Great Coffee and a Second Chance

A few weeks ago I read an article about the Second Chance Coffee Company out of Wheaton, IL. If you haven’t heard of them, they are a coffee roasting company which employs people who have been in prison, and are determined to change their lives. I was intrigued by this notion, and contacted Pete Leonard, Master Roaster and Founder of the company. He graciously spoke with me, while he has driving back from a business trip in Wisconsin. 

Leonard is passionate about two things: excellent coffee and helping those who are trying to turn their lives around. His desire to roast coffee came as a result of a 2005 church mission trip to Brazil. In the community he was visiting, he discovered coffee was being roasted over an open fire. He remembers drinking this coffee, and thinking, “This was the best coffee ever.” Prior to this, good coffee for Pete was sipping mochas from Starbucks. 

He loved the coffee so much, he brought back 10 kilos of coffee to give to people who had donated towards his mission. In the end though, he drank about 8 kilos of the coffee, and carefully doled out the remaining coffee to his supporters. He never had another Starbucks mocha.

His experience though, led him to roast his own coffee. Pete’s garage became his roasting facility. Armed with a Weber Grill, and a makeshift drum created by shelving from IKEA, many coffee failures took place(most notably a fire which took place after he went into the house to get a glass of water). His quality control was a neighbor who would give him his thoughts after each batch. One day though, this neighbor declined the coffee, telling Pete that they could no longer accept the coffee - they wanted to pay for it. Soon other neighbors wanted to buy the coffee coming out of the Weber Grill. Pete was able to roast 2.5 lbs at a time, and sell it to his neighbors. 

Around this time, Pete’s brother-in-law ran afoul of the law. At the time Pete was a medical software developer, and knew his brother-in-law was very smart, so he hired him to help with projects he was working on, while his brother-in-law awaited his trial. 

Once convicted, the brother-in-law went to jail and served a nine month sentence. When he got out, Pete wanted to bring him on board at his company, but the insurance company told him his brother-in-law was a risk and wouldn’t carry him. As a result Pete couldn’t hire him.

Prisons are a two-fold entity. They are places where criminals are incarcerated, but there is also the hope that these people will be rehabilitated, and be able to re-enter society. There are many rehabilitation programs around the country run by churches and other social service agencies to assist in the transition from criminal life to living a more productive life. The problem though is many post-prison people fall back into their old ways and go back to jail, because few businesses are willing to take a chance on hiring ex-felons.

Pete’s brother-in-law was slowing falling back into the habits which got him into trouble. Eventually the brother-in-law had to live with his parents. Pete says that through this, he got to see a “microcosm of not being allowed back into society.”

Each year 20,000 prisoners are released from Illinois correctional facilities into the Chicagoland area. According to figures Pete has seen, 60% of those go back to prison within four years. A person can go through rehabilitation and re-entry programs, but if there is no meaningful work for them, they soon slide into their old habits, as Pete learned through the experience with his brother-in-law.

While roasting coffee and ex-cons don’t seem like typical issues to discuss with friends, it was all a part of life discussions Pete would have each week with his friends Dave Scavotto and Ron deVries. These three met through church, and had weekly breakfast gatherings between October 2006 and January 2007. The men began to form the idea for a coffee roasting company, literally, on the back of a napkin. 

As much of an educational journey as learning about coffee, Pete and his friends learned the ins and outs of creating a business. A business plan had to be formed, and they also had a decision to make, were they going to be a coffee company, or a non-profit venture? Were they on a mission or were they selling coffee? 

In the end the decision was they were going to be a coffee company and produce the best coffee - period! Pete says, “We wanted our coffee to be so good people would buy it regardless of the mission.” If someone didn’t like the fact the company was going to hire post-prison people, it wouldn’t matter because the coffee was so good.

The first step in creating excellent coffee is to make sure you are buying excellent coffee beans. Pete and his partners decided to only acquire the top 1% of coffee that is produced. Coffee is generally graded on a score topping at 100%. The top 1% is coffee scoring an 87% or higher. In comparison, Pete says that coffees such as Folgers or Starbucks Via score a 70%. When trying to gain top 1% status, the difference between an 81% score(which is where is the top 5%) and a 87% score is huge. 

The learning curve for the partners was more than figuring out how to start a business and which coffee to roast. They depended on Pete to learn how to cup coffee, how to roast commercially, taking into consideration that coffees from different regions roast differently. There are also environmental factors to consider, such as humidity. All these factors go into roasting coffee, and Pete who had seen coffee roasted for the first time in 2005, was about to produce coffee on a commercial scale. 

