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Stranger's Project

9/15/2016

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Big News! The Strangers Project is going on its first ever national tour this fall, and will be coming full circle to where it began at Espresso Royale 324 S State St, Ann Arbor on September 16th from 4-9pm!

Over the past 7 years, +20,000 people have shared their stories through the Strangers Project. These stories offer a brief glimpse into the intimacies of everyday lives, bridging meaningful connections between strangers. By creating a place for stories, we create space to understand each other and ourselves. Up until now, the Strangers Project has mostly lived in parks or galleries in New York City. Our goal is to bring the project to new communities and strangers all across the country.
The Strangers Project has always been possible because of the support of all of you who love reading these stories. We're reaching out to you to make this happen. Please contribute to our campaign, and don't forget to share with everyone you know that loves stories as much as you do. You can learn more and contribute here!


What's Your Story?In 2009, Brandon Doman, who has always been curious about the people with whom we share our world, sat at Espresso Royale and decided to ask passersby a simple question: “What’s your story?” Providing only paper and pens, Doman created an exploratory space that instantly intrigued people to share their stories anonymously. Now, more than 18,000 stories later, the Strangers Project has become a momentous movement, engaging strangers of all ages and backgrounds to reflect, rejoice, heal, and connect through words.


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World Leaders Know Great Coffee

9/15/2016

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Tim Kaine, candidate for Vice president of the United States stops off for a great cup of coffee before his campaign stop in Ann Arbor.
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New Green Coffee Arrivals

9/1/2016

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Just in this week we took delivery of 8 new coffees from family farms
These will be used for Drip Bar brews, small batch roasted Lb for retail, and for green bean sales.  Each has been chosen for unique and exotic flavors and aromas, such as strawberry, praline, almond, chocolate chip, apricot....  What is awesome is that these coffees exhibit these flavors without artificially flavoring.  It's all in how the coffee is roasted, where it's grown and how it is processed.
These new arrivals have been added to the Shop Green Bean page.  Descriptions below.

Buhorwa
Burundi Bukeye
Processing        Fully-Washed
Elevation in feet        5,800 - 6,200
Varietal        Jackson Bourbon
Traceable to        one washing station
Producer Organization        Buhorwa Washing Station
Region / Community / Wetmill         Bukeye
# of Contributing Farmers        631
Community Twitter Handle        #buhorwa
Aroma:  Butterscotch

Bukonzo
Organic Uganda
FTO
Processing        Fully washed
Elevation in feet        3,900 - 4,900
Varietal        SL 14 & SL 28
 Processing        Fully washed
Elevation in feet        3,900 - 4,900
Varietal        SL 14 & SL 28
Traceable to        one cooperative
Producer Organization        Bukonzo Organics
# of Contributing Farmers        1,975
Community Twitter Handle        #bukonzoorganic
s Traceable to        one cooperative
Producer Organization        Bukonzo Organics
Women owned cooperative.
Aroma:  Caramel Vanilla Malt

Lufawa
Papua New Guinea - Chimu
Processing        Fully Washed
Elevation in feet        6500 - 8200 ft
Varietal        Mixed
Traceable to        Single Cooperative
Producer Organization        Lufawa Coffee Farmers Association
Region / Community / Wetmill         Chimbu
# of Contributing Farmers        200
Community Twitter Handle        #lufawa
This is the first export by the new Lufawa
smallholder association.
Aroma:  Chocolate Chip Cookie

Mont Bleu
Organic Haitien
Region: Nord
Elevation: 4300 feet above sea level
Varietal: Arabica Blue Mountain
Process: Washed, Patio Dried
Cupping Notes: Mellow, smooth and creamy
body. Roasted almonds, buttery mouthfeel. Acidity
is low, body is medium and complexity is medium.
Sweet, smooth finish with astonishing balance.
This is a flawless cup of coffee.
Aroma:  Hazelnut/Almond

