Question for Kevin- In Tripio, Jay is frustrated by the expectation that all the espresso shots had to be between 18-23 seconds. Did Howard Behar, Howard Schultz really believe all the pours were to specifications? Even on 1,000 customer mornings? Answer-1-1.25 fluid ounces including. crema made from 7 grams of espresso blend in 18-24 seconds.” …
“The last time I saw Howard was at my store in Oak Park. I was the manager then. He was with the new Regional Manager- Stu. Yes, Stu Fields. God no. I give Stu hell in Tripio. Not really. But, the whole incident with the spilled mocha on the door and Stu talking into his …
Question for Kevin–If Howard (Schultz) had stayed at Xerox, would Starbucks have come to be? In other words was a company like Starbucks inevitable to some degree? Answer – Without a doubt Starbucks would have remained regional without Howard. I had a conversation with Jerry Baldwin after the buyout and his move down to Peet’s …
Jay kept his place in line at the Palm Springs Starbucks. He remembered when they used to sell coffee. He remembered all the varietals under the counter. The shiny dark beans, dated and organized by growing region. Such great coffee. For now the line that held Howard Behar and him was not moving very fast. …
“There must be a game at Wrigley tonight. It is Monday and there are more people around than usual. Looks like they plan on having some fun. I love living here, walking these streets and making them mine. I am beginning to realize that my job at Cosmodemonic * gives me something of an edge …
Tripio excerpts– ‘My Amtrak is heading into suburban Chicago for real now. The Cosmodemonic might have a store in each suburb in a few years. Is there that much good coffee on the planet? There are rumblings of another roasting plant on the east coast. Cosmodemonic don’t play.“ “It had been rainy and cloudy for …
“It is him.” Jay thought to himself. ‘Damn if it isn’t. Howard Behar. My old boss. Should I say something to him?“ Jay was in Palm Springs for work on a fluke brought on by the Pandemic. He hadn’t been able to travel for work since he became a single parent around eight years ago. …
I recently caught up with two men who were working for Starbucks before most anyone knew or cared about much about coffee in this country. I wanted to provide a unique look back at the now legendary company through the lens of my historical fiction novel, Tripio. By that I mean, I hope that this …
“I’m sittin’ in first class and they can all kiss my ass, ‘cuase I’m goin’ back baby, back outta world.” Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band – Back Out Of The World – 1987 album – Amerasia In Tripio, Jay is writing his first novel. It is a road book. One of Jay’s literary …
“Don’t translate, answer.” Those were the instruction from my Russian professor in college. He wanted his students to answer his questions posed in Russian as responses, not having taken the extra step to translate from Russian to English to Russian to answer. I have something similar in mind with the thoughts I’m listing below. They …
Coffee Novelist 
You must be logged in to post a comment.