Amherst Street is coming alive with the smells of fresh brewed coffee, desserts and pastries. Delish! recently opened its doors (see history), allowing visitors to enter into a world filled with all sorts of visual delights. The transformation of the space is incredible - if you didn't know any better you might think that the pastry shop had been there for decades. That's not the case though. Owner Deb Clarke (photo right) has put in countless work hours to ensure that every last detail is up to her meticulous standards. Not just that, Deb has scoured the country in search of an obscure coffee (to this area) that she felt suited the atmosphere. Since the time that she first landed Stumptown Coffee Roasters, she has been steadily creating an atmosphere that reflects the special nature of the product. Needless to say, Delish! has outdone itself with the concept... and phase 2 is yet to come.
Deb: Well, now it's a little of both of those along with the cooking school. I thought that if I could combine really fine coffee and really fine desserts; I'd be unique to the area. Most places do one or the other well; rarely both. And the idea of adding light breakfast and lunch just seemed to be a no-brainer.
What time do you open in the morning?
What time do you open in the morning?
We open at 7 am, 7 days a week!
What is complete (phase 1) and what will phase 2 bring when it opens, doubling the size of the operation?
What is complete (phase 1) and what will phase 2 bring when it opens, doubling the size of the operation?
Phase 2 is getting the cooking school up and running which will be next week. Classes resume on October 4. We have classes Tuesday-Friday evenings and Saturday at noon.
What have you learned about Amherst Street?
What have you learned about Amherst Street?
I've learned that it is a very generous neighborhood of people with a super tight group of business owners who are always willing to help each other out and lend support to one another. It's a really good feeling to be so openly welcomed into this wonderful community!
***The following interview questions were answered by Phil Roberts (not pictured) who is the managing barista at Delish!
BRO: How did you first hear about Stumptown Coffee Roasters?
Phil: Personally, I don't remember how I first heard about Stumptown. Just being in the industry, I knew of a few great roasters and they were one with a great reputation. Also, they were featured in the book God in a Cup, which is where I learned a bit more about them.
How did you land the account when the brand is not even in the area?
What does it take to land the brand?
Commitment to quality. The Stumptown brand is so good because they require so much training in order to work them. They aren't the only roasters doing this. There is Intelligentsia out of Chicago, Counter Culture from N.C., and many others. Roasters realize that constant training and a commitment to quality is essential to the reputation of their brand.
Tell us about that system that you purchased. What does it do? Who has been trained to use it and where does the training take place?
By system, I assume you mean espresso machine. The machine, in the most basic response, sends water under 9 bars of pressure through a filter packed tightly with 20 grams of coffee to produce espresso. As far as training goes, anybody can use it. It is sort of like painting. Anybody can paint, we all did it in school. But depending on how you manipulate your brush, colors, and other variables, some are much better and more consistent at it. It's the same with espresso. We are committed not to just pulling shots of espresso on it, we are committed to adjusting the grinder throughout the day, training on flawless technique, and tasting to produce consistently great shots. and that's just the start of a great drink at Delish! From there, we train for hours on proper milk steaming to highlight the natural sweetness in the milk and texture it with fine microfoam in order to pour beautiful lattes at the perfect temperature. Some people might notice that our drinks a slightly cooler than other cafe's. That's because milk is such a delicate thing. When you steam it, you want to heat it to bring out the sweetness and texture it, but above a certain point it negatively affects the experience when combined with espresso. After we have trained on consistent milk preparation, we train latte art. This is something most cafes don't offer, and if they do, the baristas haven't had proper training on it. We critique every drink we make in order to pour a better heart, tulip, or rosetta the next time. While there is often a lot of attention given to latte art, that should just be the visual indicator of a properly steamed milk. All of the other training that goes into each drink will be discovered at the first sip!
Serving Stumptown sounds like an art. I've seen what a barista can do with a cup of coffee... of course the flavor is important... so what's up with the design phase of the process?
Latte art is something that has not been presented very strongly in Buffalo. My simple answer is because the baristas have not been properly trained. I can say that with confidence because I, too, was not properly trained at one point. Once I experience a latte with a beautiful rosetta on top, I knew it was something I needed to be doing. From that point, I sought out training. I eventually started competing in competitions and winning them. To create great latte art, you really need to understand the dynamics of milk and foam, flow rate, and gravity. At some point, everything slows down for the barista where they are able to manipulate all of the elements through the entire pour to create something beautiful. For a beginner, everything is just happening so fast, they just sort of panic and start waving their arms around, trying to create something. Latte art training, just as training as a barista and the whole coffee education process is something that will never end. If it did, I'm afraid I would have to move on to a new career.
