Cuvee Coffee

Eno's Pizza Tavern (Dallas Texas) and Local Coffee (San Antonio) travel with Cuvee Coffee.

We all know that the “local” movement has really gained traction. This should be very exciting for anyone who provides a great product or service…especially if you are in a densely populated area…or should it? Before we dive deeper into that question, let’s define the term local. One of the most comprehensive definitions that I have seen comes from Robby Grubbs, owner of Local Coffee, a specialty coffee shop in San Antonio, Texas. Robby defines local as, “Local; Independent, non-franchise, entrepreneurial, creative, owner present and engaged, local surroundings considered in finish, respectful and responsible to the community it serves, creating a strong sense of community, a hub for a community and creative network, doing your best to purchase from local vendors (quality has to be priority over all else) keeping the pipeline of money in the community.” Personally, the part that I want to address is (paraphrased) keeping the money in your community, if you are able to find the quality you seek in your community. Like lots of other terms, labels or certifications, local has become a marketing campaign for many companies. It is often used to shame a business owner if they don’t buy a product produced locally. Robby hears it all the time, especially with a name like Local Coffee. And this is the problem with local. A company can produce a sub standard product and generate sales by strategically marketing it as local. We see it all the time with neighborhood coffee shops. People I don’t care if you are next door…if you serve bad coffee they will go somewhere else! I love the local movement and support it whole heartedly. When I need a product or service, I look locally first. If I can find the quality that I desire and it is provided by a local company, I am in! But, here is the catch. If you don’t have the quality I am looking for, I don’t really care that you are local. I will look outside of my community and will not be apologetic about it