Matt Landau
  • Founder, VRMB

The Undeniable Power of Fresh Local Coffee

Upon just visiting Debi Debi MichelleR MichelleR Megan C Megan C @Matthew and @BrianO in Oregon, I have settled on fresh local coffee as one of the lowest-hanging Limited Edition welcome gifts you can invest in.

Consider approaching a local coffee shop about a partnership for the following reasons:
  1. Function: More than 50% of adults (ie. someone in almost every stay) will otherwise need to go out and buy coffee anyway.
  2. Fit: compliments the number one differentiating feature(s) of a vacation rental: the kitchen/dining room (Incredible kitchen guide compliments of AndyM AndyM)
  3. Price justification: While likely more expensive than Maxwell House, if you buy in bulk, local coffee shops can keep costs competitive.
  4. Freshness due to proximity: Freshly roasted coffee is just so much betterrrrr!
  5. High Wow Factor: Adds a “feeling of premium” to the stay without too much work..
  6. Community activation: strengthens ties with local shops and typically has guests going back out for direct business. Which in turn enhances your brand recognition.
Some people may read this and say, “We are creating an arms race to impossibly spoiled guests.” And my friends, we may both be right.

QUESTIONS
Do you currently offer fresh coffee?
Any learnings (validating or otherwise)?
Please chime in below with your reactions to my rich, bold and maybe even fruity line of thought....
 
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A long-time staple of ours. We provide sample packets (business partner price $2 each) of whole beans (last longer in storage and personally our preference) from our community's roastery. I also staple business cards to the package to promote them and their online business.
And of course, we also have an excellent coffee grinder.
 
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I have long wanted to do this in our homes; however, because I am not a coffee drinker, I always wonder about the flavor. I have heard from those who do imbibe that there are flavor preferences, so how do I choose? I definitely don't want to be offering a coffee bar at each home, which would be far too expensive. Any coffee drinker suggestions on flavor/roast would be very helpful for someone like me who has plenty of energy without a shot of caffeine in the morning. ;)
 
I have long wanted to do this in our homes; however, because I am not a coffee drinker, I always wonder about the flavor. I have heard from those who do imbibe that there are flavor preferences, so how do I choose? I definitely don't want to be offering a coffee bar at each home, which would be far too expensive. Any coffee drinker suggestions on flavor/roast would be very helpful for someone like me who has plenty of energy without a shot of caffeine in the morning. ;)
I would just ask your local shop for the most popular and straightforward option. Not trying to become a hipster barista. Just a thoughtful host :)
 
A long-time staple of ours. We provide sample packets (business partner price $2 each) of whole beans (last longer in storage and personally our preference) from our community's roastery. I also staple business cards to the package to promote them and their online business.
And of course, we also have an excellent coffee grinder.
Hi DMartinez DMartinez, thanks for sharing this tip! A few follow-up questions on the specifics if you're willing to share more. I've approached the local coffee roasting company in Carmel, offering to feature their coffee in our 2 cottages for whatever discount they're willing to offer, and they essentially ignored the request and finally said our quantities are too small to warrant any discount. I think you have just the one property as well, so I'm curious to know:

- How did you approach your roaster, what language, charm or magic dust did you sprinkle to get a partner price?

- How large/small are the sample packets you provide?

- Are there any downsides to offering beans instead of ground coffee? You mentioned the upside that the beans stay fresher longer, but are there downsides such as the guests don't know how to use the grinder, the grinder breaks or is hard to clean, other?

- How many packets do you provide for a party of 2? party of 4?

- Do you provide more coffee if they want more beyond the initial packets, ie. do you offer more for sale within your VR, or do they need to venture out on their own?

- I'm not a coffee-drinker like HeatherB HeatherB, so I have a few more "dumb" questions like - how long does each of your coffee packets stay fresh?

- Which type of coffee do you provide - dark roast, medium roast, French roast, mother's Swedish roast, roast on toast, other?

- How do you store your beans/packets to keep them the freshest the longest (vacuum-sealed, place in the fridge, never place in the fridge, buy the day they're roasted, etc)?

Wow, I didn't realize I had so many questions in my uncaffeinated noodle this morning and didn't mean to overwhelm you, but this is a topic I've struggled with for years.

