webcast

Coffee Zone Web Heads George Kopp and smays.com will be webcasting live from the Coffee Zone this Friday morning, bringing you all the color and pageantry of Independence Day in the City of Jefferson. George will defend his Funnel Cake Eating crown and Taisir will be wearing his Uncle Sam costume and making Arabic balloon animals for kids of all ages.