Bukununu
Congo Hutwe
Processing        Fully-Washed
Elevation in feet        4700
Traceable to        Two washing
stations
Producer Organization        
Kawa Kabuya Cooperative
Region / Community / Wetmill         Hutwe & Bukununu
# of Contributing Farmers        100
Community Twitter Handle        #hutwe, #bukununu
Praline, cola, vanilla and sugar cookie are the words
used to describe this unmistakable Congolese coffee.
Aroma:  Vanilla Praline

Girma Eshetu
Ethiopia Keffa Natural
Processing        Natural
Elevation in feet        6,400-7,000
Varietal        74110, 74112
Traceable to        Single Farmer
Certified Organic - NOP
Producer Organization        Girma Eshetu Estate
Region / Community / Wetmill Keffa Zone, Bita Genet District
# of Contributing Farmers        1 (with staff)
Community Twitter Handle        #girmaeshetu
Organic Certified- NOP. Girma Eshetu Estate is located in
Bita Genet District near the small village of Amecha-Mechata.
The farm is named after the farmer, Mr. Girma Eshetu has over
two decades of experience running his family farm.
Aroma:  Strawberry

Mwalyego
Tanzania Mbeya
Processing        Fully-Washed
Elevation in feet        4700 - 5000
Varietal        Bourbon, Kent and N39
Traceable to        one washing station
Producer Organization        Mwalyego Cooperative
Region / Community / Wetmill         Mbeya
# of Contributing Farmers        150
Community Twitter Handle        #Mwalyego
Some of our favorite farmers from Tanzania's
southern state of Mbeya brought us this drinkable
cup with crisp notes of cinnamon and mellow
peach tea acidity
Aroma:  Apricot/Peach Pie

Oromia
EthiopianSidamo Organic  
Processing        Natural
Grower Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative
Variety Indigenous heirloom
Region Oromia Region, Ethiopia
Harvest October – December
Altitude 1,550 – 2,200 meters
Soil Vertisol
Process Full natural and dried on raised beds
Ethiopia Sidamo 4 FTO Natural Oromia GrainPro
is sourced from family-owned farms organized
around the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative
(OCFCU), an umbrella organization established in
1999 to support a sustainable coffee supply from
cooperatives in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. OCFCU
supports 274 cooperatives with more than 250,000
farmer-members, accounting for sixty-five percent of
Ethiopia’s total coffee production. Premiums from
coffee exports are returned directly to farmers, and
also fund organic farming programs,
Aroma:  Blueberry

Rango
Burundi  Kinyovu
 Processing        Fully Washed
Elevation in feet        5,200 – 6,000
Varietal        Jackson Bourbon
Traceable to        one washing station
Producer Organization        Rango Commune
Region / Community / Wetmill Kinyovu Washing Station
# of Contributing Farmers        1631
Community Twitter Handle        #kinyovurango
Malted chocolates and liquored cherries make this coffee
stand out even more than the reputation of its farmers
Aroma:  Chocolate Cherry

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September 01st, 2016

9/1/2016

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Espresso Royale's first espresso machine was the Conti Princess 2 group lever made in Monte Carlo sometime in the late 50's.  Our founder came by the machine when he noticed it in the basement of his Berkeley apartment in 1985.  Price?  free!

It was used for events, early testing of our blends, and now just special occasions.  It was restored back in 1998 and is as good as new today.  It may be making some special appearances this summer.

Little known secret - The original Cottage Inn Pizza was tired of their espresso machine and threw it out in the 90's- picked up by two Ann Arbor guys and then sold it - guess who has it?  It's a four group lever Gaggia Orione with two Glass urn coffee brewers attached.

It's an Italian machine which received a rather gaudy premium treatment in San Mateo back in the 70's.  It's the ultimate in kitch that makes this machine special.

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New Cafes Coming

5/20/2016

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Our newest cafe opened today in Champaign Illinois inside the Meijer Grocery store on North Prospect Ave.  Instead of building a limited service kiosk - it's a full service cafe with everything customers have come to love.  And we stuffed it with more merchandise than we would a typical college coffeehouse.  More to come as we have contracted for three more locations.
Our mission is to bring the finest coffeehouse to you with welcoming open arms.
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Real Help for Haiti

10/15/2015

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You the customer donated enough money to plant 410 new coffee trees in Haiti.  Our coffee shops asked for help in raising money to fund the planting and nursery care of 410 new seedlings into the mountains of Haiti.  Customers answered with kindness.