Any feedback is appreciated!

And your home on IG is looking incredible!!!

Best,
Barry
 
I have long wanted to do this in our homes; however, because I am not a coffee drinker, I always wonder about the flavor. I have heard from those who do imbibe that there are flavor preferences, so how do I choose? I definitely don't want to be offering a coffee bar at each home, which would be far too expensive. Any coffee drinker suggestions on flavor/roast would be very helpful for someone like me who has plenty of energy without a shot of caffeine in the morning. ;)
It's not always easy choosing for the masses. I recommend going to your vendor, hopefully a local coffee roaster and simply asking them what is their most popular roast. They'll be happy if you choose that one as well as it's easier for them to roast or more willing to package uniquely for you. Take the work out of choosing and go have fun learning why that's the preferred roast, you'll also have more fun sending guests that way too.
 
I have long wanted to do this in our homes; however, because I am not a coffee drinker, I always wonder about the flavor. I have heard from those who do imbibe that there are flavor preferences, so how do I choose? I definitely don't want to be offering a coffee bar at each home, which would be far too expensive. Any coffee drinker suggestions on flavor/roast would be very helpful for someone like me who has plenty of energy without a shot of caffeine in the morning. ;)
That's why I love the sample packages- I offer 2 a medium roast (which to me seems like weak tea) and a darker roast (my preferred). 2 oz packs make about 8 cups. Our guest max is 6. So that's perfect for a first welcoming pot to our home. We are not providing coffee for their complete stay.

But like that little mouse with a cookie needing a glass of milk...Don't forget the sugar and creamer packets too for people like my husband who drinks creamer with a dollop of coffee. Now that we no longer keep food/staples in our cupboards it's essential to have all the bits and pieces available.

And for a serious coffee drinker- (read addict) who didn't bring anything, even someone like me will appreciate even a milder roast over nothing.
 
Our local roasted coffee is easily one of our guests most preferred amenities. This addition took many different journeys along the way. From beans to bulk buying with individual jars in the house. When we were finally able to provide the individual sealed and portioned coffee bags everything got so much simpler and elevated. We be now use this as one of our major branding tools. And we advertise the coffee and other amenities as "the perfect starter kit" so if they want more we can then swoop in with a sale or direct them to visit the roaster and ask for "The Lifestyle Blend". We provide a 4 oz pkg to groups under 6 and a 8 oz package for groups over 6, and 2 packages for guests over 12. This will typically get guests through their first two days. And I highly recommend ground coffee. Keep it easy for your guests and one fewer kitchen appliance for your housekeeper to clean! Also they can use the ground coffee in refillable Keurig pods or in a french press, so you can still have more than just a drip coffee solution.
 
We've been doing bags of whole bean coffee since we started in 2004! For many years we just bought from Starbucks as that was all that was locally available but now we have a local coffee roaster who does a special blend for us and stamps it with our logo! They were happy to have the bulk business so they do the blend and logo for free! I'm guessing there is nothing legitimately unique about our blend as compared to one of their others but regardless, it looks great! :coffee:


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We very much spoil our guests with all of the extras we supply/provide our guests especially in the kitchen and shows in our reviews. As for coffee we supply a coffee gator full with a medium roast of ground coffee but also a can full of beans that they can grind if they prefer. We also have a commercial Bunn maker, French press, aeropress, milk frother, powder creamer, 4 types of sweetener and sugar, Hot coco (in the fall & winter), to go coffee cups, etc.

Deep Woods Escape-13.jpg
 
Barry Barry ~
- How did you approach your roaster, what language, charm or magic dust did you sprinkle to get a partner price?
We are in a teeny-tiny economic area and the roaster is just as teeny-tiny. So that may be one advantage over a place like Carmel.
I simply cold-called him and asked- with "charm and a sprinkle of magic dust." I told him our goal is to support businesses in the community. At the time he was working out of ½ of a refurbished gas station. Today his new storefront is next door to the town's only - yet phenomenal- bakery and between the two they share. I started this while we were still in Chile at the time. Our property management company would not directly promote or manage this for us 🤦‍♀️. So I would contact him and make arrangements for an order of about 30 packs of whole beans at a time.

