New Initiatives for 2009
April 26, 2009 by baldguy · 2 Comments
On Wednesday of last week, BG hit the road on his new tricked out Giant “Transport” bicycle, with the help of Mike Boone, owner of Magic Cycles.
Every year at the BGB, we take time to reflect to see how we are doing when it comes to being an “eco-friendly” and “socially responsible” business.
So, what does that look like for 2009? Well, without spilling all the beans (get it?), by riding a bike to town for coffee deliveries, we can reduce our carbon footprint as well as raise money for coffee farmers in Rwanda.
A friend stopped me at Magic Cycles and asked how it all is going to work. My response: “It starts with a fat bald guy and 20 pounds of coffee on a cargo bike peddling over to Bare Essentials to make a delivery…it ain’t much, but it is a start!”
Stay tuned, more to come!
Stick Boy Bread Company carrying Bald Guy Brew
April 20, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
So, you can’t make it by the International Head-Quarters, but you are craving some Bald Guy Brew…no worries! Stick Boy Bread Company in Boone, NC is carrying a private blend specially prepared by yours truly!
Check out BGB-Stick Boy and get your grub on as well as a cup of joe to go!
BGB’s Economic Stimulus Package
April 8, 2009 by baldguy · 5 Comments
Well, I don’t know about you, but I still haven’t received my stimulus check…so, the Bald Guy decided to take matters into his own hands:
Beginning April 10, 2009, customers can come in and receive a free twelve-ounce cup of coffee every Friday from 7-9 a.m. until the economy gets better or we go broke!
It ain’t much, but it’s a start!
Cheers!
organic or conventional coffee…your choice.
April 6, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
From the very beginning, we have always tried to purchase only organic coffee. Not only does it make a difference for the fragile eco-systems where coffee is grown, it improves the quality of life for those that grow the coffee. Well, here are some pretty alarming stats from mustgetcoffee.com:
“Each year over 40 million gallons of chemical pesticides, untold millions of gallons of herbicides, and billions of pounds of fungicides are used by the international coffee industry. You can see how you are saving the earth by supporting organically grown coffees.”
Life is hard enough…no need to drink coffee that is saturated in chemicals.
How much do you spend on coffee?
April 4, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
Have you ever sat down and did some cyphering (that is Southern for figuring or calculating) on what your current coffee spending amounts to annually? That might seem like an odd question from someone who makes (or at least tries to make) a living selling roasted coffee…but it is an important one to ask.
Over the last couple of months, we’ve noticed a decrease in foot traffic through the shop in the mornings. However, we also noticed that more people are buying a pound of coffee to brew at home. According to a recent poll, there has been a 5% increase in home brewing over the last several months matching 2003 levels.
So if you really want to dial in how much you spend, follow this link to an online calculator put together by Erika Lim at the Universisty of Seattle School of Law. We want to make sure that you don’t run out of money or coffee!
Cheers!
Drink Coffee, Run Faster!
April 3, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
A friend sent me an article that was published in the New York Times concerning caffeine and marathons. Pretty cool article, especially since we roast coffee…so grab ya a cup and hit the road, trail, or treadmill!
Bald Guy and Banff: A great experience!
March 28, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
This year’s Banff Mountain Film Festival is living up to its billing as a GREAT collection of films that capture the spirit of mountain culture and adventure, as well as projects that are threatening fragile eco-systems. It is a great feeling to see all of our friends showing up for a wonderful evening with some BGB to fuel the adventure. Last night’s films were excellent…can’t wait for tonight!
Things about coffee you need to know!
February 5, 2009 by baldguy · 1 Comment
Well, we have had two days of great snow here in Boone, NC. I’ll be honest and confess that I’ve been slacking…actually, I’ve been playing with the boys and helping Mrs. Bald Guy thaw out the frozen pipes. Anyway, here is a list of random coffee facts to occupy your time now that the Greatest Super Bowl ever played (Go Steelers!) is over:
- Coffee is grown in 53 countries around the world. Every single one of those countries lies along the equator between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
- Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world. Vietnam is the second largest coffee producer in the world.
