Archives for November 2008

I totally missed the great Pop City article on my neighborhood, Highland Park (check it out). Yea, it’s really that rad here. Everyday when I walk Frankie I am constantly amazed by the incredible architecture and history of streets and houses. My neighborhood is totally urban, diverse, green, bike friendly, walkable, and just downright beautiful, plus the folks who live here are awesome – they really love coffee too. When I attended college at Pitt I rode by bike through Highland Park on my way to the Zoo to race in the Wednesday night bike races. I would say to myself every week – “someday I going to live here”. In fact, sometimes we would stop in Marcus Pharmacy to buy a can of soda before the race – Marcus Pharmacy is now Tazza D’Oro!

A few months back Diana Nelson Jones of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette did an article about Highland Park receiving Historic Designation (article). Diana interviewed me for this article and while talking with her I realized the folks who live here are in true community with their neighborhood and neighbors.

About 10 years after graduating from Pitt, I bought a house and then a building in Highland Park.  Highland Park is where I live, brew coffee, play and watch the bike racers ride down Highland Ave on the way to the races.

Thanks Pop City.

Tazza D’Oro barista, Emily Jackson, is organizing a knit-in this Sunday (11/30) starting at 4 pm until 10 pm at Tazza D’Oro. This “knit-in” is part of the Survive to Five campaign called “Knit one, Save one” of Save the Children. Emily and other Tazza D’Oro knitting baristas, will be knitting hats for infants in Mozambique, Ethiopia (one of our coffee producing countries). They are looking for some company to help knit. Emily asks that you bring your knitting needles (double pointed and/or circular) and we will provide the yarn. I bet there will be some interesting conversation happening around that table! Right on, Emily.

We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (after today and tonight we are going to need the day off). We will open on Friday at 8 am instead of 7 am. Thank you so very much for keeping us busy and Tazza D’Oro hopping -we appreciate it!!!

Updated: For those of you booing and hissing our day off, count your blessings you could be in this guy’s unfortunate “shoes”!

We got it all right now… [Read more…] about Just Arrived – More Awesomeness

Yep, I’m still alive and so is the Tazza D’Oro blog.

(me, alive and writing this post)

[Read more…] about Why so quiet, you ask?

Folks, I know this is late notice but sometimes amazing things come together pretty quickly. Tonight (Sat) at 7:30 p we are really proud to host two entrepreneurs, Lisa and John. Actually, Lisa and John call themselves ecopreneurs – putting purpose and planet before profits – big hmmm!

For all you die-hard capitalists, small business owners, emerging entrepreneurs and consumers, I think the discussion tonight will have an amazing ability to enlighten and create a path for alternative perspectives and thinking. Interestingly, this weekend I am working on next year’s budget and strategy for 2009. We have spent the last year and a half trying to  adjust our business model to buy local, along with evaluating our environmental impact while trying to deliver exceptional quality and paying the bills. There are not very many business models out there to follow, but Tazza D’Oro is lucky to be surrounded by businesses who have taken the plunge long before “green was the new black”. Batdorf and Bronson, Turner Dairy, Penn’s Corner and Buy Fresh Buy Local are some of our partners and have helped to show us the way through. Please check out their web sites – ok.

Lisa and John, we are so excited to meet you and hope we become ecopreneur peeps! Might this be the “green” lining for some of our current economic challenges and a path to sustainable opportunities!