Bless his wonderful heart and gratefulness of this promotion, (plus being in a small community) he would bring the boxes to our PM office, then their housekeepers would have it stored in our supplies closet to be set out with each turnover. I would have to ask PM/housekeepers how stock was holding up and then when it was nearing an end would reorder.

- How large/small are the sample packets you provide?
2oz sample or as they call them, "Taster Bags"

- Are there any downsides to offering beans instead of ground coffee?
Beans - in my opinion- are the ONLY way to go. Especially if you are not able to offer freshly ground vacuumed packed bags- for freshness.
I don't recall the brand- but ours is a simple, wonderful little grinder like this one. Trust me... if this is the only coffee they have and they are clueless about grinding they'll google how. The grinder is easy to wipe clean with a damp sudsy cloth on the inside. The trick is to get all the coffee oils off the side. The top can go in the dishwasher or hand wash.

I store all beverage-related items (kettle, stove espresso pot, French press, grinder) in a cupboard near the coffee pot that's on the counter.

- How many packets do you provide for a party of 2? party of 4?
2 2oz packs- for each stay making it easy for housekeepers who would not do the math. And at $4 it wasn't too bad. Max occupancy for our house is 6 - one pack provides 8 cups- but one measured cup of coffee is about ⅔ of a USA style/size of a coffee cup, so people would have sufficient for a full cup and another one following. And the lucky couple who booked got an extra pot for the next day.

- Do you provide more coffee if they want more beyond the initial packets.
No- I see my role only as a free marketeer, introductory service for the business- I introduce the product. If they want more, they need to go to the store. The product is available in the local grocery store. That's why I include business cards too. It was too much for the housekeeper/PM/coffee owner to staple them to the packages. So I would just leave them with the coffee in our welcome basket. Now that I'm living near our home I can do that to assure that it's seen.

- how long does each of your coffee packets stay fresh?
If you can get vacuum-packed beans they'll last longer. Our roaster uses paper/wax-lined bags- not vacuum-sealed. Keep packets in moisture proof container (plastic box with a good seal) in a cool, dark place. Also helps to keep rodents out. For ultimate freshness the sooner they are used the better. Optimum use time is within 2-3 months. If you stock up like I had to, try to use up within 3-5 months...some say 9 mo. The trick is not to let air get to the beans or they'll oxidize and the flavor will weaken. Heat also affects flavor- that's why our garage storage on the cool coast was perfect.

- Which type of coffee do you provide - dark roast, medium roast, French roast, mother's Swedish roast, roast on toast, other?
I offer whatever they have- it's a potluck draw of sample "Taster Bags." And I figure it's free for the guest...so just say thank you.

- How do you store your beans/packets to keep them the freshest the longest (vacuum-sealed, place in the fridge, never place in the fridge, buy the day they're roasted, etc)?
We store the quantities in a plastic storage box with a secure lid. If you plan to store large quantities then I recommend tossing in a silica gel pad in the storage box to absorb any moisture that may be present. It'll help keep your roasted beans free from mold and increase the shelf life.

With just the small packets offered to guests, I trust it will be used up immediately so guests have no worries about how to save. BUT I do provide empty OXO pop containers for guests to store their stuff.

At home, I store in gasket sealed jars. Not in the refrigerator as moisture affects the beans. Freezing or refrigeration helps prevent oxidation. However, fresh coffee beans can slowly absorb moisture from condensation that builds up inside the container or bag if stored in the refrigerator.

My recommendation if you can afford it for your Carmel guests with discerning taste when your local roastery companies won't work with you- Peerless Coffee! (It's what we use at home). It's California's best (IMHO) roasted in Oakland. PHENOMENAL!

special blend for us and stamps it with our logo!
EXCELLENT! Seems to me I need to bring out my magic dust and charm then have a chat with my guy!
 
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Yep, the arrival is an obvious opportunity to deliver WOW! It's also an opportunity to remind a guest who you are (not an Airbnb) and to exceed their expectations immediately.

We welcome our guests with fresh locally roasted coffee, partnering with local providers in each community we operate in. Homes with Nespresso machines (most) are also given a starter of 10 pods, and guests can purchase more from us if needed.

We also welcome guests with a gift box that contains a nice bottle of wine ($10-$15), nibbles, chocolates, some low-key cool schwag such as branded playing cards, pop sockets, wine openers, key chains. The content varies from year to year and we try for locally sourced items to be more authentic in each community.

