tch1337 Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2006 Posts: 17 Location: USA Expertise: Just starting
Posted Tue Feb 6, 2007, 12:02pm Subject: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
I saw an article in the Lansing State Journal about this guy starting a franchise called 'Cornerstone Coffee', apparantly they have a shop in Holt right now, and are planning a downtown Lansing one. Anyway, in the LSJ article he mentions his 'secret source' of beans. WTF is this, a secret source? My bet is he just doesn't want to tell people he's using crap paramount beans.
Lifestar Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2005 Posts: 228 Location: Howell, MI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Grimac Mia Grinder: Baratza Vario, Rocky, KAP Drip: FP, TV, Aerobie Roaster: HotTop P, I-Roast2
Posted Wed Feb 7, 2007, 5:07am Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
I think I will need to make a trip up to Lansing to try an Espresso. I chuckled when I read the secret source bit after hearing so much on the 3rd wave thats going on among people trying to bring good coffee to consumers.
Lifestar Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2005 Posts: 228 Location: Howell, MI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Grimac Mia Grinder: Baratza Vario, Rocky, KAP Drip: FP, TV, Aerobie Roaster: HotTop P, I-Roast2
Posted Mon Feb 19, 2007, 1:41pm Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
OK I had today off for presidents day and decide to make the trip up to Holt to check it out. Asked the Barista (Who turned out to be the owner) for a double Espresso for here. What I received was not bad espresso but was more like very strong coffee in a paper cup. I won't call it bad espresso because it did not have the same bitter taste I have grown to expect from most coffee shops but it was more like what I get out of my Areopress (Not a rip on the Areopress I love mine and its quickly replacing my French press) than espresso. So although I will not call the shot espresso I did not have to wince as I sipped on it talking to the owner.
The shop itself was nice and the owner quite talkative. He made mention to me about how his beans were imported and not roasted at Paramount like Beaners and Starbucks (I didn't mention that Paramount doesn't roast local Starbucks beans.)
The owner was really pimping his expansion plans and the number of Franchises that are opening up. The one thing that did grate on me was that he kept talking about eXpresso.
Overall if I am driving through the Lansing Area and need a cup of Joe I will stop there before a Starbucks or Beaners but is not a destination like a couple of the shops in the Ann Arbor area.
Posted Thu Feb 22, 2007, 7:59am Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
Just a quick question to those in the Lansing area? Why does Beaner's have such a low reputation? I lived in East Lansing about a decade ago, near the original Beaners on Grand River. At the time I thought it was good. Not so anymore?
lionofdharma
Lifestar Said:
OK I had today off for presidents day and decide to make the trip up to Holt to check it out. Asked the Barista (Who turned out to be the owner) for a double Espresso for here. What I received was not bad espresso but was more like very strong coffee in a paper cup. I won't call it bad espresso because it did not have the same bitter taste I have grown to expect from most coffee shops but it was more like what I get out of my Areopress (Not a rip on the Areopress I love mine and its quickly replacing my French press) than espresso. So although I will not call the shot espresso I did not have to wince as I sipped on it talking to the owner.
The shop itself was nice and the owner quite talkative. He made mention to me about how his beans were imported and not roasted at Paramount like Beaners and Starbucks (I didn't mention that Paramount doesn't roast local Starbucks beans.)
The owner was really pimping his expansion plans and the number of Franchises that are opening up. The one thing that did grate on me was that he kept talking about eXpresso.
Overall if I am driving through the Lansing Area and need a cup of Joe I will stop there before a Starbucks or Beaners but is not a destination like a couple of the shops in the Ann Arbor area.
Lifestar Senior Member Joined: 2 Dec 2005 Posts: 228 Location: Howell, MI Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Grimac Mia Grinder: Baratza Vario, Rocky, KAP Drip: FP, TV, Aerobie Roaster: HotTop P, I-Roast2
Posted Sat Feb 24, 2007, 1:35pm Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
I can't speak about Beaners quality when they started but if they were once good they have gone down hill. I guess its not surprising. They have been very aggressive with their franchising (They now have close to 70 locations.) I imagine that when they started the original owner had a vision that has been diluted by franchising.
tch1337 Senior Member Joined: 5 Sep 2006 Posts: 17 Location: USA Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sat Feb 24, 2007, 6:44pm Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
Wow, thanks for checking it out. I'll have to stop in the Holt store and try 'er out.
LOL @ the whole eXpresso thing.....
And for the person who said Beaners used to be good...yes it did. Now they charge $1.90 for a medium drip coffee that is awful! The espresso is undrinkable also.
So far the best coffee shop in the Lansing area is BARELY a coffee shop. It's a little place on Michigan Ave that shares space with a bakery called 'The Caffe', but anyway the shop roasts their own beans, but the espresso I got there was so/so, but still far and away better than anything else. http://www.rudybaggs.com/
Will2001 Senior Member Joined: 13 Apr 2008 Posts: 1 Location: Around Expertise: Just starting
Posted Sun Apr 13, 2008, 2:20pm Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
The coffee is bought at GFC. A good friend of mine worked there for a couple months. I've heard they are going out of business now, good thing too, the "owner" had a bad reputation of how he treated his employees.
grandrapidscoffeeroasters Senior Member Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Grand Rapids Michigan Expertise: Pro Roaster
Grinder: Bunn Roaster: US Roaster Corp
Posted Thu Apr 17, 2008, 9:00am Subject: Re: Know anything about Cornerstone Coffee franchise in Michigan?
I hail from grand rapids. When I read this about Beaners (biggbys) I get a little chuckle. This is why-----they use paramount coffee. And almost EVERY little coffee shop in west michigan uses paramount also. I have never understood why. To all the little coffee shops out there that want to break the mold. There are fresh roasted small batch coffee roasters like myself just looking to deal with them. But for some reason Paramount has them brainwashed. Paramount is possibly the most stale coffee I have ever seen come from a foil bag.
If you are in west michigan and want real FRESH coffee either try me; or this other guy named rowsters. We are both small batch roasters.
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