Chris writes: “Coffee Cove, on Gilbert Rd just North of Warner provides the best tasting coffee, frozen drinks and teas in a warm friendly atmosphere. By the way, Stonegrounds in Gilbert is no longer in business. It is now the Coffee Cove.”
Coffee Cove
538 S. Gilbert Rd #112
Gilbert, AZ 85296
Phone: (480) 507-2244
The folks at Ground Control Coffee were recently interviewed by the Luke Air Force Base News. Thank you to Tara for letting me know about it.
I have included an excerpt below.
And so it began. Now, more than 20 months, thousands of dollars and hours and many satisfied customers later, Ground Control is making a mark on the local coffee and wine bar scene.
Part of the success of the business is Major Rassas’ insistence on using only the best and freshest products – be it coffee beans, gelato ingredients or baked goods. According to Major Rassas, Ground Control is one of only four establishments in the Phoenix area that roasts their coffee in-store.
“By doing it ourselves, not only does it keep the cost-margin down, but we have complete control over the roast of the coffee, be it light, medium or dark,” he said. “We get it exactly how the customer wants it.”
Ground Control also serves gelato that is made in-house, fresh baked goods from Wicked Bakery, made-to-order salads and Paninis, and has the largest by-the-glass wine selection west of Interstate 17.
“Our wine prices are highly competitive,” Major Rassas said. “As a father of four (Sydney, 8; Cole, 4; Connor, 2; and Quinn, 5 months) I know how painful it is to go out to a restaurant, how expensive it is to buy the kids ice cream or to get something at Starbucks. We feel that if we can give someone a fantastic product for a great value, that would speak volumes about us, and it certainly has.”
Ground Control offers military, fire and police discounts and the Rassases believe in giving back to the community.
“Among other things, we donate wine-tastings and ice-cream socials to community organizations,” Major Rassas said. “These fundraisers provide money for the community, while generating business for ground control.”
Ground Control
14140 W. Indian School
Suite B1
Goodyear, AZ 85395
Phone: (623) 935-2604
Just stumbled across these Pantone Espresso Cups. Very cool. Bummer they are not available in the U.S. and nobody ships them across the pond.
Louis Kimbrough wrote to let us know about his new coffee roasting company in AZ. I know we covered them in the past.
“I would like to be included with your list of coffee roasters in AZ. We include a wide selection of quality Organic, Fair Trade, and Rain Forest Alliance coffees, available in bulk or bags.”
Joshua Tree Coffee Company
26150 Pierce Ferry Rd.
Lake Mead City, AZ 86444
Phone: (928) 564-2811
Phoenix coffeehouse Copper Star Coffee is giving away Powerball tickets to customers on Wednesday morning for free. They’ve done this before. It’s a great publicity stunt and a farly good PR gimmick.
This is silly. P&G is suing Kraft because their container looks like theirs, but is only blue. Sheesh.
CINCINNATI – Consumer products maker Procter & Gamble Co. sued Kraft Foods Inc. again on Tuesday over coffee containers, saying Maxwell House Coffee has copied a Folgers package.
I found an interesting blog post on the NY Times site about the shelf life of roasted coffee.
Judge for yourself. Brew two cups of the same blend, one from coffee roasted within a few days, one with beans more than one month old, and take note of the distinctions. In my experience the younger coffee has more body and flavor, and it even brews differently, foaming and expanding more while it steeps.
While the information isn’t new, I found a few links interesting in the last paragraph.
Or there’s mail order. Some roasters offer subscriptions — think Harry and David for coffee — and last year the food blog Chez Pim posted a comprehensive list. One of the interesting picks is Citizen Bean, which chooses coffees from different roasters across the country. It’s a sampling of what artisanal roasters are doing in this coffee-obsessed nation, and brings a new meaning to having a “fresh cup of coffee.”
Received this job posting from Steve today at Press Coffee which is opening soon in North Phoenix. Right next to Desert Ridge.
We are looking for energetic, enthusiastic and hard working individuals. I’m looking for Baristas, Cashiers and those that are willing to be cross trained for all aspects of the business. Those that have the barista skill must be willing to change if it does not meet the standards. Help me make this North Phoenix’s choice for coffee and wine!!!
Liberty Market sent in a job posting and I am posting it here in case anyone is looking for a job.
The historic Liberty Market in downtown Gilbert is looking for experienced baristas who love and respect the craft of espresso and have working knowledge of traditional espresso machines.
I received an email today asking if it is a good time to start a coffee shop in Phoenix. What do you think?
Starbucks is doing something interesting with receipts. They give out these receipts in the morning with a stamp indicating if you come in after 2pm the same day you can get a drink for $2. You can read about it here.
A couple of people sent me the link to the newest article about Cartel Coffee Lab. The article is called Little shop’s big plans crushed by giant competitor.
Crushed? If anything, it’s helping them get the word out. Look at the number of media events it has created? They’ve been talked about in the newspaper several times.
Was it worth the $7,000 the article says they paid? I would wager it is.
I’m sure there are other reasons, but it’s an interesting situation.
On the other hand, I think they should capitalize on this and improve the appearance a bit. Put it on a table all by itself with some special lighting just for it. Place real mugs next to it, and not paper cups. Place some instructions next to it so people know what to do (it isn’t evident whether customers should operate the machine themselves or ask a barista). With a few improvements they can make it even more special.
I received an email from Lisa at A Shot of Java. They are getting ready to celebrate two years in business.
Lisa writes: “We serve organic and fair trade coffee. We use Grounds for Change and Elevation coffee roasters for all our coffee needs. We have free wi-fi for customers and we stay open now until 2:30am on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday nights we have Paisley Yankolovich, Open mic every Sat nights starts at 9:00pm Here is just a list of a few of our events.”
I have to say, they’re probably one of the few coffee houses that stay open that late.
Photo from the MySpace page:
A Shot of Java
7003 N. 58th Ave
Glendale, AZ 85301
Driving Directions: Behind Pizza Old Roma
Phone: (623) 847-2423