When we do our in-person walkthrough the staff go armed with coloring books and teddy bears for the kids.

For us, it's all about delivering WOW whenever possible :)
 
Upon just visiting Debi Debi MichelleR MichelleR Megan C Megan C @Matthew and @BrianO in Oregon, I have settled on fresh local coffee as one of the lowest-hanging Limited Edition welcome gifts you can invest in.

Consider approaching a local coffee shop about a partnership for the following reasons:
  1. Function: More than 50% of adults (ie. someone in almost every stay) will otherwise need to go out and buy coffee anyway.
  2. Fit: compliments the number one differentiating feature(s) of a vacation rental: the kitchen/dining room (Incredible kitchen guide compliments of AndyM AndyM)
  3. Price justification: While likely more expensive than Maxwell House, if you buy in bulk, local coffee shops can keep costs competitive.
  4. Freshness due to proximity: Freshly roasted coffee is just so much betterrrrr!
  5. High Wow Factor: Adds a “feeling of premium” to the stay without too much work..
  6. Community activation: strengthens ties with local shops and typically has guests going back out for direct business. Which in turn enhances your brand recognition.
Some people may read this and say, “We are creating an arms race to impossibly spoiled guests.” And my friends, we may both be right.

QUESTIONS
Do you currently offer fresh coffee?
Any learnings (validating or otherwise)?
Please chime in below with your reactions to my rich, bold and maybe even fruity line of thought....
We love supplying our guests with the first morning’s worth of “BeachHaus Blend” compliments is Midnight Coffee Roasting Company.
They can brand their coffees with your name and can also provide various sizes. We order 300 bags 4 times a year to be sure they are fresh and guests love it.

[email protected]
 

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Perfect timing - I've just been speaking with a small local coffee roaster about just such a thing too, so this is confirmation I'm going in the right direction. I really like the idea of branding the 'sample' packets with our Sea Horse logo too.

Over the years I've provided many different 'welcome' things - starting from a basketful of goodies, slowly whittling down to a bottle of nice wine and then to nothing. We just weren't getting any wow or feedback about them and I couldn't see the point of going to the effort or expense. But having put our prices up post covid (just welcomed our first guests back in after our - hopefully final major covid lockdown - YAY!!) - I felt that I wanted to offer a little something extra. And had settled on fresh local coffee - and maybe a handful of some locally made chocolates (if I can find them). Plus I don't want to use pod machines due to their environmental unfriendliness.

With only our two houses, I don't see that I'll get much of a discount - maybe a couple of dollars - but a $2 discount is $2 in my pocket and I (and our guests) like promoting local businesses.
Maybe I can get them to write me a little story about their business and coffee too.
 
We ended up falling in a different direction. While not as 'cool' as a local blend, I think/hope we're scoring points with our guests.

We had a guest a few years ago ask if we had a keurig machine. We did not, so I went and bought the machine and had it set up in the kitchen and waiting for him when he arrived. He booked for three months at peak rates, so I had no problem making this investment. It was so much 'fun' to have this amenity set up that we replicated it in our other house, with a 'tree stand' of keurig cups beside the machine.

Now I know that these aren't the best coffees, and I know that keurigs are not environmentally friendly, and for both reasons I would never use one at home (and don't have one) but when someone is on vacation, the flexibility and convenience of being able to make different single cups (including things like hot chocolate for people like myself with more childlike tastes), but also being able to try lots of different flavours, makes the keurig a fun little touch. I order variety packs of pods from amazon and have them shipped to my property manager, and she loads up the tree with different flavours prior to the guest arrival.

Just take a look at the variety and selection that greets our guests, with single cups that they can try as they work their way through them! Doesn't that look like fun? It also includes tea, as not everyone does coffee. I imagine a couple making two each morning, discussing which they'll try and sampling the other's results, turning it into a mini-event to start their day!

Coffee Flavours.jpg
 
We very much spoil our guests with all of the extras we supply/provide our guests especially in the kitchen and shows in our reviews. As for coffee we supply a coffee gator full with a medium roast of ground coffee but also a can full of beans that they can grind if they prefer. We also have a commercial Bunn maker, French press, aeropress, milk frother, powder creamer, 4 types of sweetener and sugar, Hot coco (in the fall & winter), to go coffee cups, etc.

