This post is another in our Cafe Case Study series. We interview cafe owners to learn about the vision behind their space and then ask them a bit about the equipment they chose and why they made that decision.
Use these case studies as inspiration for your own cafe dreams or simply to get a behind-the-scenes look at some beautiful coffee spaces around the world.
Want to be featured in a future case study? Send us an email: silvia.t@modbar.com
Enjoy!
The Details:
Postscript in San Francisco. As told by one of the owners John Laird.
Why did you open a cafe and how would you describe your brand?
We wanted to create an institution focused on producing the best quality products available. By choosing radically localized offerings for our food and retail, we take pride in being transparent about our ingredient sourcing, the producers behind products on our shelves and the coffees we source from around the world. While most of the world is trending in the opposite direction, it is very important to us that we prepare our food products in our own kitchen, on-site, here and now.
Tell us a bit about the location/demographics of the area where you opened. Why did you choose this area?
Historically, the Jackson Square neighborhood of San Francisco, was the gold counting district during the California Gold Rush. Now it’s home to boutique firms and is truly a hidden gem of San Francisco. We found a need in our neighborhood for a quality focused cafe, market, and kitchen. Our customers demand the best freshly roasted coffee, freshly prepared foods, and a curated selection of fine wines, cheeses, and specialty goods. By producing everything onsite and sourcing locally and sustainability, we can stay true to what we set out to do, providing the best quality products to our guests in a warm and welcoming environment.
What’s on the menu?
Postscript’s offerings go well beyond what most expect in a conventional café with a delicious food menu that includes Salads, Grain Bowls and Tartines and a selection of pastries, including fresh baked house made cookies and scones. Of course, we offer a comprehensive espresso and coffee bar menu serving any espresso-based drink you could want, including an amazing soft serve affogato! Teas, both hot and Iced, Fresh fruit smoothies as well as our selection of house made cold-pressed juices. Something for everyone at any time of the day…
What equipment do you use to make coffee and why did you choose this equipment?
For filter coffee we simply batch brew with a Fetco brewer, making a consistently delicious quick cup. For our espresso based beverages, we chose the ModBar AV and ModBar Steam. On our fast-paced bar, speed, consistency, and ergonomics were a primary consideration. Pairing the ModBar AV with Mahlkonig’s E80S GbW and PUQpress M5 give a level of “on-spec” espresso shots that is difficult to match with conventional equipment. The ModBar Steam is powerful, simple to operate and delivers beautiful silky smooth milk all day long. All the functionality aside, the greatest benefit of the ModBar installation is that it truly embraces our “up-front and center” and “all to see, nothing to hide” philosophy.
Describe your bar or customer flow and how did the equipment influence the flow or viceversa.
Our overall marketplace concept left us with limited space in which to produce our ambitious menu of offerings. The ability to manage high volumes while maintaining a natural sense of ease was a priority. We wanted a space where our guests were greeted immediately as they entered the coffee bar area, and where our baristas would have a full view of the service area. As they enter the bar area, our guests are intuitively guided to the point of sale where all our food and beverage options are ordered. The customer flow then naturally mimics the bar flow with the ModBar being the central attraction breaking down the barrier between the barista and the customer. The separation of the espresso and milk preparation zones allows space for our baristas to work efficiently and offers excellent opportunity for customer interaction.
What’s one thing that makes your café special?
Postscript is definitely a unique experience, offering something for everyone through all parts of the day. From our coffee bar preparing delicious coffees roasted on-site, an amazing menu of foods prepared in our kitchen, to our marketplace providing a world class selection of curated beers, wines, cheeses and charcuterie, Postscript is the all-day outpost that specializes in the little extra — the above & beyond.
