Interview with the manager of the One Special coffee shop

What do guests prefer: filter coffee or espresso-based drinks, how the menu is developed and what CODE cordials are added to coffee. In this new article, we take you behind the scenes of the coffee shop.

We talked with the manager of the establishment, Anastasia, about everything related to making coffee at the One Special coffee shop.

Coffee is a special drink. And this is how it is made by the people who prepare it: they select the best varieties and come up with recipes to surprise the guests of the establishment.

Anastasia, what types of coffee do you use at your establishment?

– We use Guatemala, we make espresso with it, we also use Ethiopian acacia, we use it for filter coffee.

How do you choose varieties? How do you introduce new ones?

– The only place where we introduce new varieties is our cafe in the Paveletskaya Plaza shopping center. There, senior management tastes new varieties of coffee and, accordingly, chooses based on a personal decision. But everything here goes through the coffee plant. That is, through the roasters.

What are the most popular coffee drinks in your establishment?

– Classics are always popular. Mostly raffe coffee goes well. Hot chocolate and cocoa go well in winter.

What do guests prefer: filter coffee or espresso-based drinks?

“We have trained our guests here; in our case, they prefer filter coffee.”

How is a coffee menu created? How often do you change and add drinks?

– Once a season we update the coffee menu. That is, we bring dishes to the top, look at sales, which, unfortunately, did not appeal to the guests, they did not understand, it is displayed in accordance with seasonality. We don't have a lot of summer iced drinks right now.

Which milk is more popular now: oat milk, soy milk? Which one is more popular among guests?

– Due to the fact that I have two objects, these are completely different statistics. Here on Kurskaya, classic milk is more popular, while at the Paveletskaya Plaza shopping center everyone drinks coconut, soy, then almond, banana, and oat milk is very rarely asked.

Let's talk a little about cordials then. What is your experience? Have you experimented with drinks? How did you decide on raspberries?

– We had a tasting where we decided what drinks we would introduce. Several cordial-based drinks were introduced. And in the end, we simply chose a cold filter with raspberries and rhubarb , because it is sweet and tender. It turned out to be a real summer taste. And orange/fukumoto , because it turned out to be the complete opposite, it also contains salt, and this really sets off the taste. Therefore, we settled on choosing two completely different drinks, even though they are based on the same filter.

So they were both cold drinks?

- Yes, these were cold drinks.

Have you tried to see how cordials behave in hot weather?

– We haven’t tried it hot.

Which dish from your menu would you recommend trying drinks with cordial with?

- Salads. Undoubtedly, it should be something light, like the drink itself. It should be a salad or perhaps breakfast.

Do you use latte art in your establishments?

– Yes, ours are not super progressive, but we use them. We serve it in dishes and, naturally, I teach the kids to at least make hearts on the cups.

So, do you think this is necessary?

– This is aesthetics, of course. Guests should look at something beautiful that they will drink. It should look aesthetically pleasing.

What kind of coffee equipment and inventory, in your opinion, should be in specialty coffee shops?

– At a minimum, it should be a micro-precise scale, because without them you won’t be able to adjust the espresso, you won’t be able to do anything normally. The equipment itself must be good. In fact, specialty coffee shops should have very good water, the quality of the water supply. The entire taste of the espresso and the filter depends on the water. As for the equipment itself, this is not important. It can be done badly on a coffee machine like mine. Can be done very well on Simonelli II. Precisely scales, water and the straight hands of the barista, after all.

Tell us about the process of creating the menu? Who is responsible for what? What are the priorities in creating drinks?

– We have a brand chef, Victoria. She is responsible for the entire component of our drinks. That is, we take statistics, tell her that she needs four coffee drinks, two teasand three lemonades. She says “ok” and after some time, it could be a week, it could be a month, she provides us with drinks. We taste them, that is, she provides not as much as we requested, but much more. We taste them all and make decisions based on this. This is not some kind of “wanted - entered”, this is a coffee shop in which decisions are made purposefully. Everything is carefully discussed at the management level. This is at least four people sitting and tasting, selecting, finalizing, processing, remaking. We have a serious approach.

How do you cope with high order volumes or situations where you need to make many drinks at the same time? Maybe you can give advice to young baristas on how to cope with a high influx of guests?

- Don't get lost. Everyone first begins to panic and worry. This is fine. It seems to me that this is something that has been developed over the years. It is always necessary that there is a senior person at the point, someone who will bring you to your senses, help and advise. You should always be calm and take your time. Even if it's a mess. If you start rushing, you only make things worse. Milk begins to fly in different directions, espresso pours into your hands, and some kind of bacchanalia begins. It’s better to do it calmly, but a little longer. This is probably the most important thing. And smile.