A cafe's choice of coffee beans is arguably the most important quality of the business, followed by its location and atmosphere. A good cup of coffee will have people driving much further than their closest coffee shops because they appreciate the drink they had at the other business. The flavor, the energy, and experience all go into a great drink. That's why we started with a coffee distributor with a great history and high-quality beans. That company is La Colombe.
Quality Coffee Beans
We want our coffee to stand out from our local competitors, and to do that, we have partnered with a Philadelphian-based company. Founded in 1994, La Colombe Coffee Roasters was created by Todd Carmichael and JP Iberti as a third-wave coffee business. If you have never heard of the third-wave coffee movement, you might still be enjoying this quality of coffee! Beans are typically sourced from individual farms and are roasted more lightly to bring out their distinctive flavors [as addressed by Jonathan Gold in La Weekly].
We at The Coffee Cup pride ourselves on using premium, high-quality coffee, but what does that mean in terms of quality difference from other coffee drinks?
Commodity Coffee
When you go to the grocery store, what are the most common brands on the shelves? Think Folgers, Maxwell House, Green Mountain Coffee, and other volume-based, large-market brands. Commodity coffee is coined as first-wave coffee, a.k.a. generic coffee.
Normally, these coffees have labels such as artificially or "naturally" flavored beans and come pre-grounded. Sure, these coffees make for a cozy drink when you need one in the mornings, but the hyper-consumerism component that drives these companies ultimately outweighs their quality for quantity.
Mainstream Coffee
Who among coffee enjoyers can say they have never tried a cup of coffee from Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Tim Hortons, or Panera Bread? Chances are, the majority of coffee drinkers have tried one of these brands maybe because they were curious or perhaps there were no artisanal, local shops around.
These brands can be categorized as second-wave coffee companies that revolutionized cafes and coffee culture alike in North America. New marketing strategies elevated the experience of getting a coffee, informing consumers about the origin countries and roasting processes and introducing a wider variety of coffee. Second-wave coffee companies didn't direct the customer to the coffee itself—but the experience.
For example, Dunkin' Donuts first claimed the New England coffee market with the great slogan "America Runs on Dunkin'." That marketing trick pulled in people from all branches of American life: workers, students, visitors, you name it. People wanted to join the rush of being an American and were swept away by the amazing idea that Dunkin' was selling: "So you're a hard-working American? Then come join us!"
Tactful marketing and sugary options helped this wave develop and keep this vein of the coffee industry going strong. Common signs of second-wave coffee are a heavy focus on flavored drinks, common in the supermarket coffee aisle, and a slight recognition of coffee origin.
Third Wave Coffee
La Colombe is part of the third-wave coffee movement, a term coined in the late 1990s and early 20s. Timothy J. Castle spurred the phrase in an article titled "Coffee's Third Wave," which appeared in the Dec 1999/Jan 2000 issue of Tea & Coffee Asia.
The idea behind this newest explosion in the coffee industry is the same as second-wave coffee, but better. Specialty coffee has become more widely available while maintaining its roots. That means companies like La Colombe saw an opportunity to enter the marketplace before their fellow third-wave coffee competitors and establish themselves as a worldly, high-quality pioneer in the coffee business. In the early 2000s, espresso was new to America, and La Colombe capitalized on that fact.
Try La Colombe Coffee Roasters in Providence
At The Coffee Cup we are proud to host such a history of quality and rich flavor in every coffee we make. So next time you decide to make your way into Downtown Providence, stop by Providence Place Mall for a delicious cup of coffee.
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