Panama Hacienda La Esmeralda Especial

Jason

Sep 09, 2007

I am sure by now most of us have heard of the Panama Esmeralda that Caffe Artigiano was selling for $15 per cup. This post isn’t discussing the taste of the coffee, but rather the marketing of this coffee and what I noticed at Artigiano.

I have been to the Hornby location many times to study Artigiano and what goes on there. On occasion I would order a CoE coffee on the Clover and would choose my coffee off a faxed menu that came from…?…somewhere. The coffee was fine – but to be honest, I have never noticed another person other than myself order a CoE while I happened to be at the cafe. Also, if you’ve never been to this location – the Clover is hidden behind a wooden box with a mirror in front of it (?). So, great coffee, reading a description off a faxed menu, made on a Clover, hidden behind a box = 1 cup of CoE sold during the 15 – 20 minutes I’m in the cafe.

Next – I was in Vancouver in August and decided to drop by the Hornby location again to try out the Panama Esmeralda. While waiting in line to order my coffee, I noticed that they had a large menu board that sat beside everyone in line which promoted the 3 CoE’s they were promoting. Gone was the faxed menu! (More on this later). At the till was another smaller sign promoting the Esmeralda, titled “The World’s Best Coffee”. I ordered my Esmeralda, grabbed a seat and waited to be served. a few minutes later this arrived:

Wow – great presentation. Stainless steel french press, on a tray, cool. I plunge the coffee and while I am enjoying it – I am assuming that I am the only person who likely ordered it. Nope – while there (10 minutes in line & waiting to be served + 10 minutes sitting & enjoying my coffee) there was a total of 6 cups of Esmeralda served! I was seriously blown away.

Back to the big poster advertising the CoE’s.

 Sold Out! I love it – two of the CoE’s were sold out. Here’s my take away on this. Customers come in and see that there is a $4.95 cup of coffee and decide thats maybe too expensive. Then, Artigiano brings in “The World’s Best Coffee” at $15 per cup, gets free publicity all over Vancouver, Calgary, Seattle and all the bloody way to China (http://www.coffeekid.com/cafetalk/08-27-2007)…Now, when their clients come in – the $4.95 CoE is a BARGIN and sells out.

I haven’t been back to Artigiano since August 19th. If anyone has – are they still using the larger poster advertising the CoE’s and are they still selling out? If you live in Vancouver – let us know?

Cheers