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MANUAL TRANSMISSION continued from page 37 PERSPECTIVE #3: THE BARISTA The barista is the link in the chain that will make or break the customer experience. The barista's role in single-cup brewing is a balancing act, dealing with both the preparation of the product and timely delivery to customers. If customers are only used to airpots, they may not have the sense of coffee patience a singlecup program requires. How do you bridge the gap between their expectations and their new reality? First, remember that customers' feelings can vary based on something as simple as the time of day. People might find manual 38 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com brew intriguing when they're running a few errands mid-afternoon but find the extra two minutes of waiting can be frustrating first thing in the morning. When I consider my own point of view as a café customer, I definitely value a good cup of coffee. But my overriding concern is being united with "my precious" in a timely manner so I can go about the rest of my day and be on schedule. While not every morning customer is in a hurry, it's NICOLE O'BANION and efficiency of the brewing process. Finding a way to tackle both issues with consistency should be your top goal. Let's start with equipment—and all the pros and cons they carry. Drippers come in all shapes, sizes and materials. Kettles, grinders, coffee-portioning tools, hot water sources and scales also come into play. There really is no one "right" way to put together your setup. My best suggestion is to investigate what has worked for others by checking out the many resources, guides and videos online. Get a sense of what you might like and then test out your hunches. Look for a simple, consistent and delicious result. Once you know what you want, I recommend installing it on the front counter where customers can easily observe their coffee being made. Also, make sure there's space so that accessories, equipment and wares are within arms' reach of the baristas. Strategic placement of tools is perhaps the best way to speed up the process. As previously mentioned, adding manual brew means taking on labor costs, and each staff member will require additional training and practice time to execute the new program. I find it's best when teaching manual brewing to give baristas instructions that are easy to follow and repeat. It also helps to have a clearly written guide of specifications handy. The only way to get better and faster at anything is to do it over and over, so organize plenty of time to practice before launching your program. Your customers will be happy you did. best to assume that a good deal of them are. And nothing makes a perfectly executed brew taste less awesome than waiting an unexpected 10 minutes for it to get into your hands. One of our baristas at PT's recently told me that in his view, 40 percent of the manual brew service experience is actually making the coffee and 60 percent of it is engaging with the customer. He says he works hard to connect with the customer as the drink is prepared. Quality remains paramount, but the brewing process is staged in a manner that allows for frequent eye contact and conversation. This grabs the customer's attention, and he or