View attachment 4348

EmmaB EmmaB, That's such an impressive coffee set up I'm initially posing my question to you but hoping that others - Megan C Megan C , AshleyK AshleyK , Robin Robin , BrendaS BrendaS ToonTownRob ToonTownRob , JPrugh JPrugh - might chime in with their ideas as well...

Can anyone recommend a great storage container (air tight) for storing 12-16 oz of ground coffee to keep it fresh for as long as possible? DMartinez DMartinez mentioned that she uses OXO Pop Containers. I'm curious what others use.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
Our property management company would not directly promote or manage this for us 🤦‍♀️. So I would contact him and make arrangements for an order of about 30 packs of whole beans at a time.
This is where your host community can help. Connect with others in your area and approach the roaster as a group. You’ll likely find a lot of interest in collaboration. If you do local Meetup’s invite the owner to address your group of hosts. You start building good will in the community which can be hugely helpful if other business issues arise.
 
EmmaB EmmaB, That's such an impressive coffee set up I'm initially posing my question to you but hoping that others - Megan C Megan C , AshleyK AshleyK , Robin Robin , BrendaS BrendaS ToonTownRob ToonTownRob , JPrugh JPrugh - might chime in with their ideas as well...

Can anyone recommend a great storage container (air tight) for storing 12-16 oz of ground coffee to keep it fresh for as long as possible? DMartinez DMartinez mentioned that she uses OXO Pop Containers. I'm curious what others use.

Thanks in advance for the help!
We use coffee gators at both of our properties. They hold quite a bit but if you have strong coffee drinkers they run through coffee quick which is why I provide beans as well. I'm not a huge coffee person but I for sure make it know in our Welcome Book that if they a ☕ group they should bring back up.

https://coffeegator.com/collections...ntainer-with-co2-release-valve-magnetic-scoop
 
EmmaB EmmaB, That's such an impressive coffee set up I'm initially posing my question to you but hoping that others - Megan C Megan C , AshleyK AshleyK , Robin Robin , BrendaS BrendaS ToonTownRob ToonTownRob , JPrugh JPrugh - might chime in with their ideas as well...

Can anyone recommend a great storage container (air tight) for storing 12-16 oz of ground coffee to keep it fresh for as long as possible? DMartinez DMartinez mentioned that she uses OXO Pop Containers. I'm curious what others use.

Thanks in advance for the help!
Someone gifted me this one and I don't know where my life would be without it. Barry, if you plan on going the local coffee shop route, it's also possible they'll be able to vacuum seal to retain freshness.

This is where your host community can help. Connect with others in your area and approach the roaster as a group. You’ll likely find a lot of interest in collaboration. If you do local Meetup’s invite the owner to address your group of hosts. You start building good will in the community which can be hugely helpful if other business issues arise.
This is what makes you so brilliant Debi. To everyone reading this thread, do not skim over this tiny but powerful comment. Teaming up with even ONE other vacation rental professional in town doubles your buying power. It increases with every new partner, giving you the power to achieve so much more, including fair regulations (cc @Dana) but it starts with this one move. One of my all-time favorite Unlocked interviews features Nathan Schneider, the world's leading expert on cooperative and this is quintessential Nathan advice.
 
Upping our coffee game was a good move. We invested in a moccamaster at the recommendation of 1ChicRetreat. These coffeemakers are handmade in the Netherlands and have been around since 1968 - winning coffee awards to this day. We provide beans/grinder. Our ideal guest is a bit of a foodie who likes luxury and wants to be spoiled. We had a cheapy Target type coffeemaker that was not rocking anyone's world. One guest even asked me about the coffee situation before arrival and then packed all their equipment in.

I created a little brochure about this coffeemaker with instructions, some history of why this coffee is so good, e.g. just the proper water temperature, how the water meets the grounds from all angles, so there is an extraction of flavour. So far, the reviews are positive.