Second Chance Coffee Company was incorporated in June 2007, and in June 2009 started producing coffee. Their business plan called for ambitious growth, with a goal of 150 roasting plants around the country. Pete has gone from a garage at home roasting effort of producing 2.5 lbs of coffee at a time,  to Second Chance producing 4000 lbs of coffee a month. The company has had 100%+ growth each year. Currently Second Chance is on the shelves of Whole Foods in Chicago, in regional restaurants, and various farmers markets. They are expanding into markets such as Denver and Milwaukee. 

Part of the key to this tremendous growth is the freshness of the coffee. You can order coffee in the morning, and in the afternoon it’s done. For those who live within 5 miles of Second Chance, you pay an additional $1 and they will drive the coffee to you. For orders from further away, it can take 1-3 days, depending on where you live. If the company can establish those 150 roasting plants, fresh coffee will be the norm for those communities. 

When asked about the jobs post-prison people work, Pete is clear, “Everything,” he says. “Roasting, sales, delivery, marketing, it doesn’t matter.” Second Chance partners with non profits who assist those trying to re-enter society. Not everyone coming out of prison can come to work for the coffee company. 

“They either need to be in a re-entry program, or a graduate of a program,” says Pete. He gets inquiries from those currently in prison, letting him know when they are getting out, and are asking about jobs.He lets them know they need to be out for a certain period, and dedicated to their rehabilitation.

Pete wants “to be sure they are serious about this.” He looks at what they did in prison. Did they participate in programs, because they had to, or was there an initiative to improve their lives? Did they get counseling and are they still in counseling? What he doesn’t want is to hire people who are just figuring new ways to avoid prison. 

Second Chance is usually not a final stop for someone out of prison. He has had people working anywhere from a month and a half to three years. He says, “This can be a stepping store to other skills and jobs.” Pete is clear his company is not rescuing people, “We are set up to help people rescue themselves.” 

What happens if you have no record, and you want to work for Second Chance? If you a haven’t had a conviction, Pete most likely won’t hire you. While he understands times are hard for everyone, they are even harder for those with a criminal record, and he wants them to have a chance.

Not everyone is a success story. They have hired people who worked there a limited amount of time, but due to other circumstances in their lives, have slid back into a bad life, or in one case died due to an overdose. Still, the small number of setbacks doesn’t deter the mission of Second Chance. 

The company not only partners with area non profits seeking to help these people, they donate part of the profits of the company back into these organizations. Also, when they plan where to headquarter their company or roasting facilities, they consider access to public transportation. Most post-prison don’t have cars, and are totally dependent on good public transportation. If they can’t get to work, what’s the point in offering jobs? Their dedication to helping these people is, “baked into our fabric,” he insists. 

Pete Leonard has spoken to schools and other businesses about his social business, and how there isn’t as much risk to hiring someone with a prison record as they might think. Still, his company is unique. 

Coffee is often used to raise social awareness. In churches you may be served coffee with a “Fair Trade” label on it, which indicates that monies from that coffee are making lives better for farmers in developing countries. Other organizations use coffee, roasted by commercial roasters to raise money for whichever charitable cause they are advocating. Pete refers to this as “Crappy causal coffee.” No doubt those coffees are not one of the top 1%. While those groups have the best of intentions, they are not coffee companies on a mission. They are more missions who happen to sell coffee.

When reminding him that his goal was to be a coffee company which produced the best coffee, and still serve a mission, I asked if Second Chance leans more one way than another. “It’s an even mix,” he says. Clearly, the company has found a balance and is a success.

Towards the end of the conversation, I admitted to Pete I had yet to sample his coffee. Never fear though....I will. When I do, I am going to imagine what it was like when he attempted to roast on his Webber Grill.

Second Chance’s coffee brand is “I Have a Bean,” and can be purchased at

www.ihaveabean.com

Charlie

The Journey So Far - March 2013

I started this blog in January as a way to document and share my coffee journey. What a couple of months it has been. Friends and family can joke that I am more a geek than previously thought, but the fact is part of loving coffee means you have a bit of geek in you. I have found the same thing in running. I started running, and absorbed everything I could, and now I work in the running specialty industry. Now I am using those same skills and tactics to tackle coffee.

