Most Likely to Succeed

Do you have the rainy day blues? Do you need a new outlook on life? Are you feeling down in the dumps about anything at all? Then you must go to Greensborough Coffee on Friday night and see just how fortunate we coffee shop fans are.

A 28-year-old former refugee from Burundi named Ndabarushimama Christopher has seen the worst in human nature -- things we can't imagine and certainly don't want to think about. Yet he is making a name for himself as a talented, cheerful, giving human being. Thanks to Greensboro, this young man and his siblings have escaped the refugee camps and are building successful lives in the U.S.

Christopher will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. at Greensborough. Take the family and a pocketful of tips for this hardworking musician and, of course, your friendly neighborhood baristas!

Kudos to Triad Coffee Shops that give not-so-ordinary folks the chance to share their gifts with the Triad.

This is the week

It's OK to hide until you've had enough
coffee to adjust your attitude.
CoffeeCat understands.

to check out the great weekly events at Triad Coffee Shops! Every day of the week, there's something special planned - see the Events Guide. CoffeeCat won't be trying the French conversation club (it brings back bad memories of French 101, French 102, French 201 . . . uh, you get the idea!). But, I'd love to hear from someone who tries it and enjoys it! I will give you a virtual gold star!

On the other hand, if you feel like being grumpy and not going along with the program, as we coffee drinkers sometimes do, then avoid the crowds and special events, by all means! Sneak into a new coffee shop where no one knows your name, hide behind the newspaper, and drink coffee until you're in a better state of mind. Trust me, it works! In fact, I should be at a coffee shop right now!

Have a great week, coffee shop fans.

Coffee Road Trip: Raleigh

Larry shows tourists the
silos full of green coffee beans
waiting to be roasted &
distributed to coffee shops

Larry's Beans, a Raleigh coffee roaster that distributes freshly roasted beans on the East Coast, opens its doors twice a year for a free tour. What a treat for coffee shop fans! People of all ages - babies, their parents, their grandparents, 20 somethings, and even a couple of teenagers showed up to see where the magic of coffee roasting  happens. Everyone got to sample different roasts and brews (cold and hot), eat yummy gourmet appetizers, and listen to music by Freylach Time, the Klezmer Dance Band.

 The fans also got to see some of Larry's "greenovations" - little things that add up to an earth friendly business. Their delivery bus runs on biodiesel (recycled vegetable oil), the plant hosts a tank of biodiesel that serves Raleigh drivers, and the plant incorporates extensive use of natural sunlight and other energy-saving practices.

 Larry also explained fair trade practices and how the company partners with the farmers year after year to grow the best beans possible. This has helped Larry's develop unique, tasty, and dependable blends of coffee year after year.

The veggie bus delivers coffee
around the Triangle region



To get an invite to the next tour, you need to sign up for Larry's e-mail list. Larry's Beans are used in Triad Coffee Shops, including Washington Perk & Provisions, Tate Street, and Espresso Doctors (Kernersville). Look for the funny cartoon guy drinking coffee (he's on the bus, too).

Be sure to find out which roaster supplies your favorite coffee shop. Many of them offer tours for their fans!



Pups on the Patio

You do the math! One adoptable puppy + several neighborhood dogs & their people + warm summer night + live music + patio + coffee shop + a great niece to share it with = a lovely Friday night!

Tazza Cafe & Bistro in Greensboro hosted a fundraiser for Animal Rescue & Foster Program. Lyn Koonce & Friends provided great toe-tapping music. Tazza has a great selection of sandwiches, snacks & all our favorite coffee shop beverages.

Reese enjoyed treats on the patio
She is up for adoption with ARFP

Lyn Koonce & Friends performed at Tazza. Saturday they're playing at Greensborough Coffee's one year anniversary celebration

What a great way to kick off the STUFFED Coffee Shop Weekend. Hope you coffee shop fans are ready to get your caffeine bzzzzzzzzzzz tomorrow - check out the Events and Howls & Meows pages.

STUFFED

This coffee shop weekend is STUFFED full of great events. ARGH. How can I possibly be in all these places at once? I can't, so I'm counting on coffee shop fans to check them out!  Support your locally owned coffee shops and the artists, musicians, and others who make them great places to hang out.

Coffee Shop Weekend

We're setting a record for number of events in one weekend at Triad Coffee Shops. Starting tonight, there are multiple coffee shops holding events through the weekend. Check out Friday & Saturday on the Events page.

One of these days, I'd like to make it to every event offered on a Friday or Saturday night at Triad Coffee Shops. It would require planning ahead with Mapquest. Some coffee shop fans might require a designated driver since more coffee shops sell wines & host Friday night wine tastings. Designated driver should be no problem, though. Doesn't everyone have a friend who prefers a caffeine bzzzzzzz and loves to down espresso shots?

We also have many animal related events listed on Howls & Meows. A fashion show, doggie jog, pet adventures, fundraisers, and more are happening this weekend.

OK, so this weekend whirlwind might not be something to write home about, but it's definitely something to write to CoffeeCat about! Don't be shy. Post comments about your favorite events!

Where will CoffeeCat show up next?

Keep checking the Events and Howls & Meows pages. You never know where CoffeeCat will show up (although we know it will be a coffee shop or someplace full of animals!). What do I always say? "So many coffee shops, so little time." I've already had to send that bow wow Mocha Mutt on recon missions to check out some Triad Coffee Shops. Geez!

I'm looking for one of those Jetson space vehicles, you know, a thingamajig, to get me to all the September events! Let me know if you see one in the classifieds! It's even faster than a cat leaping from the top of the refrigerator onto your head (ouch).

In the meantime, I've got plenty of caffeine to keep me bzzzzing around!

Enjoy your Triad Coffee Shops and remember: Take time to savor the coffee and pet the basset  hound.