Franchising Trends

Bear Creek Coffee Keeps Its Beans Fresh

When a true coffee-lover goes for a cup of coffee, what do you think makes the bigger decision: ambiance or great-tasting coffee? Bear Creek Coffee believes it is the latter, and that is why the company has developed its business with quality coffee at the forefront. A cup of coffee here is prepared from coffee beans roasted to perfection and blended with utmost care. The company is also famous for its small-batch micro-roasting facilities.

So, what’s so great about Bear Creek Coffee that is helping fuel its phenomenal growth? It’s the perfect balance of three elements: body, acidity and nuance. Body means the taste that you get in your mouth when you sip coffee; it can range from dainty to syrupy. The “brightness” of the cup in the pallet is called acidity and most morning cups are made in order to perk up the drinker. Nuance is the subtle flavors/aroma that a coffee evokes, and can be classified as floral, fruity, leather, winy, grassy or tobacco. This is what separates a gourmet cup of coffee from an ordinary factory-produced cup.

To get these elements right, different types of roasting methods have been undertaken by Bear Creek Coffee. Roasting starts with “City Roast,” which is done until the beginning of the second crack and the color of the bean is medium brown. The next phase is the “Full City Roast” in which beans are taken out 10 to 12 seconds after the second crack appears. This is followed by “Espresso Roast” where the beans turn from dark-brown to black and the individual taste of the varietals is more or less lost. The last is the “Vienna Roast” in which the beans become totally black.

The next important thing is the packaging; the smell of the coffee might be lost if it is poorly packaged. That is why all offerings of Bear Creek Coffee are vacuum-sealed and then sent to the locations, so that they can be used within 10 to 14 days of roasting and full-flavor of the coffee can be obtained. Because it roasts in small batches, these beans don’t sit around in a warehouse waiting to be shipped well past their peak of perfection.

Bear Creek Coffee is also quite particular about the different coffee beans it uses. It makes great blends by mixing two different varietals, each roasted in a different method. These blends make the ultimate cup of coffee—and the ultimate business opportunity.

Bear Creek is rapidly expanding, with plans to add 36 new outlets in 2008. Because it’s not a franchise, there are never franchise fees or royalties. Instead, Bear Creek focuses on providing the best beans—and therefore, the best cup of coffee.

To learn more about Bear Creek Coffee, contact us today.