Posted Thu Jan 25, 2007, 10:56pm Subject: Re: Vancouver; Wondering what happened to a coffee roaster on Commercial Drive
Cuppapuppy and Brewtuzzi are correct, JJ Bean "merged" with Torrefazione Coloiera in 1999 and this is mentioned at this link http://www.jjbeancoffee.com/ourstory.htm on the JJ Bean.
I should note that Coloiera by then actually was roasting at a site in Richmond and as you can see from the following news item from 1999 from the Richmond Review, things can get hot in the coffee world !
Roasting company a little too hot
A custom coffee roasting company on Horseshoe Way sustained about $15,000 damage during a minor fire last Wednesday.
The smoldering fire begin in a coffee roasting machine's chaff collectors at Torrefazione Coloiera Importing Ltd., 6-11771 Horseshoe Way.
Although the fire didn't spread, the business was filled with smoke, contaminating some of the coffee which had to be thrown out, Richmond Fire-Rescue's Gordon Gill said. A ceramic chimney also sustained about $3,000 damage.
The business was insured.
JJ Bean's website shows that Espresso Coloiera, and Miscela Famiglia is still available and for a time my personal favourite the Extra Bar, and an original Doppio was as well.
The original store on the Drive was pretty much an un-inviting, characterless hole in the wall beside a clapped out corner grocery. When JJ Bean got involved they took over both spaces and did a major reno, producing the shop you see today.
Sadly, although the coffee was good for the time the experience in there wasn't. There were these women serving you that were completely uninterested and uninvolved with the customers, and the whole thing was pretty melancholic, and sad really. Frankly, other than Joe's and the Calabria most of the coffee shops on the Drive were pretty much the same. These places mostly had a few old Italian guys nursing an espresso all day, (and I mean like one) while reading the paper, or just sitting there waiting until their wives would let them come home. Very mediocre coffee, no energy buzz, no girls, and no service. Yikes !!
Coffeewise things are much better on the Drive these days and although I certainly miss some things from the past, I can't say I really miss the coffee culture that was happening throughout the late eighties or nineties here. Funny how fast things have changed.
bual Senior Member Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Whistler Expertise: I like coffee
Espresso: Cimbali M20 lever 2-group Grinder: Rossi RR45 Vac Pot: Cona Drip: never... but 3 Atomics !!!
Posted Sat Oct 13, 2007, 4:31pm Subject: Re: Vancouver; Wondering what happened to a coffee roaster on Commercial Drive
A little late posting here... but... yeah... JJ Bean bought out Coloiera coffee in 1999.
JJ continued to supply the Coloiera roasts to cafe's (like mine)... until they destroyed the bean and roast so badly that we had to switch.
Obviously... enough folks diliked the "new" Coloiera... that JJ discontinued the Coloiera branding.
back to the original posting... "where are they now?"...
one of the principals in Coloiera was Gordon Anand... I believe he is still in the coffee business... he was supplying coffee for fundraising drives... and also some Cafe's... but I can't remember the brand-name of the bean.
If I find out... I'll post it.
and...
for those bashing the old Commercial Drive "Coloiera"... I *loved* that place. it was a true family business... and the Ladies were GREAT!
have fun in your slick Lululemon clad hoity-toity cafes... I'll take the grungy old wobbly formica tables any day... *lol*
these days.. I think they call that "retro"... and you pay extra for it.
Luxmatic Senior Member Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 14 Location: Vancouver Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Nuova Simonelli Personal 1... Grinder: La Cimbali Cadet, Spong hand... Drip: Melior French Press
Posted Fri Jan 23, 2009, 2:28am Subject: Re: Vancouver; Wondering what happened to a coffee roaster on Commercial Drive
bual Said:
A little late posting here... but... yeah... JJ Bean bought out Coloiera coffee in 1999.
JJ continued to supply the Coloiera roasts to cafe's (like mine)... until they destroyed the bean and roast so badly that we had to switch.
Obviously... enough folks diliked the "new" Coloiera... that JJ discontinued the Coloiera branding.
back to the original posting... "where are they now?"...
one of the principals in Coloiera was Gordon Anand... I believe he is still in the coffee business... he was supplying coffee for fundraising drives... and also some Cafe's... but I can't remember the brand-name of the bean.
If I find out... I'll post it.
and...
for those bashing the old Commercial Drive "Coloiera"... I *loved* that place. it was a true family business... and the Ladies were GREAT!
have fun in your slick Lululemon clad hoity-toity cafes... I'll take the grungy old wobbly formica tables any day... *lol*
these days.. I think they call that "retro"... and you pay extra for it.
i was 'raised' on Coloiera, having worked as a teen in a Victoria espresso coffee spot called Demitasse in the 80's that brought sacks of many different Coloiera beans over for making the coffee and bagging for sale. it was delicious stuff, to be sure, and i learned to love my espresso working at that place. when i moved to Vancouver in '88 i bought my beans at that bare little shop from the friendly old ladies and rarely did i ever have to wait in line. for years it never changed and it seemed like kind of a secret spot. i tried a double espress once. baristas those nice old ladies were not. :)
my favorite blend was probably the Miscela Famiglia, or family blend, although i would often enjoy the Espresso Coloiera just as much. once in a while i would try something else, like the Vienna, or the Extra Bar..
when JJ bought the business i remembered asking if the Coloiera products were to be continued, and i was assured they would be, only to see them slowly being removed from the list, and the taste changing not for the better even before they finally all went away. unfortunately i never found a JJ blend that i could stick with and enjoy as much as my Coloiera favorites, with no disrespect intended to the JJ people..
PavoniMaster Senior Member Joined: 10 Jul 2011 Posts: 24 Location: Los Angeles Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Thu Nov 17, 2011, 3:41pm Subject: Re: Vancouver; Wondering what happened to a coffee roaster on Commercial Drive
This place was great! I had been going there since 1985! I loved the little hole in the wall aspect of the place, and the Italian ladies that worked there would always offer me a sample espresso if I wanted one. They usually had a box of Coffee Crisp chocolate bars on the counter for sale, and probably some Italian ones as well.
I was tipped off to the place by the sales lady who sold me my La Pavoni Professional in 1985. After a couple of failed attempts at buying a home espresso machine at the downtown Bay in 1985 ( one was out of the box and on sale and the other was a Saeco for $99 ) I returned both as I could not get them to work. The sales clerk at the Bay suggested that I go to Faema on Broadway. I had never heard of the place so I went down there and was immediately attracted to the La Pavoni Professional with the Ferrari red base and after a couple of visits and demonstrations, I ended up getting it after being trained how to use it by the Italian born sales lady. Soon after, I got a Braun KM 30 Burr grinder ( still made today )
So I had a pretty good start with a great machine and great coffee from Coloiera. Reminds me of some places I have seen in Rome a few years back, just walking down the street and there's this little hole in the wall place selling beans from the same kind of dispensers that Coloiera used.
Great memories and the start of my coffee ritual since 1985!
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