I want guests to have as many reasons as possible to rave about us to their friends and family. If they can rave about the coffee, it is another box ticked. https://www.coffeeness.de/en/moccamaster-review/
 

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If you are a long distance owner - its not as easy to provide these small amenities to guests -
Exactly why I went the route I did. It’s not as cool and unique to my location (nothing is unique to my location except massive theme parks) as a custom blend and a fancy machine, but my route creates a small impact without relying on personal presence to make it work.

Pity the poor vacation rental owner who hasn’t even seen their properties in now over two years!
 
Upping our coffee game was a good move. We invested in a moccamaster at the recommendation of 1ChicRetreat. These coffeemakers are handmade in the Netherlands and have been around since 1968 - winning coffee awards to this day. We provide beans/grinder. Our ideal guest is a bit of a foodie who likes luxury and wants to be spoiled. We had a cheapy Target type coffeemaker that was not rocking anyone's world. One guest even asked me about the coffee situation before arrival and then packed all their equipment in.

I created a little brochure about this coffeemaker with instructions, some history of why this coffee is so good, e.g. just the proper water temperature, how the water meets the grounds from all angles, so there is an extraction of flavour. So far, the reviews are positive.

I want guests to have as many reasons as possible to rave about us to their friends and family. If they can rave about the coffee, it is another box ticked. https://www.coffeeness.de/en/moccamaster-review/
I have one of these Moccamasters myself (very easy to clean/operate) and it's a total conversation starter. I wonder if Glimpse (recommended by @StaySavvy and EmmaB EmmaB) has coffee related gizmos?
 
So happy that the Kitchen Guide is proving helpful.

I'm undecided on Guest Welcome Gift/Baskets. We've tried just about every combination over the years and have found it rarely gets used or mentioned in reviews or contact with our office. It could just be our market.

I love the idea of starter bags of locally roasted coffee. I personally love to have a sample pack of coffee when we stay in VRs. It tides me over until I can get to the local store. It's hard to persuade the family to jump right in the car on arrival for a food shop, so when I have found coffee on arrival it has delighted me. I'm going to reach out today and get pricing from a local roaster and get a stamp made with our logo to add to their packaging.

Andy.
 
I have one of these Moccamasters myself (very easy to clean/operate) and it's a total conversation starter. I wonder if Glimpse (recommended by @StaySavvy and EmmaB EmmaB) has coffee related gizmos?
Currently they do not have any coffee products campaigns active but I did reach out Andreas Arellano (Growth & Strategy) to see if they are working with any coffee gizmos related product vendors. I will let you know when I hear back.
 
I have one of these Moccamasters myself (very easy to clean/operate) and it's a total conversation starter. I wonder if Glimpse (recommended by @StaySavvy and EmmaB EmmaB) has coffee related gizmos?
Response From Kushal Negi, Co-Founder :
Coffee products are definitely on the roadmap for us! We actually currently work with a subsidiary of Keurig which is Drinkworks currently so hopefully will be able to expand into Keurig soon.

Looks like there's demand for coffee products and something that we will prioritize to get onto the platform.
 
We’re the same as Toontown Rob - local coffee is not easy for us to provide or for our property manager to source. There are a few suppliers within an hour or so, but nothing within easy reach when we’re not there ourselves (which is half the year). So we too have Keurig and leave a selection for guests to choose from. Guests are most appreciative they can have a coffee and snack as soon as they arrive without having to worry about going to the store. It’s not ideal, but it’s the next best thing for our guests.
 
This is where your host community can help. Connect with others in your area and approach the roaster as a group. You’ll likely find a lot of interest in collaboration. If you do local Meetup’s invite the owner to address your group of hosts. You start building good will in the community which can be hugely helpful if other business issues arise.
Excellent ---of course! And I'm on it.

So happy that the Kitchen Guide is proving helpful.

I'm undecided on Guest Welcome Gift/Baskets. We've tried just about every combination over the years and have found it rarely gets used or mentioned in reviews or contact with our office. It could just be our market.

I love the idea of starter bags of locally roasted coffee. I personally love to have a sample pack of coffee when we stay in VRs. It tides me over until I can get to the local store. It's hard to persuade the family to jump right in the car on arrival for a food shop, so when I have found coffee on arrival it has delighted me. I'm going to reach out today and get pricing from a local roaster and get a stamp made with our logo to add to their packaging.

