Gas station coffee
Bean to Cup technology and the world of LinkedIn.
Back! Hello friends I’m back on the ‘stack’ but this time unmasked with more ideas in the world of food and bev, and concepts galore. A-lot of ideas flowing at the moment…’Doing the bull dance. Feeling the flow’ Working it - (Happy Gilmore Quote)
I’m basically one of those — an ideas type…creative thinking…must stick to the script. So many ideas…what’s the saying? Jack of all trades…master…of…..starting to unmask, a great process to write I really enjoy it. And thinking about how I convey all my ideas and concepts into these platforms. So thank you dear reader.
Time to be consistent with some writing amongst other things:
I have spent some good time giving my linkedin profile a glow up. Check it out if that’s your domain. And continue reading here and there if that’s your thing. If you could give me a follow on this platform I would love that. Thanks in advance. And say hey to me on LinkedIn. Let’s connnnect.
While giving my LinkedIn some much needed attention - I discovered that there was a trade coffee expo here in London. Read my linkedin post here about one of the many highlights at Caffee Culture Show. I’m glad I had made the effort to engage on that platform, LinkedIn. This is not an ad, btw. I’m starting to dial in my new direction of creativity and development in the world of consultancy work. Here (London) or anywhere, for that matter. Get in touch
I’m particularly interested in the world of bean to cup technology at the moment and the Ferrari of the technology, machine maker - Eversys, a Swiss based company. Which had its own stall at the show. I was excited to have a demo on this machine.
The machines do what they say on the box ‘Bean to Cup’: You press a button, the coffee grinds, hot water flows and pulls a shot. You hit another button the milk is foamed. You dispense. You drink and you think Wow. With the right beans and know how magic happens. All at the touch of a button. I wrote a few words on Linkedin about the experience and some further thoughts about the coffee industry. Check it out.
Concept:
Once back from the expo I started thinking how much I love gas station coffee.
Here’s why:
-It tastes bad (don’t @ me. If you’re a coffee lover, you may or may not understand this concept, and you won’t particularly get it if you’re a tea lover, but I’m sure you have the same feeling about having a cup of the good stuff—tea in a service station).
-It gets you buzzed
-It doesn’t hurt the pocket (7-11 in Australia, a service station chain, sells coffee for $2, which in hard economic times is a fantastic deal for those needing a hit of caffeine).
-In the past, it has been the only port of call for an early morning brew and a minute’s quiet before the start of a busy working day. I’m imagining the sun coming up while driving to work in Melbourne. Beautiful.
-I associate coffee stops in service stations with a road trip or holiday.
-You get to use the machine yourself, a sense of ritual, and I must admit, sometimes it’s nice not to have to interact early. No coffee, no workee.
-Nostalgia
-Ritual, again, is a big one, and it takes you out of your own daily habit of however you may consume your hot beverage in the morning.
If I worked for or was the creative director at Eversys, this is what I would do:
-Build a walk in size retro service station set an expo like the one I went to today (Caffe Culture Show, London) for clients and general public to use and to hit home that nostalgia feeling of taking a beat and pulling yourself a shot of coffee. The slogan: ‘You’re home now” or ‘Continue on’
My moodboard include the photographer: William Eggleston and other images from American service stations and perhaps pulling inspiration from down under -vast, quiet landscapes, beauty in the minimal and working life. Taking a stop and a rest on the journey.
And an Eversys machine spotted on a recent trip, a French ferry from the UK to France. I love that you can get a good cup of coffee, and what I would say is an excellent croissant, on a boat trip. Another style of ‘service station’—boat form. I also love that in France, most takeaway cups (and it is rare to get a takeaway cup in France, an essay for another time) are plain, non-branded brown cups."
Thanks for reading. See you next time. Hit the follow and/or leave a comment about your favorite road trip coffee - service station experiences.
Sam
