That's right folks... the pride of Portland is going straight into Intelligentsia's backyard.
Who wins?
We do.
That's right... you know that this means Intelli is going to step it up. Their coffee will get better, their green will get better, their roasting will get better... And you have to know that Stumptown is going to be bringing their A game.
I'm so incredibly envious. The coffee lovers in Chicago are going to have it so good! Damn.
Things to ponder:
- Will Intelli Chicago be able to keep their best employees?
- Will Stumptown's indy punk rock vibe sell in the midwest?
- Will Intelli open in Portland?
- Will Stumptown go for a beer and wine license?
- Will Intelli try to better leverage Ecco now?
- Will Stumptown be Stumptown without bike messengers?
- Who will Alinea use?
Break out the popcorn.
This is going to be fucking EPIC!!!
2 comments:
I am obviously not surprised and I think it's a great move for all parties involved. It will force everyone to move beyond their comfort zone and really love and care for coffee, from relationships to roasting. Necessity is the mother of invention, so we will be seeing some beautiful things from everyone in the Chicago area. The midwest is a fantastic place, and Chicagoans should be grateful for any solid, thoughtful and sharp companies to come into their fair city and share their vision/aesthetic and product.
I'm gonna save the popcorn for some real drama though. I'm too busy working to even go to the movies anymore.
Very interesting. A long-time reader, I think Stumptown has a lot to gain to try and break into a market that Intelligentsia dominates. For the record, I'm an Intelligentsia retailer in L.A. and find that the backlash against Intelli in L.A. is just amazing (and understandable since most people in this city just don't understand coffee). Intelli pretty much dominates L.A. in the specialty coffee market (though there are some notable competitors). I'd be fascinated if an SF roaster or Stumptown opens in L.A. The city is still a huge market (perhaps even bigger than Chicago's).
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