Campus Coffee Critics: A Feasibility Report

Transcription

1 Campus Coffee Critics: A Feasibility Report Prepared by: Brandon Salinas, Joseph Vargas, and Jesus Escobar December 3, 2012

2 Table of contents: Executive Summary 1 Introduction 2 Methods of Evaluating the Options 3 Results of the Evaluations: 3 Time to receive coffee 4 Hours of Operation 4 Price of Coffee 5 Amount of Options 5 Temperature of the Coffee 6 Recommendations 7

3 Executive Summary We have investigated the feasibility of ordering coffee on campus for the average student at the University of North Texas. Students are often looking for a quick boost of energy to get them through their day, and it is important for the student to know which options are the most feasible and which should be avoided. There are many on-campus locations for purchasing coffee such as: Khush Roti Einstein Bros. Green Mountain Coffee Biz Café Each coffee location was tested for the main factors that any UNT student would find important when purchasing coffee on campus. These main factors include: Time Hours of Operation Price Amount of Coffee Options Temperature These options, when compared for each establishment, contain the factors that are the most important for the average UNT student. We recommend ordering coffee from the Biz Café for the best overall experience on campus because the Biz Café offered the quickest service, most reasonable price, most options, and the best quality coffee for the most comfortable temperature.

4 Introduction College students are among the most prolific coffee drinkers in the United States, especially around finals week. At the University of North Texas this is no exception. On UNT s campus alone, there are multiple coffee shops that have various options which could appeal to the average college student. It is important for UNT students to know what these establishments have to offer, whether it is quick service, low prices, preferable temperature of coffee, or a multitude of options. These options that we have tested are a good standard to measure the quality of the service for each coffee shop. After gathering these results, we have confirmed the strengths of each coffee shop and which coffee shop we believe to be the best option. In order to test the quality of each coffee shop, we tested each shop based of the same five characteristics. Available on-campus coffee shops included: Khush Roti: Located in the in between the GAB and the Union Einstein Bros: Located on the first level of the Union on the Southeast side Green Mountain Coffee: Located on the second level of the Union by the Campus Bookstore Biz Café: Located on the first level of the Business Leadership Building In the report that follows we explain how each of the locations was tested on the common traits of a cup of coffee and the results that followed which helped us determine which establishment offered the most superior cup of coffee.

5 Methods for Evaluating the Coffee Shops To properly judge the quality of each coffee shop, we evaluated the feasibility of ordering from each establishment using five criteria: The amount of time from ordering to receiving the coffee The Hours each establishment was open The Price of the coffee The Number of options each coffee shop offered The temperature of the Coffee We tested each of the criteria at each coffee shop at approximately 3:00 PM every day. We ordered a medium Mocha coffee from each of the businesses, and started our timer precisely when the customer (us) was engaged by the Barista. The price of the coffee was determined directly from the receipt received from purchase. The number of options at each business was collected directly from each businesses menu. The temperature was recorded using one standard mercury glass thermometer and was always recorded at the time the coffee was received. The hours of operation for each establishment were recorded from either the business s website or from postings around the establishment. Results of the Coffee Evaluation To determine the quality coffee from each shop, we took five criteria into account: The amount of time from ordering to receiving the coffee, the hours each establishment was open, the price of the coffee, the number of options each coffee shop offered, the temperature of the coffee.

6 Amount of Time When ordering coffee on campus, often times time is of the essence because time management is a common problem among college students. A quality coffee shop should be able to deliver coffee to the customer in a timely fashion. Here are the results: Khush Roti: At Khush Roti, we received our coffee in 1 minute and 8 seconds. This was the fastest of the four coffee shops. Einstein Bros.: At Einstein Bros., we received our coffee in 1 minute and 51 seconds. This was the 3 rd fastest delivery time. Green Mountain Coffee: At Green Mountain Coffee, we received our coffee in 2 minutes and 37 seconds. This was the slowest delivery of all the coffee shops. Biz Café: At the Biz Café, we received our coffee in 1 minute and 34 seconds. This was the second fastest delivery time. Hours of Operation Availability of each shop is important due to the fact that each student has a different schedule. Students may need coffee anywhere from early in the morning to late at night. The availability of a coffee shop contributes to its overall feasibility. Khush Roti: Khush Roti is open from 8AM to 5PM. Einstein Bros.: Einstein Bros. is open from 8AM to 8PM Green Mountain Coffee: Green Mountain Coffee is open from 7:30AM to 7PM Biz Café: The Biz Café is open from 8AM to 10PM. It offered the latest option for students.

7 Price of the Coffee Pricing is probably one of the most important aspect of ordering coffee for the average student due to the tight budget we are on. Each establishment offered a moderate price. Although you pay for the quality of each coffee, a competitive price is expected from most college students. Khush Roti: At Khush Roti, the medium Mocha costs $3.24. This was the cheapest of all the coffee shops. Einstein Bros.: At Einstein Bros., the medium Mocha costs $4.01. This was the second cheapest. Green Mountain Coffee: At Green Mountain Coffee, the medium Mocha costs $4.38. This was the most expensive, but was equal to the Biz Café. Biz Café: At the Biz Café, the medium Mocha also costs $4.38. This was the most expensive, but was equal to the Green Mountain. Number of Options Every college student has different tastes. For this reason it is important for each coffee shop to have many options to fit each patron s needs. A low number of options can deter students from ordering, and can lower the overall quality of the coffee shop. Here are the number of hot coffee options for each business: Khush Roti: At Khush Roti, there were 4 options. This was the lowest amount of options of any coffee shop we visited. Einstein Bros.: At Einstein Bros., there were 10 hot coffee options. This was the most of any coffee shop we visited.

8 Green Mountain Coffee: At Green Mountain Coffee, there were 6 options. This was the second most, but was equal to the amount of options at the Biz café. Biz Café: At the Biz Café, there were 6 options. This was the second most, but was equal to the amount of options at Green Mountain Coffee. Temperature of the Coffee The temperature of the coffee is important for the overall coffee drinking experience. A cup of coffee at a comfortable temperature is important to have so the customer does not have to wait to consume the beverage, but is still satisfied. The average temperature of brewed coffee is between 155 and 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures of coffee for each establishment are: Khush Roti: At Khush Roti, the temperature was 181 degrees Fahrenheit. Einstein Bros.: At Einstein Bros., the temperature was 162 degrees Fahrenheit. Green Mountain Coffee: At Green Mountain Coffee, the temperature was 167 degrees Fahrenheit.. Biz Café: At the Biz Café, the temperature was 169 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature chart Khush Roti Einstein Bros. Green Mountain Coffee Biz Café Temperature (Fahrenheit)

9 Recommendation Because it offered the best hours of operation, second best time, best temperature, second most available options, and had a moderate price, we recommend the Biz Café as the overall best quality coffee on campus. As a bonus, it also has a great location for students with morning classes due to the fact that it is in between the residence halls and class buildings.