dream it and we'll create it!

pound of coffee, 1/2 pound of coffee, french presses, melitta pour-overs, travel mugs, ceramic mugs, t-shirts, onesies, gift certificates, stickers, burlap, burlap, burlap.... dream it and we'll create it! www.rookcoffeeroasters.com


happy holidays!

bigger than...

who knew that naming coffee sizes "regular" and "bigger than regular" would open the floodgates for all sorts of made-up coffee size names to reveal themselves?

here are a handful of the creative names our customers subconsciously come up with when placed with the pressure of ordering very quickly on the spot:

can i get a...

monster size
bigger than normal
bigger than life
bigger than bigger
bigger than large
bigger than smaller
bigger than whatever you have
larger than big
smaller than big
smaller than regular
smaller than small
normal

in addition, some customers just use hand signals that we've all gotten accustomed to, so keep 'em coming ;)

and on the same creative naming/re-naming topic...we love you customer-guy who calls the guatemala coffee "guacamole"!

coffee = good breath???

after recently coming across a snippet in a random online iowa newspaper article that i found who knows where, i was just as shocked as you to find out that coffee could have such a positive effect on breath. makes me love it even more ;)

i researched a little more and here's what i found:

...intriguing research from Tel Aviv University by renowned breath specialist Prof. Mel Rosenberg of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine finds that a coffee extract can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath. New laboratory tests have shown that the extract prevents malodorous bacteria from making their presence felt ― or smelt. “Everybody thinks that coffee causes bad breath,” says Prof. Rosenberg, “and it’s often true, because coffee, which has a dehydrating effect in the mouth, becomes potent when mixed with milk, and can ferment into smelly substances.” But not always. “Contrary to our expectations, we found some components in coffee that actually inhibit bad breath,” explains Prof. Rosenberg. The findings were presented last month to members of the International Society for Breath Odor Research in Germany by Yael Gov, a researcher in Prof. Rosenberg’s laboratory. A “Taster’s Choice” for Stopping Bad Bacteria: In the laboratory, the team monitored the bacterial odor production of coffee in saliva.
– Tel Aviv University Researchers

tic tac schmic schmac!

-h

good news and bad news

holly: "uuuummm, shawn..." (while nodding head over to the hot water dispenser as it barely trickles out droplets of water)

shawn: "whu?! huh?! (as he slowly realizes what is going on) oohhhh sh***t!"

holly & shawn to line of customers 15 deep:
"sooooo, we have good news and we have bad news...
the bad news is that we just ran out of hot water and can't make any more hot coffee for at least the next half hour.
the good news is that WE JUST RAN OUT OF HOT WATER!!!!"

needless to say, an additional hot water dispenser has already been ordered and should be installed by the end of the week. to any and all who experienced the 30 minutes of downtime at rook today, we thank you for your patience and appreciate your sharing in our growing pains!

the world is changing

as of today, monday, april 26th, 2010, rook coffee roasters has 761 facebook fans. facebook just recently changed their "become a fan" feature to "like", so i guess i should say we now have 761 people who "like" us. you might be one of them, and for that we thank you. you might not "like" us, and that's ok too.

i am constantly trying to grasp an understanding of business owners who say that facebook is a waste of time. it's hard for me to understand the lack of understanding the importance of being open to trying new things that have great potential to benefit your business or life. your life.

hi. the world is changing. the future is uncertain. if you don't make changes now or think outside the box or make an attempt at forward-thinking or try new things, you will never know what could have been or could have helped or could have changed the future of your business, or your life.

when people are not socializing in person, working, eating, watching tv, in bed or driving, they are literally living in the new world...online. and believe it or not, most are already living there WHILE they're doing all of the aforementioned. not everyone, but the great majority of human beings that live on this earth with access to the internet, ARE. if you're not already embracing this, then it's time to get with the program and catch up with the rest of the world. for those of you who are, i applaud you. keep on truckin'. we're just scratching the surface...so much more to come in this new world.

-h

to be continued...

in thinking about your daily coffee shop experiences...
do you make frequent visits to the same coffee shop?
do you see the same person behind the counter a lot of the time?
what's your conversation consist of? is it personal? is it a positive experience?
do you continue the same topic of conversation from one visit to the next?

for us, it's small talk most of the time, but with many of our regulars it can get a little deeper...

- the public school drama
- the co-worker rants
- the proud parent
- the pissed parent
- the scared parent
- the drunk
- the popo politics
- the family vacation mayhem
- the delivery guy's adventures
- the liar lyin'
- the i-just-smoked-a-joint-and-need-some-of-this-ridiculously-good-coffee guy/gal
- the musician's hangovers
- the exhausted student en route to class
- the guy who wishes we served our coffee with an iv
- the eternal-dater
- the sports fanatic's game results
- the gambler's wins (you'll never hear about the losses)
- the fighter's training routine
- the unemployed loving unemployment
- the new music informant
- the weatherman
- the guy who comes in to get away from his wife
- the one-upper's one-ups
- the whole family and their dog(s)
- the plain 'ol story-tellin' storytellers
- the 37's ;)

oh, and there's more...A LOT more!

next time you hit up your favorite coffee shop, take notice to how your conversation goes. are you loyal enough to be part of the regulars who have conversations that are always "to be continued" from one visit to the next?

you know who you are...