If you look at coffee as a universe, I would say I am fairly familiar with my block. Oh it seems like I know more than that, but as I read and learn more, I understand there is more I don’t know, than what I do know. I’m fine with that.

So what have I learned? The specialty coffee world appears to be a business of younger men who are trying to make their mark in the world. They have found a way to shape a business, which is part art, part science, part diner experience, part lifestyle. 

There are ratings systems to judge coffee, which I am keen on learning. Barista compete pretty fiercely in various competitions. I always knew there was more than one way to brew a cup of coffee, but really there is MORE than one way. much more. 

I have read comparisons between coffee and wine, as far as cultivation, developing, and serving it. Just like wine, there are tastings, called cuppings. There are people who spent years formulating ways to make coffee better, whether it be at the organic level, or the brewing level. Are baristas the new sommoliers? 

Coffee also brings out the desire to help others and the planet. There are coffee roasters and companies that use coffees to assist those in need, both at home and abroad. Sustainability is more than a catchphrase to some. It’s a way to ensure our planet is healthy and thriving. 

I have learned there are others like me, geeks with a thirst not only for coffee, but to understand coffee. We gather, we talk, we blog, we share. We have formed a community.

The journey so far is a wonderful adventure. And so it continues.....

Charlie

Decaf - Coffeeish

Years ago, when I was the cappuccino maker to the stars, every now and then I would get someone who would order a decaf latte with skim milk and no foam. My knee jerk response was to say, "What's the point?" Of course that would have been rude, and I would have been an unemployed barista.

Decaffeinated coffee is one of those oddities. Growing up it meant Sanka. You remember Sanka right? It's that instant decaf coffee that your mother may have served at dinner parties to people who didn't want coffee at night. It was that small jar of crystals in our freezer, and truly my mom only had it at dinner parties.

Decaf, for those who aren't clear on this, is a process used to extract caffeine from coffee. Yes, I know all of you are giggling and saying, "Come on why do that?" Still there are different processes to remove the caffeine.

The most common method is Swiss Water Process. It truly was developed in Switzerland in the 1930s. These days most of the process is done by The Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company in British Columbia, Canada. Green Beans are immersed in water to remove the caffeine, but there are some essential oils which could also be removed. With the Swiss Water Process, the green beans are put in water with the desirable oils and properties. The is called Green Coffee Extract(GCE). The GCE is then filtered to only take the caffeine out. This is repeated until the 99% of the caffeine is removed.

I'm going to be honest, I think this is a lot of effort for a cup of coffee which doesn't really taste like coffee to me. I have gone through a decaf stage in my life, and I found very few decafs which actually retained the coffee flavor I liked. God bless Intelligentsia Coffee. At that time they had a decaf I could drink which truly tasted like coffee. It has been about 10 years since I have had decaf, so I hope there are some roasters out there that can get decaf to taste like coffee.

I do think there is one benefit to decaf. Coffee speeds the metabolism(at least temporarily), and I found when I was trying to lose weight, the more coffee I drank, the more I ate(this is before I started running). Drinking decaf gave me the coffee like taste(kind of), without having my pot a day of regular.

Still I go back to my barista thought when I hear someone order decaf - What's the point?

Charlie

Blogging CoffeeCon2013

My fellow coffee drinkers, as you know I am attending CoffeeCon 2013 in May. This day long university of coffee lectures, labs, demonstrations, and samplings is a rarity for the general public. Normally coffee gatherings are for those in the industry. I believe this is the only one for coffee lovers like you and me.

CoffeeCon has invited me to be one the bloggers to cover the event, and I am honored to do it. I will be able to report on the events of the day. I will have access to the presenters and will interview them. All of this will be reported on this blog, and I will guest blog on CoffeeCon's website.

Keep your eyes open, as I will be giving away tickets to CoffeeCon. Details will follow.

I am thrilled to do this, and am looking forward to the day. You can check out the other bloggers who will also be there - http://www.coffee-con.com/bloggers/

If you aren't able to attend, I encourage you to look at the schedule of classes and speakers on the CoffeeCon website, and if there is a question you want me to ask, let me know, and I will ask it.

http://www.coffee-con.com

Charlie

Today's Cup of Coffee March 6, 2013

Today I have had two different cups of coffee I want to write about. The first is from my friend Kris, a home roaster. She has given me a Peruvian Organic that I am very excited about. The second is Starbucks Tribute Blend.

