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| - I'd like to start out by saying that Echo has some truly exquisite coffee. Anytime I feel like blowing a small paycheck on coffee, I come by to treat myself. If you are coming in for a single serving (drip, latte, americano etc), their prices are pretty comparable. But God forbid you are looking to buy whole bean. Then you will be paying upwards of $20/lb. The owner claims this is cheaper than any place in town but I have yet to find a place that has charged me more for beans.
Anyway, will I continue to get my coffee here occasionally, probably. It is good. Is it "that" good to make me a regular my response is "It's coffee, not ridding the world of global hunger"
As for the coffee snobbery reports in previous reviews?? I wrote a nice email saying how much I love love loved their coffee, and simply asked if they would consider reducing the price of beans a little so I could buy them more often and here is the email I received back, you be the judge:
"Regarding our prices, in the marketplace, for the quality of coffee we offer, we are one of the lower prices in town. Countering this, my wholesale costs increased by 80% on green coffee last year, and accordingly my margins eroded substantially. I was able to contain most of that cost increase, with a slight 5% increase in my whole bean coffee prices.
In comparison, I know of no other product I routinely buy where the business owner was able to absorb such a huge price increase, and not pass on more to the consumer (imagine that happening to milk or gas).
So here's the thing: specialty coffee, like I use and sell at Echo is expensive. Only 5% of all coffee produced in the world is good enough to be considered specialty coffee, and that's all I use. That other 95% costs substantially less. Sure, I could switch to this inferior product, so that I could charge you less, but it wouldn't taste as good.
Anyway, I regret I can't charge you less. Truth be told, what you are asking me to do is very close to just giving it away. As much as I'd like you to drink my coffee, Echo is trying to be a for profit company (a goal we have yet to achieve)."
Thanks Steve. A simple "I wish you could but I'm sorry, great coffee is really expensive" would've done the job. I appreciate you making me feel like crap.
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