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Archive for October, 2010

The Preggo Special — From a Loyal Customer

25 Oct

It’s true what they say: Every pregnancy is different. Now that I’m 7 months into my second pregnancy, I’ve noticed plenty of differences. I’m much bigger and a lot more tired, which I totally expected. I also feel a lot more at ease than I did the first time. Having been down this road before has helped the time seem to pass faster. But boy oh boy, the morning sickness really threw me for a loop! Whew! I had no idea how lucky I was to have skipped that part the first time around.

One thing hasn’t changed much at all though, the cravings!

This being Durango, I’d like to paint myself as one of those people who only eats raw, healthy, organic foods that provide the purest nourishment possible to my growing baby. But I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, I work hard to eat a balanced and healthy diet. I most certainly do NOT give in to every craving
I have. If I did, my diet the last six months would have consisted of gummy bears, icees and those curly fries you get at the fair that come in a cinder-block-sized cube of greasy goodness.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

I indulge occasionally, but I understand that whatever I eat goes straight to baby, so I try to be careful. That means that I avoid the foods that pregnant women are warned away from, even though some of them are my favorites (sushi anyone?). So I was relieved when I talked to my doctor (as every expectant mom should!) and was informed that for normal women with low risk pregnancies, such as myself, a moderate amount of caffeine was perfectly acceptable. Hooray!! A craving I could indulge!

That’s why I love visiting the Durango Joe’s Town Plaza location. Not only
do I feel like I’m giving myself a little treat, the good people there are so patient with my crazy, craving induced orders! “Can you do a half-caf Mountain Mudslide Frappajoe?” No Problem! “I’d like an Italian soda, but about half as sweet as usual.” Absolutely! “How about a caramel…. wait, no, a vanilla latte….. ….. But could you put a squirt of caramel in
there too?” Why not!!

Believe it or not, it’s actually worse when I don’t have any cravings. I go in knowing I want something delicious from the menu, but I can’t quite put my finger on what. That’s when the team really steps up. Just last week one of the baristas made me an off-menu special when I couldn’t make up my addled mind.
Turns out, it was exactly what I never knew I wanted! It was the perfect blend of chocolate and not too sweet….

You know what? It’s just too awesome to try to describe. Just head in to the Town Plaza store and ask for the “Preggo Special”. Tell ‘em I sent you. And if you think it’s as great as I do, pop a request in the suggestion box to make it a regular feature. That’s where I put my other suggestion for Joe’s business diversification – a deep frier! Because sometimes a cube of curly fries is the perfect companion to your 8 am Harvest Spice Mocha.

Or is that just me?

By: Shelly Jones

 
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Posted in The Durango Joe's Family

 

Durango Joe’s Legendary Coffee Video

21 Oct

By Joe Lloyd

Here is a video we did about how the legend was started.

Legendary Story

Hope you enjoy, and be sure to let us know what you think.

 
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Posted in Coffee Education, Weekly posts from Joe Lloyd

 

Coffee and Canines– From A Loyal Customer

12 Oct

A post from our customers Sue and Jim Mooney:


For the past year, my husband Jim and I were embarked on the adventure of raising a guide dog puppy for the Blind. Peppermint came to us at eight weeks old — a blond whirling dervish disguised as a yellow lab. She had an amazing curiosity and energy level and all of Durango opened their hearts and doors to her as her ‘learning laboratory”.  The various sites of Durango Joe’s Coffee were among her favorite spots to sit, smell the coffee, and observe the human condition. We visited Park Elementary School often, so Durango Joe’s on College Dr. was where we went most frequently.

Peppermint has now graduated from the Guide Dogs for the Blind School in Boring, Oregon, and is living with her new partner Yvonne in Vancouver, British Columbia. Yvonne is a very active young woman who has Retinitis Pigmentosa, but owns her own small business and is a Dragon Boat athlete. She is, coincidentally, a lover of coffee, and at the graduation ceremony mentioned that being able to walk into a coffee shop and not worry about bumping into things was her first real taste of the independence she now has with her Guide Dog partner.

So, a BIG thank you to all of you at Durango Joe’s Coffee for your part in helping us achieve our dream :)

Sue and Jim Mooney and Peppermint

P.S. We now have sweet Chiffon, a five month old black lab puppy in training. She’s already enjoying the hospitality of your fine establishments.

 
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Posted in The Durango Joe's Family

 

What is the Unity Project?

05 Oct

As a coffee shop owner and operator my desire is to go beyond just serving coffee to people.  At the end of the day it comes down to treating people right and making a difference in someone’s day by sharing with them a smile, a warm greeting and of course a great tasting cup of coffee.  Our valued customers are just one of many people we strive to treat right.  Our management team, our team members, our vendors, and last but not least the farmers who grow our coffee.

That’s why Durango Joe’s has created the UNITY PROJECT.

What is the Unity Project?

It’s all about creating transparent, sustainable relationship with individual farms and cooperatives around the world,  which ensures that everyone benefits from the success of the specialty coffee industry.  It is imperative to the mission of Durango Joe’s Coffee that the farmers and cooperatives that we have direct relationship with receive the highest possible compensation for their superb quality coffee that  we enjoy each and every day.

The Durango Joe’s Unity Project has two objectives; promoting great coffees, and supplying sustainable futures to the amazing people who grow them.

Coffee is a unique beverage that unites the globe through a very complex process that includes over 150 steps from the tree to the steaming cup. Much like wine, coffee starts on quiet hillsides where the ideal soil, climate, and meticulous care from the farmer culminates in the finest beans that, when roasted and brewed, bring us such pleasure.

Did you know that one coffee tree only produces approximately one pound of coffee per year? This fragile tree must be pruned, fertilized and tended throughout the year before finally producing hundreds of small cherries that encapsulate two small coffee beans full of flavor waiting to be released. Such a huge amount of work goes into creating this coffee, and yet the ones who spend the year nurturing the tree, in the traditional coffee market, often partake in a very small fraction of what the consumer pays for this coffee, sometimes not enough to sustain their family.

The Durango Joe’s Unity Project brings balance and traceability to this equation. It starts with traveling the globe to find the finest coffees, then bringing the story of the farmers who grew this coffee to the person drinking this cup of coffee.

Our roaster works directly with the farmers to negotiate prices that are well above Fair Trade minimums. We also work with our importing and exporting partners to provide pre-harvest financing where it is necessary, and conduct special education, health, and environmental projects.

The Unity Project’s long term relationships with our growing partners provides them with stability in the volatile coffee market, and provides them with the peace of mind that there will be someone there next year ready to pay a fair price for their amazing coffee.

So the next time you order any one of Durango Joe’s amazing coffee’s just remember that you are helping make a difference.  The Unity Project is all about connecting people, you and  the amazing farmers who produce the coffee we have come to love and enjoy each and everyday.

 
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Posted in Coffee Education, Weekly posts from Joe Lloyd