The Peruvian Organic is a strong coffee. No worries, this one won't slap you in the face. It will wake you up in the morning. I had some yesterday as well, and I wanted to be sure I tasted what I tasted, so I had another cup today. Same taste.... this is a strong coffee, but with a bright taste, like I might find in a lighter roast. I detected some floral hints(Mark didn't taste it, but I did). For a moment, I thought there was a citrus flavor to it. It almost reminded me of an Orange Blossom Honey. There is a sweetness to this coffee, that I don't often find with darker roasts.

Starbucks has their Tribute Blend. This was created to celebrate their 40th anniversary, but this is not their Anniversary Blend. This is billed as one of their bold roasts, but is reminds me more of a medium roast. This is a blend of Eithiopian, New Guinea and Columbian coffee. I am betting the Columbian gives it the more medium roast taste. There is a an herbal quality to the coffee, but it is not a savory experience. They say there is a dark cherry taste, but I don't find it. I like this coffee, and if they replaced this for the horrible Pike's Blend, I would be a much happier camper.

Two good coffees, but I'll take the home roast any day.

Charlie

Rating a Coffee House

Recently Zagat released their report on "the hottest coffee shops around the country." Anytime there is a list, I understand it's subjective. In determining the ratings for these establishments, Zagat uses the following formula, "The reviews in this guide are based on public opinion surveys. The ratings reflect the average scores given by the survey participants, who voted on each establishment." The coffee houses are rated on Food, Decor and Service. The highest score you can get in each category is 30 points. Of course....my question is why aren't they basing the ratings on coffee?

Seven lucky cities got to have their coffee houses judged. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. were all picked. No offense to those cities listed, but may I ask why Seattle and Portland were left off the list?

As I was reading the booklet, I paid close attention to the Chicago listings. Since I used to live there, I was eager to see what the folks at Zagat thought.

The first place listed is Cafecito. It is a Cuban themed establishment, and the grading was as follows: Food - 23, Decor- 11, Service 18. The reviews weigh heavily on the food, but the coffee is described as  "out of this world." I have to say that doesn't seem like a great score. And it tells me nothing about the coffee really.

Zagat gives Intelligentsia and Julius Meinl nice ratings, but nothing jumps out to me about what the coffee is like. Uncommon Grounds gets the best rating of the Chicago establishments; however, not once is the coffee mentioned.

To be honest I didn't read the other cities. I felt a bit disgusted with what I had already read. If you are reviewing coffee houses, by golly, review the coffee. Yes, I think decor plays a role. If you want to talk about food, that's ok. I want to know what the coffee is like, and how the service is.

If you want to read something which really details coffee establishments, and can answer your true coffee questions I suggest reading "Left Coast Roast" by Hanna Neuschwander. She gives excellent detail of the coffees these places roast and/or serve.

Zagat also provides a list of the "Eight Destination Coffee Meccas"

Seattle
Vienna
Rome
Oslo
Sao Paulo
Addis Ababa
Kailua-Kona
Melbourne

I was happy to see I had visited half of the cities in my lifetime. I can say Seattle, Vienna, Roma and Kona all have wonderful coffee houses. Again I might ask - where is Portland?

As I said reviews are subjective, but in the end, if you can't review the coffee, then what's the point of reviewing the establishment?

Charlie

CoffeeCON 2013

How many of you have heard about ComicCon? This is the annual love fest of all things fantasy and sci-fi. Usually it involves people dressed as anything in the George Lucas or Gene Rodenberry universes. Coffee Geeks, you have your convention now- CoffeeCON!

Fans of the Java and all things coffee will gather on May 4 in Warrenville, IL for a day of demonstrations, lectures, cuppings, and more information than you can imagine. Here are some of the classes which will be in session that day:

Pour Over Methods
Chemex Brewing Lab
The Importance of Correct Grinding
How to Host a Cupping Party
Turkish Coffee Preparation

There will be special guests. One of the guests is George Howell, a pioneer in the specialty coffee world, will present a coffee tasting lab, which is designed to better educate us on what truly goes into a quality cup of coffee. Howell opened the Coffee Connection at Harvard in the 1970s, and really created the specialty coffee genre. Among other things he created the Frappuccino. He sold his business to Starbucks, and has since created the George Howell Coffee Company.

CoffeeCon is an event for anyone who loves coffee. Whether you are a seasoned coffee geek, or someone who craves more than instant coffee, this is for you. Right now registration is $10. Come on....what a deal.

For more information go to.....

www.coffee-con.com

I am looking forward to going!

Charlie