A Discussion on Local vs. Chain Coffee

I’m having a rough start this morning.  That happens.  It is the inspiration for today’s discussion on coffee and for the use of the new ring flash for my camera.  Notes on the ring flash will occur later, I’m sure.

Let me start at the beginning though.  Yesterday A.D. and I were driving back from the local big box stores and saw the most fantastic cut-off to exit by a Chevy Suburban, with no real traffic or need to do that to another driver.  I looked over to see the typical ‘soccer mom’ type at the helm of the Goliath vehicle and mused that she was likely hyper-focused on getting to Dunkin’.  Yes, this is judgy of me, I am human.  It was a spectacularly rude driving maneuver, so I feel okay about it.

It started a discussion on coffee and the fact we don’t really go to retail coffee outlets unless we are traveling, and even then we typically will go out of our way to find a local roaster.  Are we coffee-snobs?

A Discussion on Why We Go Local:

No, while we do like our coffee and are particular about some aspects, both of us will take a diner cup of Joe if our favorite isn’t around.  Coffee is a ritual for us and we enjoy it.  So why would we go out of our way for a local cup?

For me, there are a couple reasons:

• I vote with my food dollars and when I have the opportunity to vote by purchasing a product that is organic, fair-trade or otherwise socially and environmentally-conscious, I do.
• I would rather pay a local provider as I know they are part of a community and those dollars matter.
• It’s typically a better quality product at a lower price.

Whoa!  Did I just say I can get a better quality product at a lower price than a retail chain!?!  Why yes, I did.  In a nearby town, there is a Dunkin’ and several local shops that sell locally-roasted, fair-trade and sometimes organic coffees at a lower average price you would pay for a medium at any chain retailer.  For example, a medium coffee at Dunkin’ is $1.89 + tax, and a medium or grande at Starbucks is $2.10 + tax.  Both chains do offer some discount for bringing your own cup, Dunkin’ doesn’t list the discount and identifies that it is at participating stores and Starbucks offers $0.10 per refill.  Better than nothing.

Trouble Getting Started?

So where can I get a local cup of coffee cheaper and more sustainably than that?  Well, here are a couple of great examples:

• Glen Mountain Market, Watkins Glen, NY:  This locally owned bakery and deli offers a range of gustatory delights in addition to the fantastic and inexpensive coffee.  The coffee bar typically has selections that are organic, fair-trade and/or locally roasted.  They feature coffees from Gimme Coffee! out of Ithaca, NY as well as other variable options.  If you bring your own cup, a medium refill is $1.25 + tax.  That is a savings.

• 

  Gimme Coffee!, Locations in Ithaca, Trumansburg, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, NY:  The T-burg location offers a $2 + tax medium coffee with a $0.35 discount for bringing your own cup, and I anticipate similar pricing through the various locations.

• Soul Full Cup, Corning, NY:  If you’re walking down the infamous Market Street in Corning, NY, you will have to stop in and grab a cuppa.  I couldn’t get a quote in time for this article, but they’re coffee is fantastic and they offer mugs for in-house use.  You typically will want to sit and relax in the atmosphere, so no big.
• Brooklyn Roasters, with locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, NY:  We hit up the Jay Street cafe late in 2015

  

  and I can’t stop thinking about their coffee!  According the the website, ‘The Brooklyn Roasting Company offers New Yorkers best quality Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Organic certified and sustainable coffees.’  I can’t disagree, they have fantastic coffee.  The prices quoted are, of course, higher than the others, but they are also in NYC where pricing is always higher than Upstate.  They offer a $2.50 + tax medium with a $0.25 discount for your own cup.

Across the country, there are tons of fantastic coffee houses and roasters who are working hard to provide quality coffee and who do it at reasonable prices.  They can afford to sell better coffee at lower prices as they don’t have to advertise all over the place.

Take a little time to research options in your area or in your travels, have a discussion and find out how you can vote with your food dollars!  As a side note, I absolutely recognize that some of my choices are a function of time and some people don’t have a luxury of time or an interest in local fare and that’s okay too, no judgments in fair and open discussion!

Leave your favorite local spots in the comments, hopefully we can hit them up in our travels this year!