The Contour of Luxury Spring/Summer 2018 | Page 118

Q & A Alexis Day Your family owned business, Cup of Luxury, is so unique that it is in fact America’s only luxury coffee. You have certainly changed the way coffee is served up, and intertwined with fine culinary fare. Let’s go back a bit. Tell us what spawned your unique, family oriented coffee idea? Bryan David-Scott In 2003, I entered the Seattle coffee market as a broker. While in that position I was exposed to the full spectrum of quality -- ranging from low-grade commercial to mid-high-level. I was surprised that majority of the market was dominated by mediocre roasters. I launched a feasibility study. Results were excellent. A second study was then conducted to determine what Americans wanted. Again, results were encouraging. We launched our little coffee company with the intent to become the very best, not the biggest. In 2012, feeling that I wanted to raise the bar to the highest level in the world, I sought advice and counsel from existing tasting panel members and clients that spent over $5,000 annually for their coffee habit. A client stated succinctly, "Instead of offering a luxury range, 95 - 100 points, why not limit your offerings to exclusively 100 point single origins and your custom blends?" That was it! I accepted the challenge. Within four months we were hitting our target dead center with perfection. We are now the only luxury brand worldwide to provide exclusively 100 point coffees, and the only true luxury brand in North America. Cup of Luxury’s coffees are known to give the ultimate coffee experience. In 2015, 2016, and in 2017 Cup of Luxury was awarded as Luxury Roaster of the Year. Can you share with us the secret to the success of your peerless coffees? Bryan David-Scott Relentless passion to provide the very finest coffees. Clear vision. And ultimately, to reach the pinnacle we have achieved has taken hundreds of people willing to give of their time, talent, and resources. Apparently, the right connections submitted a number of our coffees to panel members of the Luxury Coffee Council. Over the course of several months, our coffees underwent scrupulous examination with particular emphasis on appearance, aroma, taste and finish. Pitted against brands that are deemed luxury, we emerged as the greatest brand worldwide. Our coffee beans are virtually perfect; the aroma is beautifully intense, the taste of each coffee is unique and delivers an experience no coffee in the world does; the finish of each coffee lingers and is considered the smoothest, cleanest finish of any coffee. S