COUNTER INTELLIGENCE POS PURCHASE
POS Core Technologies, the company behind the widely used Coffee Shop Manager sys- tem, last month was acquired by Texas-based Granbury Restaurant Solutions. "The addition of Coffee Shop Manager to our portfolio demonstrates our commitment to the specialty coffee market," Tom Bronson, GRS' CEO, said in a release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Coffee Shop Manager was launched by Redmond, Wash.-based POS Core Technologies in 2001. Lee Alexander, who led POS Core Technologies, is now specialty coffee director of sales and marketing at GRS. 800/750-3947. granburyrs.com
PEOPLE & PRODUCTS
SINGLED OUT
Brewer and dispenser manufacturer Wilbur Curtis picked up a People's Choice Award at the SCAA Expo in April for its Curtis Gold Cup product. The machine aims to "take the guesswork out of single-cup brewing" by offering the operator programmable control over brewing
parameters. In addition, the product's brew cone features a unique ridged design that helps hold the filter away from the sides and bottom for consistent extraction. It also offers specific functions for pre-wetting and pre-infusion. 800/421-6150. wilburcurtis.com/goldcupbrewer
PRODUCT PRIZE WINNERS
Several tea devices won 2012 New Product Awards and were honored at last month's World Tea Expo in Las Vegas. 1660 London's 1660 Tasting Cups, designed to help drinkers better experience their brews,
won the Tea Ware category.
The Tea Spot's Slim Steeper Cold Brew infuser picked up the Innovation prize. And the Tea Traveler Tasting Collection from Teas Etc. was honored in the Tea Accessory category. 1660london.com, theteaspot.com and teasetc.com
A NEW BREW TO MASTER
Collaborations between beer makers and coffee pros are nothing new, but an Oregon brew- ery is making the bold move of taking over a roasting company. On June 1, Pacific City-based Pelican Brewing Co. assumed ownership of Five River Coffee Roasters, located in Tillamook, Ore. Says Pelican co-owner Mary Jones: "We have a unique and valuable opportunity to learn the coffee roasting business from experts in the industry, Keith and Barbara Powell, who have built the Five Rivers brand into a very successful, high-quality business." Pelican comes into the venture with coffee knowledge in tow: The company already runs the Stimulus Espresso Café in Pacific City. stimuluscafe.com
60 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com