Phil: Personally, I don't remember how I first heard about Stumptown. Just being in the industry, I knew of a few great roasters and they were one with a great reputation. Also, they were featured in the book God in a Cup, which is where I learned a bit more about them.
How did you land the account when the brand is not even in the area?
My relationship with them. Their rep said that they weren't in the Buffalo area yet because training to meet their standards would be difficult. In order to work with Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a cafe must meet their requirements including going through all of their trainings.
What makes Stumptown so different?
What makes Stumptown so different? Stumptown is an industry leader in quality and the Direct Trade movement. As for the Buffalo area, they roast a bit lighter than the local roasters. They buy the highest quality beans, work with the farmers year in and year out to improve that quality and pay according to that quality. The attention they give to their wholesale accounts is also incredible. Their training center is always available for trainings, offered for free to wholesale customers.
Does the coffee have a following in Buffalo?
If not, it will! Honestly, I am always surprised when I find out how many people have heard of them, wherever I go. Their Head Roaster is also from Buffalo, and he was very excited when he heard that I was moving here and bringing Stumptown with me!
Does the coffee have a following in Buffalo?
If not, it will! Honestly, I am always surprised when I find out how many people have heard of them, wherever I go. Their Head Roaster is also from Buffalo, and he was very excited when he heard that I was moving here and bringing Stumptown with me!
What does it take to land the brand?
Commitment to quality. The Stumptown brand is so good because they require so much training in order to work them. They aren't the only roasters doing this. There is Intelligentsia out of Chicago, Counter Culture from N.C., and many others. Roasters realize that constant training and a commitment to quality is essential to the reputation of their brand.
Tell us about that system that you purchased. What does it do? Who has been trained to use it and where does the training take place?
By system, I assume you mean espresso machine. The machine, in the most basic response, sends water under 9 bars of pressure through a filter packed tightly with 20 grams of coffee to produce espresso. As far as training goes, anybody can use it. It is sort of like painting. Anybody can paint, we all did it in school. But depending on how you manipulate your brush, colors, and other variables, some are much better and more consistent at it. It's the same with espresso. We are committed not to just pulling shots of espresso on it, we are committed to adjusting the grinder throughout the day, training on flawless technique, and tasting to produce consistently great shots. and that's just the start of a great drink at Delish! From there, we train for hours on proper milk steaming to highlight the natural sweetness in the milk and texture it with fine microfoam in order to pour beautiful lattes at the perfect temperature. Some people might notice that our drinks a slightly cooler than other cafe's. That's because milk is such a delicate thing. When you steam it, you want to heat it to bring out the sweetness and texture it, but above a certain point it negatively affects the experience when combined with espresso. After we have trained on consistent milk preparation, we train latte art. This is something most cafes don't offer, and if they do, the baristas haven't had proper training on it. We critique every drink we make in order to pour a better heart, tulip, or rosetta the next time. While there is often a lot of attention given to latte art, that should just be the visual indicator of a properly steamed milk. All of the other training that goes into each drink will be discovered at the first sip!
Serving Stumptown sounds like an art. I've seen what a barista can do with a cup of coffee... of course the flavor is important... so what's up with the design phase of the process?
Latte art is something that has not been presented very strongly in Buffalo. My simple answer is because the baristas have not been properly trained. I can say that with confidence because I, too, was not properly trained at one point. Once I experience a latte with a beautiful rosetta on top, I knew it was something I needed to be doing. From that point, I sought out training. I eventually started competing in competitions and winning them. To create great latte art, you really need to understand the dynamics of milk and foam, flow rate, and gravity. At some point, everything slows down for the barista where they are able to manipulate all of the elements through the entire pour to create something beautiful. For a beginner, everything is just happening so fast, they just sort of panic and start waving their arms around, trying to create something. Latte art training, just as training as a barista and the whole coffee education process is something that will never end. If it did, I'm afraid I would have to move on to a new career.
Delish!
414 Amherst St,
Buffalo, NY 14207, USA
716-881-2022
414 Amherst St,
Buffalo, NY 14207, USA
716-881-2022
I drink Stumptown at the Ace Hotel in NYC. It is simply one of the best cups of coffee around. This is a GREAT addition for/to Buffalo.
Second! Who ever knew coffee could be that good!