Writings From a Banana

Barista at Large

2009-08-23T09:30:00.012-04:00

Visiting coffee origin is something we’ve been looking forward to for a very long time. Through winding mountain roads and beautiful landscapes, the Banana Dang team finally made it to Sandra Farms Coffee in Adjuntas, PR for our first visit to origin. The air in these mountains is sweet smelling and dryer than the tropical humid beaches of Rincon.

At Sandra Farms, Israel and Sandra Gonzalez greeted us with a snack of local cheeses, guava paste and organic farm grown tomatoes. Lemonade and orange juice were fresh from the trees and the coffee, of course, was delicious.

Israel and Sandra gave us a history of the farm and walked through the process of farming and producing their specialty coffee. Along the vast coffee fields we saw orange, papaya, lemon, sugarcane, avocado and cherry trees. It was not harvest time so the coffee cherries were green, but plentiful.

After our visit to Sandra Farms, we drove another 20-minutes through the mountains of Adjuntas to arrive at Hacienda Monte Alto. We met Don Jimmy and family who showed us the amazing coffee processing setup on the Hacienda. Monte Alto had been producing coffee for over 30 years and it was amazing to see the processing on a larger scale. Alongside the commercial grade coffee was a completely separate specialty coffee processing system. We got another review of the care that goes into Specialty Coffee processing. Smaller batches of the highest quality beans were washed, sorted then dried.

We picked up some coffee and got to enjoy the smell of fresh coffee along the drive home. Visiting origin is a great education for any barista and coffee retailer. It gave us even more of an appreciation for what we serve to our customers every day.

Banana Dang + Surfrider

2009-06-06T15:31:00.009-04:00

A lot of friends ask: What is Rincon like?

Aside from great weather and some of the best surf we've ever experienced, there is a short documentary on Rincon from Surfrider Foundation called Salva Tres Palmas. The movie can be seen on Surfrider's website (in both English and Spanish). We recommend it highly.

Salva Tres Palmas tells the story of the environmental victory that gave life to Tres Palmas Marine Reserve, the first marine reserve on the main island of Puerto Rico—in Rincon. There are lots of characters we recognize from living here, as well as being an informative film about the environmental hazards that face Rincon.

Aside from that, DANG Factory also designed a poster—and book—for Arte Acuatico, a project sponsored by NOAA's Marine Debris Program and is part of the educational component of the ambitious community driven program "Coral Reef Protection through Marine Debris Removal at Reserva Marina Tres Palmas," where more than 475 tires have been removed, among other debris.

Opening night of Arte Acuatico takes place on Thursday, June 25 at Rincon of The Seas, 7-9 p.m. The show features kids' art from surrounding schools in Rincon and runs all the way to July 9. We hope you can make it!

See you out there,
T2 + Mario

Banana Dang at WBC 2009

2009-04-22T15:31:00.042-04:00

The world's best baristas from 52 nations just competed for the crown at the 10th Annual World Barista Championship 2009 in Atlanta. #1 went to U.K.'s GWILYM DAVIES!!! #2 Canada's Sam Piccolo and #3 USA's Mike Phillips. It was an amazing performance by all, including Puerto Rico's Daniel Rivera.

WBC/SCAA Conference was a coffee geek fest—an excellent chance to network with friends and coffee professionals. Best part: rows (seemed like a mile long) of the best baristas in the world serving espressos, lattes and cappuccinos—all you can drink for the price of admission! To get in FREE, we volunteered to do dishes for 10 hours, but it was an unbeatable learning experience.

In front of a live crowd and countless cameras, baristas prepared 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature drinks in the allotted time of 15 minutes. They were judged on everything—including cleanliness, technicality, speed, but most of all—the proof is in the cup.

Once again, it was an international mix of vendors associated with espresso machines, roasters, teas, baked goods, hardware, and chocolate (yum). We soaked in labs and lectures that taught latte art hosted by USA/World champ Heather Perry and #3 USBC 2009 winner Scott Lucey, cupping, roasting and biz management. And the parties lasted all night as coffee poured like chocolate from Willy Wonka's Factory.

