F & B : TableTop — Coffee and Tea trend watch
From the rise of local coffee producers to guests educating themselves about the intricacies of tea , there is no shortage of trends impacting coffee and tea service pieces . Shelia Turner , vice president of restaurant operations for San Francisco-based consultancy Puccini Group , shares her thoughts about what is brewing . What trends are you observing in coffee drinks and the related service pieces ? People are looking to beverages that will satisfy but not overwhelm — Turkish coffee , Italian espresso and traditional tea services . The tasse à café is a French coffee cup that can hold around 4 ounces of liquid , while a demitasse holds 1 / 4 the amount of an American coffee cup . The demitasse is the ideal serving vessel for Turkish coffee or espresso . What makes these cups great is that they are small and often stackable .
What general trends are you observing in tea service pieces ?
I ’ ve noticed both a rise in the romanticism of tea and old-world tea service elements as well as the popularity of modern , Scandinavian designs in tea service pieces . How have in-room coffee and tea service pieces evolved ?
Only a year or two ago , basic coffee pots existed in nearly every hotel room and in hotel lobbies . Now , we ’ re seeing grab-andgo stations and entire cafés in lobbies and restaurants , and most often these spaces feature an assortment of coffee-making devices . Hotel rooms have even begun to replace traditional coffee machines with luxury machines for making coffee ,
Shelia Turner espresso and tea .
Disposable in-room coffee service items such as cups and coffee and tea pods feature The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branding following Hilton Worldwide ’ s partnership with the California-based coffee and tea retailer .
Brand
When Kimpton ’ s 70 Park Avenue in New York City debuted grab-and-go outlet Silverleaf Coffee & Tea last fall , a major part of the concept was stand a partnership with sustainably focused coffee roaster Caffe Vita . It made sense , then , for Silverleaf to feature Caffe Vita branding on both its dine-in and to-go coffee service items .
“ Our bone-colored ceramic latte , cappuccino and espresso cups and saucers include the signature Caffe Vita logo while our takeaway tan-and-black coffee and tea pieces feature the same character and Caffe Vita ’ s mantra , ‘ Where the Coffee Matters ,’ and its website ,” says 70 Park Avenue General Manager Bill Babis .
Highlighting a prominent brand partner , especially with coffee service items , isn ’ t a new trend , but it may be poised to grow . Last year Hilton Worldwide ’ s full-service brands announced an exclusive in-room offering from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf , and emphasizing the collaboration to guests was a top concern . “ We spent a great deal of time with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf getting the branding and packaging to a point where the setup stands out in the room and makes a quality statement ,” confirms Kristopher Beck , director of product development for Hilton Worldwide .
At 70 Park Avenue Hotel ’ s Silverleaf Coffee & Tea , ceramic dine-in coffee cups , in addition to disposable to-go cups , feature the logo of brand partner Caffe Vita .
www . hotelsmag . com March 2014 HOTELS 35