Not only does this help replant one of the world's once biggest coffee growing countries, but it helps teach jobs and skills to a people that had just about lost the knowledge.
This kind of aid is lasting.

Thank you!
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Two New Single Origin Farmer Direct Coffees

11/16/2014

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Two new coffees in the Coffee Gem line.
Both the Tanzanian and Mexican Coffees help farmers who previously couldn't get their coffee to market.  These high altitude coffees are grown by families who take great pride and care in cultivating coffee organically.
The Mexican Marigattura coffee is from Chiapas and grown by the Bravo family.  It is a hybrid between the giant elephant bean and the Alturra coffee.  It has a cinnamon and hazelnut flavor with a medium body.   It is medium roasted for a wonderful flavor.
The Tanzanian Lubanda coffee is grown in the very high mountains where it is picked by hand and washed at the Lubanda washing station.  The coffee has hints of blackberry and mollasses.  It is lightly roasted to bring out the tangy notes that compliment the berry flavor.
These two coffees will be in stores for Thanksgiving and will be on the website as well.
Help us help the small family farmers!
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New Artisan Chocolate Bars

9/11/2014

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We have teamed up with local chocolate maker Mindo to create superb artisan chocolates with Espresso Royale coffee.  Mindo imports the finest cocoa beans from Equador, roasts them right here in Michigan and combines the cocoa powder with pure organic cane sugar.
Coffee Toffee is a fabulous combination of dark chocolate, ground dark coffee and bits of locally made Toffee candy.
Cocoa Crunch is a unique experience if you haven't tried it.  Cocoa nibs are the roasted cocoa bean and when combined into the smooth chocolate provide a rich tasting crunch.  Then we combine  in some of our finely ground coffee beans.
Hazelnut Mocha is modeled on the number one selling flavored drink.  Milk chocolate copmbined with bits of Hazelnuts and our award winning coffee.
Finally, for the purists we have the 77% cacao Royale Dark Chocolate.  It is dark roasted cocoa, and organic cane sugar.

In stores now for $3.25 each
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New Single Serve Cups are coming March 1st

2/25/2014

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We haven't been too interested in K-cups because they typically extract too fast, they are weak and poor quality - Until Now!
We have found a way to slow the extraction to 50 seconds and extract a full bodied, rich cup as good as what we brew in our shops.
These 12 cup boxes are fully recyclable except for the tin foil lids on the cups so you can feel good about the packaging and great about the quality.
The cartons themselves are beautiful and a proprietary design.  Instead of the tear top K-cup box, these cartons are like little treasure chests with a hinged lid.  You will like these boxes so much you will keep a few around for nicknacks and be proud to display on your kitchen counter.
Next up will be 18 count boxes and then large quantity boxes for the office and the serious coffee drinkers.
The current flavors are House Blend fair trade organic, Peruvian fair trade organic and Guatemalan fair trade organic.  We will be adding Hazelnut soon.
Ask your grocer to carry these high quality cups and put them in touch with us.
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Espresso Donates to RainCatchers.Org

10/17/2013

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Espresso Royale was very fortunate to arrange for coffee from the Thiotte region of Haiti this year.  It is a very rare coffee due to the economic, natural and political traumas the nation has suffered.  Haitian coffee is considered one of the finest coffees in the world for its natural balance, floral scents and chocolate finish.
We were so blessed to get this coffee for our customers we decided to give back to the people that pick the coffee and transport it on foot down rugged trails.  We are donating $2 per pound to a very good organization called RainCatchers.  Check out their wonderful work at http://www.raincatchers.org/
RainCatchers is a Michigan based non-profit that takes volunteers and supplies down to Haiti each month to install clean water systems for the Haitian people.

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