Fair what? The un-education of coffee baristas

So I've been sitting here for hours calling local coffee shops to find out where they get their beans from and I've discovered that the people working in many of these shops need some serious education. This of course (on behalf of a former barista who didn't know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino) is not completely the fault of the barista. The owner should make it a priority to educate the people serving their coffee...this is just simple business protocol--especially if your business is strictly a coffee shop. I don't expect the same knowledge from a server at a cafe that is known more for its breakfast and lunch selections as I do from a barista who strictly prepares and serves coffee and espresso drinks. Here is a snippet of just one of my conversations,

Me: "I was calling to find out where you get your coffee beans from."

Barista: "Um...what do you mean?"

Me: "Who roasts your coffee?"

Barista: "Um, I'm not sure. Let me check on the bag."

Me: "OK...I've never heard of that company. Is the coffee organic or fair trade?"

Barista: "I think it's organic."

Me: "You think?"

Barista: "Well, it says on the bag it organic, so yeah, I think it is."

Me: "OK, how about fair trade?"

Barista: "Um...far trade?"

Me: "No, no...Fair Trade."

Barista: "I'm not sure, but I think it probably is."

Me: "Does it say Fair Trade on the bag?"

Barista: "I don't think so, but it probably is."

The sad part of this whole conversation, was that this was a variation of most of my conversations with the coffee shops that I phoned today.

SO....my revelation after all of these unbelievable phone calls was that if people who are currently working in the coffee industry don't know if the coffee they serve is from a sustainable source, how is the average consumer going to know? I am putting together a list of Sustainable Coffee Shops In San Diego; this is obviously a work in progress and as I learn more I'll add more to the list. Please let me know if there is a coffee shop you want me to do some research on or that should be added to the list. I'm also working on a list of coffee shops that have some organic and/or fair trade options, but these wouldn't be my top choices to purchase from...and if you frequent these places keep requesting that all their coffee be sustainable.

East County Charm

I tend to forget that San Diego has an east side...but if you're from East County or make it out there you have to make a trip down La Mesa Blvd in La Mesa. It's the main strip in La Mesa where you'll find an abundance of antique shops, thrift stores, local restaurants and of course a cute little coffee shop called Cosmos. This particular street makes me feel like I'm taking a trip back in time...its so "quaint." I imagine this would be an area where people actually know each others names. The coffee house is pretty spacious inside with a nice little outside patio in the front shaded by trees. I love patios; however I hate smelling cigarette smoke from the person next to me...so I moved back indoors and ordered a yummy sounding salad and my traditional cup of house coffee. There was no obvious notations of their coffee being organic or fair trade, however I found out their supplier was Cafe Moto--who does roast organic, fair trade beans. I was happy to know they used a vendor that supported organic and fair trade, however I am not a big fan of Motto's coffee--which is unfortunate because they supply a large amount of coffee to the local cafes here in San Diego. So I'll usually order an espresso drink like a latte or cappuccino if I know the beans are from Cafe Moto. Nevertheless, the beans are coming from a good source!

I've only visited this coffee shop in the afternoon, so I'm not sure what the night scene is like, but the times I have gone there, there has been a nice mix of young professionals and college age students filling the seats. The surroundings are comfortable, with periwinkle colored walls and artwork for sale nicely displayed. Apparently they have live music...but the website didn't showcase who was performing, so I don't know if the artists draw much of a crowd. Overall the place had a nice atmosphere and good crowd...the coffee and food were pretty good but could use some improvement, but the location itself makes this place a great place to at least check out once if you're in La Mesa!