-h

rook coffee roasters press release

Mar 16, 2010 – When was the last time you drank a cup of fresh roasted coffee? Most people answer “never.” Rook Coffee Roasters is on a mission to change that answer to “always.”

Rook Coffee Roasters, based in Oakhurst, NJ, is a visionary coffee business complete with a retail store, in-house roasting facility, delivery and e-commerce shipping service in one.

Established in January 2010, Rook Coffee Roasters is the brainchild of entrepreneurs and co-owners Holly Migliaccio and Shawn Kingsley, childhood friends who left their big city corporate jobs to follow their shared passion for specialty coffee.

After traveling the globe and doing extensive coffee research in the U.S., particularly in the Pacific Northwest region, they identified a need for fresh roasted coffee on the East Coast. They took it a step further by purchasing a state-of-the-art roaster and quickly mastered the art of roasting themselves, using only the highest quality Arabica green coffee beans.

“Exceptional product mixed with over-the-top customer service is our philosophy,” says co-owner Holly Migliaccio. “We grind, brew and serve individual cups of coffee made to order, while educating our customers in the process.”

Beyond the in-store coffee experience, Migliaccio and Kingsley are focused on launching the e-commerce shipping and delivery side of the business next. “Envision the old milkman model fused with the 21st century Netflix model, but with coffee,” says Migliaccio.

For now, the modest sized store is like a euphoric refuge with the aroma of fresh roasted beans delighting the senses in an industrial, yet cozy and rustic setting. Customers savor the made-to-order service and relish their “new” discovery of fresh roasted coffee.

“We believe that in a short time people will become savvy coffee drinkers like they’ve become savvy wine drinkers,” says co-owner Shawn Kingsley. “Once they taste truly fresh roasted coffee they’re hooked. They can’t believe they’ve been settling for anything less all these years.”

For more information contact:
rook@rookcoffeeroasters.com
732.483.4402
60r Monmouth Road

Oakhurst, NJ 07755

www.rookcoffeeroasters.com

This press release can also be viewed online at Currents Magazine: www.currentsnj.com/press-center/the-best-new-coffee-shop-in-monmouth-county-nj-rook-coffee-roasters/

email from a customer...

On Sat, Mar 13, 2010 at 8:44 AM, xxxxxxxx@comcast.net wrote:

"Holly/Shawn,

Okay so the aroma of the coffee on the short drive home engulfed the car and drove me crazy for a cup of coffee. When I got home, I thought to put the bag in another plastic bag for freshness and transport to Florida. I placed the bag in my carry-on luggage but even in the plastic bag with a twist tie, the aromatic fresh ground coffee engulfed the waiting area at the airport as well as the area around my seat on the plane.

So, my wife and I have just finished our first pot of the "mix" Holly and truly enjoyed it. Rich, smooth, full bodied is how I'd describe it. Sitting here in Boynton Beach looking out at clear blue, sunny skies (presently 62 going up to mid to high 70s) and contemplating a second pot of the delicious coffee before starting our day. Stay dry up there. See you again."

experience. real. coffee.

when was the last time you drank a cup of fresh roasted coffee? most people answer “never.” rook coffee roasters is on a mission to change that answer to “always.”

further, faster, harder

as i watched national geographic's 'in the womb' last night (extremely interesting documentary btw), i had to rewind the dvd to double check what had been merely a quick mention regarding men and coffee. here's how it went:

"he will make stronger, healthier sperm if he avoids smoking, excessive alcohol, hot baths and tight underwear. coffee on the other hand, has been shown to stimulate sperm to swim further, faster, and harder."

so for all y'all babymakers out there, take this advice and start chuggin' the good stuff!

-h

opinions & advice (whether you want it or not)

here's what we got on starting a business...

- "don't do it!"
- "sell the business after one year. buy another business, and then sell that one after one year. repeat until you're a millionaire."
- "don't trust anyone."
- "make sure you do it on the up and up."
- "do whatever you want until someone says something or until you get a fine."
- "use family and friends to help you."
- "don't ever use family and friends to help you."
- "never say no to a customer."
- "get ready to kiss ass."
- "you should..........."
- "you need to.........."
- "you should..........."
- "you need to.........."
- "you should..........."
- "you need to.........."
- "you should..........."
- "you need to.........."
- "you should..........."
- "you need to.........."

opinions & advice...
whether you want it or not, some people just give it.
when you actually do want it from some people, they don't give it.

what we've learned...work hard, work smart, do it and find out for yourself. if you fall on your face, get the eff up and keep on goin'!

-h