Our Organic Colombian El Socorro is simply an outstanding coffee. Rich and full bodied with hints of chocolate, this one has been flying off the shelves since we started roasting it a couple of weeks ago. Don’t wait to get it, we’re about halfway through our supply and what we have won’t last long.
Jeff
SGT Keith Maupin, who went missing after one of the worst ambushes in Iraq on April 9, 2004 will be coming home. Sadly, he will not be coming home alive, but at least his family will have closure and he will get a proper burial. God bless you SGT Maupin, you are a hero.
Tomorrow, the 28th, is the third anniversary of my company’s arrival at Ft. Eustis after 13 months in Iraq. It seems like yesterday. The flight from Kuwait to Germany to North Carolina, to Virginia seemed like it took forever. When we landed in Virginia, I was quickly pulled aside and brought to Fort Eustis to get ready for our welcome home ceremony. The demob folks brought me into the gym to show me where to stand and where the company would form. I saw my wife and children for the first time in 7 months. My parents came down from NJ and so did my cousins Evan and Ian, and my friend Kurt. I felt really bad that I couldn’t spend anytime with them. There was only time for a quick hug and then it was time for the ceremony.
The ceremony was brief, but great. I have never felt as much joy in my life as I did when I stood in front of my soldiers and presented them to the crowd - some battered and bruised, all changed forever, but more importantly, all alive. I did my job - I brought them home. Once the ceremony was over I got to hug my wife. I didn’t want to let her go, but all of the local media wanted to talk to me. Meredith was great - she let me talk to the media and patiently waited for the madness to finish. She figured she had waited almost a year and a half, what was another 30 minutes before she got her husband back. Benjamin had the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen. Rachel, who hadn’t seen me since my R&R when she was only 10 days old, instantly became Daddy’s little girl. My cousin Evan caught my Dad on video crying - its the only time I have ever seen my father cry in my life, and the closest he has ever come to saying he was proud of me. That one moment means more to me than anyone can imagine.
Tomorrow we’ll be serving Road Dog (the nickname for my company) in Rockwall, and Screaming Eagle (the 101st) in Highland Village.
Its good to be alive.
We were on NBC 5 tonight. It was very cool, and completely unexpected. They called, said they heard about us and wanted to know if we would like to be interviewed for a story. When I said yes, they said “okay, we’ll be there in 45 minutes.” I had about 6 days of scruff going, so I figured I needed to shave. All I had was a dull blade and no shaving cream. Amazingly I didn’t have to do the interview with little pieces of toilet paper all over my face. Here’s the link to the video:
I stumbled across this story today:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/world/main3800725.shtml
An American businesswoman was carted off to jail by religious police in Saudi Arabia for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks in Riyadh, the Times of London reported.
The woman, who spent a day behind bars, was strip-searched and forced to sign a false confession before being released, the newspaper said. The Times declined to publish her name at her request.
Speaking as someone who has served in the Army fighting Muslim extremism and who has had too many friends die fighting that backwards ideology, I have to wonder - Why would an “American” company choose to do business in a country where women are treated like property, especially when their compliance with “local customs” for the sake of profit, only serves to support the ideology that brought us 9/11?
Its one thing if you’re an oil company - that’s where the oil is and we need it. But the decision in this case to operate in Saudi Arabia, and to comply with local customs and ensure that women are treated like property was a purely voluntary one. So is the decision to continue doing business there after a woman was arrested and strip searched for having the nerve to sit with a man at a table. Why is there no outrage over American companies supporting the very same ideology we are fighting? I know they are my competitor, and it might be a bit unseemly of me to single them out, but companies all across our industry spend a lot of time ensuring that all the people involved in the growing, harvesting, and production of coffee are treated well. Shouldn’t we strive to do the same for those who consume it? Or is it somehow okay because this woman chose to work in Saudi Arabia? Is it really acceptable now to abandon even the most basic concept of human rights to make an extra dollar as long as it happens overseas? There are no “corporate values” at play here except for one - stone cold greed. Its sad, very sad.
Jeff
Brian, who started working at the Rockwall store on Monday, commented to me today that he couldn’t believe how loyal our customers are. He said they don’t just drink coffee, they drink Texas Roast, and they are proud of it.