- Most robusta coffee bought on the open market is destined for use in instant or powdered coffee. Another percentage of it will be blended with Arabica coffee beans for tinned coffee.
- Germany is the world’s second largest coffee consumer in the world. Germans use about 16 pounds of coffee per person per year.
- Finland consumes more than 20 million cups of coffee per day, making it the largest per capita consumer of coffee in the world.
- The United States imports more coffee than any other country in the world, however, other countries drink more coffee per capita.
- One acre of coffee trees can produce about a ton of coffee beans every two years. Most coffee is grown on small farms with less than an acre of trees.
- There are about 7 million tons of green coffee beans produced worldwide each year.
- Most coffee farmers still pick every coffee cherry by hand. Many bring the coffee cherries to a mill to be processed, but many still spread the cherries to dry and process it on their own.
- The only US grown coffee is grown in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The rest of the country doesn’t have the climate for it. Puerto Rican and Hawaiian coffees are among the most expensive in the world.
- Until the late 1800s, most people bought green coffee beans and roasted them at home in a frying pan over an open fire. The United States was the first country to turn to roasted coffee. In many European countries, it was still common to roast at home as late as the 1940s.
- Coffee is the second most-traded commodity on the market. The most traded commodity on the market is oil.
- Most coffee farmers get less than 25 cents a pound for their coffee.
- The value of the coffee in a typical Starbucks coffee is about 6 cents.
A walk through a caffeinated mind!
January 20, 2009 by baldguy · 1 Comment
I’ve been reflecting the last couple of days (isn’t that what you are suppose to do in the first month of the new year?) on two key concepts which are not only critical to the success of our business but can also be applied to any facet of life: Knowing “where I want to go” and Understanding “what it looks like when I get there”
A business is a means to an end. Nothing more, nothing less. The business owner defines what the end is. This end could be about money, security, accomplishment, legacy, nearly whatever. At Bald Guy Brew, I periodically ask myself the following questions which help guide my thoughts and in return, my actions.
Business and the Imago Dei
• What are some tangible ways in which Bald Guy Brew can demonstrate a genuine respect for human life?
• What is the difference between “customer service” and “entertaining angels” for Bald Guy Brew?
Business and Environmental Stewardship
• What are five, low cost, eco-friendly projects Bald Guy Brew can initiate and implement that will result in less waste?
• In what ways can Bald Guy Brew reduce its carbon footprint over the next year? Three years? Five years?
Business and Social Responsibility
• What does a socially responsible business look like in Watauga County?
• How can Bald Guy Brew “do justice” and “love mercy” globally by working in the coffee industry?
Business and Life
• What does success look like both personally and for our family?
⁃ How much time do I want to take off?
⁃ Where do I want to be in the next twelve months, three years, and five years from a family standpoint?
No business is meant to last forever. Personally, I believe we are just passing through, sojourners, aliens living in a foreign land. The key is to learn to live with a loose grip, holding only onto those things which are important. Learning to hold loose or hang tight is a process…a process that, for me, always starts with these two fundamental questions: “Where do I want to go?” and “How do I know when I’ve arrived?”
Please pass the salt!
January 17, 2009 by baldguy · Leave a Comment
i just ran across an interesting trend developing in Taiwan: Sea salt and coffee! Wu Cheng-hsueh, owner of a growing chain of coffee and tea shops called 85°C (the perfect temp. for brewing coffee) has found that by adding sea salt to a milk beverage (think latte), it prepares the palete for the drink by stimulating the senses.
i think last month, someone told me that they were adding salt to their coffee. personally, i only like salt on my micheladas ( a mexican drink). anyway, here is the link that describes a growing trend both in Taiwan and China! who knows, i might include sea salt as an option at the Bald Guy Brew…one pinch or two?