Andy.
Response From Kushal Negi, Co-Founder :
Coffee products are definitely on the roadmap for us! We actually currently work with a subsidiary of Keurig which is Drinkworks currently so hopefully will be able to expand into Keurig soon.

Looks like there's demand for coffee products and something that we will prioritize to get onto the platform.
This sounds great...but... Keurig in our ecologically focused community has an issue with plastic and waste. That said I understand there are reusable cups for brewing. Something to keep in mind in the time of COP26.
 
It's very different here in Australia as people only drink espresso coffee. Pod machines are hugely popular here and we make having a coffee machine mandatory at all our properties (usually a pod one). We provide a starter pack of pods (usually nespresso) of about 2 per person, after that they can buy more from the supermarket (one of our most common questions from guests is "what pods does the coffee machine take"). I'm an old school barista so I supply beans or ground coffee at my two houses as that's the way I like to make my own coffee and I despise pods. But we go with pods as they are easy for guests and most guests have them at home anyway.
 
Perfect timing - I've just been speaking with a small local coffee roaster about just such a thing too, so this is confirmation I'm going in the right direction. I really like the idea of branding the 'sample' packets with our Sea Horse logo too.

Over the years I've provided many different 'welcome' things - starting from a basketful of goodies, slowly whittling down to a bottle of nice wine and then to nothing. We just weren't getting any wow or feedback about them and I couldn't see the point of going to the effort or expense. But having put our prices up post covid (just welcomed our first guests back in after our - hopefully final major covid lockdown - YAY!!) - I felt that I wanted to offer a little something extra. And had settled on fresh local coffee - and maybe a handful of some locally made chocolates (if I can find them). Plus I don't want to use pod machines due to their environmental unfriendliness.

With only our two houses, I don't see that I'll get much of a discount - maybe a couple of dollars - but a $2 discount is $2 in my pocket and I (and our guests) like promoting local businesses.
Maybe I can get them to write me a little story about their business and coffee too.
Dianne, you can get eco friendly pods - lots out there now.
 
We used to provide individual packages of ground coffee but the flavor wasn't great. So we stepped it up to whole beans. We promise our guests to provide them their first pot of coffee.......with this 6oz sealed jar it is actually about 2 pots of coffee. Our local roaster moved off the island so that option is no longer possible. Instead, we use the Kirkland Breakfast Roast coffee....... Not too strong and not too weak. The little jars I found at the Dollar store. The tray came out of the bath department at Bed Bath & Beyond.

The cleaners set out this tray with a CLEAN coffee grinder, full jar of beans, coffee filters and measuring scoop.

1636581939914.png
 
Hello! Something that has worked out well for us, is partnering with a local roaster and then co-branding the coffee. In tubular black container the coffee roaster has their info on the front of the package. On top they printed labels for us that say, "Wake up with a smile. With love, Shift Vacation Rentals"

My hope is they take the container home as use it again, pen holder? :)
 

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When I was the CMO of Acme House Company in Palm Springs, we partnered with a boutique coffee roaster in Oregon - Sisters Coffee. They even allowed us to design and add our own custom label, rename one of their roasts, etc. We surveyed our guests and tracked usage for a few months to pick the right blend. It was a huge hit! https://www.acmehouseco.com/blog/2021/6/the-results-are-in-coffee-is-life
JPrugh JPrugh does this with the local coffee roaster too. Such a cool collaboration!
 
I, like several others, am not a coffee drinker, so I have always provided Maxwell House coffee for our guests. After reading all of the comments, I called a local coffee shop which roasts their beans and am waiting on a call back. Thanks AshleyK AshleyK for all of the answers to DMartinez DMartinez questions. I will try adding the packets in addition to the Maxwell House and see if I get positive responses or feedback.
 
I tried reaching out to a local roaster but the smallest bags they produce is 1/2 pound - way too much for a weekend stay for a 2 bedroom. Instead, I tried buying in bulk (5 pounds) and putting enough into individual bags for about 2 pots worth. I even went as far as creating special label stickers to put on the bags. In the end, it seemed like a whole lot of work for little benefit. We are still working through the bags we have left before I try something else. My next thought was to simply keep a sealed pot of coffee on the counter (like a coffee gator) but I worry that might be considered unsanitary. How do people feel about just leaving ground coffee in a sealed jar?
 

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