I got to thinking about that comment and what loyalty means. It is true that we have a very loyal customer base. I say all the time that I feel like I am serving coffee to friends all day long. Loyalty is important to me, and I see loyalty as a two way street. We won’t have loyal customers if we are not loyal to them first. But what does that mean?
Loyalty is one of the Army’s seven core values. As someone who has led troops in combat, I can tell you there are few things more important. Loyalty not only up the chain of command but down the chain of command. I think the same hold true for Texas Roast.
Loyalty to the customer. That is shown in our commitment to roast and serve the best darned coffee anywhere - period. We don’t rest on our laurels. We are always working to see how we can improve, from roasting techniques, to drink preperation, to the efficiency of our service. Every person who walks in one of our stores needs to be shown that they matter. I am grateful that people decide to spend their hard earned money with us, and I want to make sure that every person who works at Texas Roast feels the same way and shows that gratitude to every customer. Loyalty means making sure that we are serving the freshest and best baked goods in town. Whether it is tweaking recipes, tossing product that didn’t come out quite right, or making sure the presentation of our goods is top notch, loyalty means giving our customers the best. It means we get in at 5 a.m. and stay until 10 p.m. not because we have to, but because we want to. Because we want to provide everyone who walks through our doors with a mind blowing coffee experience.
There are things we can do that the mega chains can’t do. We can buy beans from the world’s top farms - there aren’t enough of those beans to go around to fill thousands of stores. We can roast in small batches to ensure quality. We can hand craft each drink. We don’t have to try to be a part of the community, we are a part of the community. Loyalty is not a drive thru on every corner. Loyalty is a commitment to excellence. We don’t have to worry about competing with fast food chains, we are doing something different. We are dedicating ourselves to roasting and serving the best coffee anywhere. We are always working to push the envelope and make what is great even better. That is loyalty.
Jeff
I’ve been drinking the Kenya Muburi Kirinyaga all day. Its an amazing coffee. A lot of folks have fallen in love with the Rwanda Bourbon, and while I love that coffee, I have to say I think this Kenyan might be the best coffee we have roasted so far. Its that good.
When I was first looking at roasting Cup of Excellence coffees, a friend of mine told me there was no way people would pay $20 or more for a pound of coffee. I disagreed and looked at it as the $100 wine. I certainly wouldn’t buy it for every day, but I don’t mind having a bottle around for a special occasion, and I don’t mind appreciating the wine maker’s skill in crafting an excellent bottle. I look at the CoE coffees the same way. Most people won’t drink a $25 pound of coffee day in, day out, but to have as a treat and appreciate the efforts of the farmers to grow an exceptional crop the purchase is worth it.
This has proven to be true, and I am grateful to everyone who has supported this outstanding program which pays farmers far more than they normally get paid and rewards them for excellence. The CoE program is a great model to follow as we try to improve the lives of everyone in the coffee chain. We are now sold out of our Columbian CoE coffee, but will be getting a new one in either this week or next. I haven’t decided which one to get yet, but the choices are down to two - a Nicaraguan or a Guatemalan. Either way, I am excited to share another CoE coffee with everyone.
Jeff
There were many heroes on 9/11, here is the story of one of them:
Six years ago our nation was attacked. The unity of purpose that overcame our nation as we went to war quickly disappeared as politicians jockeyed for power, more concerned about who would control Congress than about our men and women serving in combat. A sad example of this was seen yesterday in many of the comments made as General Petraeus testified before the House committee. An honorable man who has dedicated his life to serving our nation is being viciously attacked for partisan political purposes. It is shameful.
Businesses aren’t supposed to voice thoughts like this. Every MBA will tell you that I risk alienating a large portion of our customer base by taking a strong stance on a controversial issue. But my concern isn’t with the politicians in Washington. My concern is for the finest people I have ever known - those who are overseas risking their lives for us. The men and women I had the honor and privilege of serving with. They need our support and need to know that despite the childish games politicians play the American people honor the sacrifices they and their families are making.
Today hundreds of thousands of Americans are far from home engaged in combat. Here at Texas Roast, we will never forget what happened on September 11, 2001, and we will proudly stand behind the members of our Armed Forces. I have lost some good friends in this war, and had others whose lives have been forever changed by wounds both physical and mental. It is for them that I pledge to do all I can to make sure that we as a nation never forget.
Jeff