Why can’t all coffee be as good as what is served at Caffe d’bolla? Case in point: A new customer was apparently looking for drip coffee. John Piquet suggested a couple of options – an americano freshly ground and freshly brewed or a press pot of the weekly featured coffee. The customer chose the americano and was so impressed that he eventually bought a top-notch coffee grinder and ordered the store’s freshly roasted coffee for home use.

Many new customer stories at Caffe d’bolla end just as happily. For a little more than three years now, John and his wife, Yiching, have been educating Salt Lake City coffee and tea drinkers, offering consistent proof that what’s in the cup is what really counts. And the shop, located on the first floor of the Stoneground Building on 400 South just across from the City Library, has become the city’s indisputable center for specialty coffee and tea and often the city’s only source for farm-specific coffee varieties of exceptional quality.

In the midst of a city where the predominant religion prominently eschews caffeine of all sorts, John and Yiching are cultivating a local culture of excellence, acutely mindful that a passion for outstanding product also necessitates a comprehensive, thoughtful business plan. The message has spread far enough to where out-of-town visitors to Salt Lake City specifically seek out the coffee and tea varieties exclusive to Caffe d’bolla.

To understand and appreciate Caffe d’bolla’s success is to also acknowledge a fundamental business lesson for anyone entering the food and beverage service industry. For those tempted by the success of Starbucks and the country’s growing love affair for coffee and for those who are mesmerized by thoughts of virtually instantaneous financial largesse, just remember what happened to all of those yogurt shops found in virtually every strip mall 20 years ago.

In their interactions with customers, colleagues, suppliers, and industry counterparts, John and Yiching create their own competitive advantage by having a “dynamic learning capability.” As John has frequently noted, “many [coffee shop owners] complain about Starbucks and their problems but then they seek only to imitate them in the hopes that people will support them primarily because they are local or independent.”

John and Yiching’s work in improving upon their product and technique rarely, if ever, stops with the six 14-hour days a week the shop is open. Educating the customer always begins with their own edification. An excerpt from John’s blog, AikiBarista, captures this sentiment precisely: “I know if I start with a better bean, and produce a fresher and more flavorful cup, all I need to do is improve daily and I will always remain ahead of the pack. I don’t always think it’s what one knows that is important; it’s realizing how much more there is to learn that matters. So whether a customer asks, ‘How come this Brazilian tastes nothing like that Brazilian you had the other day,’ I just might be able to answer them.”

And, Caffe d’bolla customers always get a useful education as they sip and taste their beverages. They’ll learn that caffeine contributes no flavor to coffee. Caffeine actually is tied to the coffee bean variety, the brewing method, and the ratio of water to coffee. Coffee originated in Ethiopia, not just in Central and South America. Coffee consumers also should not be misled by fair trade and organic labels. Product quality is tied directly to the farm of origin, such as the exceptional Juan Francisco Project coffee from El Salvador. The name refers to a small farm owned by Juan Francisco Menendez on the edge of a volcano where the coffee is brought down a single mountain path by foot. The farm’s unique topographical features bring forward an exceptional cup, according to John, that suggests aromatic hints of molasses, tropical fruits, peaches, apricots, and spice.

John also guides those who want to replicate the experience at home. Roasted coffee should only be ground immediately before brewing. The flavor is severely compromised through oxidation (and, by the way, no coffee brand or variety is insulated from this process). For example, among the diverse whole-bean offerings offered at specific times is his Mountain Mambo Espresso, a blend of three different beans. Drinkers will note the lemon aromatics along with smooth nut, spice, and muted fruit tones. And, just recently, after an extensive search, John now offers a line of conical burr grinders, made in Germany, essential to making the home experience as good as it can be.

While flavored coffees are among the drink options customers have, the world’s true specialty coffees have such distinct, complex layers of flavors that no sugar or cream is needed whatsoever. John serves his featured press pot coffee in a well-designed ceramic cup, which enhances the aromatics. A bit of wafer cookie and a chocolate truffle are artfully placed on the saucer as a simple punctuation point of taste. Depending upon the geographical origin of the variety being offered in a particular week, drinkers will readily recognize aromatic notes of fruit, chocolate, florals, spices or nuts. John and Yiching never tire of the “eye-opening” reactions of customers who enjoy their first press pot, americano, or straight latte.

Equally popular are the lines of tea (of which many come from Taiwan), homemade gelato, and bubble tea drinks. Hot tea is served in ingeniously designed mugs in which the leaves and botanicals steep and unfurl directly in the cup. A highlight is the Earl Green tea – also from Taiwan tea leaves – which brings forward remarkable citrus notes along with the orchid and lily aromatics.

Gelato, which is made with milk and contains significantly less butterfat than regular ice cream, includes completely natural flavors and is made on the premises. For example, espresso gelato is made with freshly brewed shots of espresso while another is created with Japanese matcha powder of ground green tea leaves.

Finally, there are the ever-popular bubble teas, which – contrary to popular belief – get their name, not from the chewy pearls (or tapioca balls) but from the mixing of the tea and the pure fruit juice flavorings added. The drinks are made just as they are in Taiwan, where they originated, and are machine sealed with plastic lids. The pearls are a popular favorite among all age ranges. Customers often will wait patiently for another batch to be prepared – just another small sign of how passionate Caffe d’bolla customers have become for some of the best beverages available anywhere in Utah.