
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 14, 1994                   TAG: 9406270165
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By DAVID L. BOOTH
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE NEW TRENDS IN CAFE SOCIETY

I WOULD LIKE to take this opportunity to take exception to the manner in which my remarks to your business writer were printed in a May 13 article on the Business page regarding coffee prices. Unfortunately, these remarks were printed totally out of context.

My comments to the writer were to this effect:

Concerning gourmet coffee, I have always maintained that this is a great addition to the industry as a whole. At the same time, I believe it's going through a trendy period, and it may not be as popular in the future as it is now. We currently offer several varieties of flavored coffees to our clients, but do not see this as being a major part of our business. We concentrate on coffees for offices, institutions and restaurant.

Further, I stated in my comments that while I don't have a huge interest in gourmet coffee, it ultimately will have a very positive impact on our future business. Such coffees will no doubt attract non-coffee drinkers, and introduce them to the many varieties of unique tastes and aromas that coffee has to offer.

Ultimately, new coffee drinkers will make their way into my regions of coffee by choice. After years of decline in consumption, introduction of these flavors has had a tremendous impact on the coffee market as a whole.

I do believe that the price of gourmet coffee will likely contribute to these new inductees' moving to our types of coffee. However, once these new coffee drinkers acquire a taste for coffee, the likelihood is that they will treat themselves to gourmets and flavored coffees for dessert when dining out, or as a late-night beverage snack at home, while enjoying our types of coffees during their day-to-day schedules.

It's my pleasure to be involved in providing information to staff writers at the Roanoke Times & World-News. However, concerning the industry in which I've been a part for more than 20 years, I'd appreciate my comments and/or information being relayed to the public in the manner in which it was offered.

Unfortunately, the manner in which my comments on this matter were offered came across as cutting my own throat regarding the sale of gourmet coffees. Needless to say, this wasn't, and isn't, my intention.

When I agreed to speak with the writer, I expected that my comments would be placed in context with the entire interview.

David L. Booth is president of Quality Coffee Service in Roanoke.

by CNB