Pix highlights include:
* Lee Jong Hoon: #6 WBC Finalist from Korea
* Phuong Tran: 2005 USBC winner and the only "other" Vietnamese in Specialty Coffee
* Matt Milletto: Bellisimo Coffee (coffee educator)

WBC gave us even more *spark* to present the best Puerto Rican coffees. With this knowledge, Banana Dang will offer our own Barista Training Certification Program. We look forward to serving you the best cup.

We also got to visit family in Atlanta—my cousin Phi Phi, husband Jae and their baby boy, BABY CALEB. In this picture, he is curiously checking out his second cousin! Ha ha.

Always Caffeinated,
T2 and Mario

For the Love of Coffee...(and Love in general)

2009-01-29T14:21:00.067-05:00

We are well into the season, which picked up late. So late—infact—that talk among business owners is it's the slowest season ever experienced in Rincon. But we have high hopes as more travelers head this way in February (one of the busiest months of the year, next to Christmas). We're working 13-hour days, six days a week.

But we're loving the coffee business. Seriously.

Our coffees are sourced local from Maricao (Cafe El Mananero), San Sebastian (Cafe Casablanca) and Adjuntas (Sandra Farms).

Sometimes we bring in special coffees off the island (Kana, Intelligentsia), but mostly we plan to find more roasters on the island to bring our customers the best espresso Puerto Rico has to offer. Besides the full range of espresso drinks, we also debut the Purple Bowl—Acai blended with bananas, topped with organic granola and organic coconut—as well as Vietnamese Coffee Jello served with condensed milk. We'll soon offer vegan jello—another unique offering to our health conscious clientele.

A few quick bites—

Rincon's 1st Speed Dating sponsored by Banana Dang; Wed. Feb 11 @ 7pm. Each bachelor/bachelorette meets a potential date every 5-minutes. Free coffee.

2nd Annual Rincon In ternational Film Festival happening April 28-May 3. Poster by DANG Factory.

"Make it Dirty" promo: Add espresso to any smoothie for a unique drink experience! So far, the Nutty Dang is the #1 "Dirty Drink" at Banana Dang with chocolate, banana and peanut butter.

10th Annual World Barista Cha mpionship comes to Atlanta this April. Banana Dang is proud to volunteer at this prestigious coffee event at the SCAA Conference where coffee connoisseurs (and geeks!) from around the globe talk shop and give respect to the best in the industry.

Banana Dang's head barista Mario Jimenez is planning to compete next year in Puerto Rico's Barista Championship. To prepare, he is pulling shots all night and mixing ingredients for his signature drink.

...On a personal front, T2 is happy that her big sister, Kim-Van Dang is getting married! My new brother-in-law (from South Africa) is a sommelier with an affinity for action sports. Congratulations to you both. We wish you a lifetime of love.

Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo T2 and Mario

First Year Anniversary!

2008-11-16T08:54:00.019-05:00

When it rains it pours. Metaphorically speaking. We just hired 3 new part-time employees to help the season rush, which usually happens the day after Thanksgiving (the biggest shopping day of the year!). It’s exciting because we have a culturally diverse group: Japanese, Puerto Rican, and Spanish—not to mention our Vietnamese, Puerto Rican and Ecuadorian backgrounds. Right now, training takes place in 4-hour shifts. Soon, we’d love to hand the keys over to the most willing and competent so we can do more graphic design and pour extra time into marketing Banana Dang.

November 20, 2008 is the one-year anniversary of Banana Dang. We survived our first year with just the two of us running the show (except for help in cleaning at night). We weathered the “dry spell” of Rincon’s endless summer, and got a few accolades worth mentioning...

The new Lonely Planet spotlighted our business. Local paper El Coqui did a feature on Banana Dang (you can download the story in the November issue). The Hartford Courant ran a feature on Rincon titled "No-Frills Paradise" and mentioned Banana Dang. On Trip Advisor, we are fortunate to be the #3 restaurant in Puerto Rico!

Promo-wise, check out our FREE postcard with $5 purchase in-store (stickers coming soon). It also took a year, but we finally finished the Banana Dang Guide to Rincon—a complimentary 2-pages that features all our favorite hangouts and “secrets” of the town. We also redesigned the DANG Factory logo for our own graphic design business—and got a few more jobs out of it, including designing the visual identity for the 2nd Annual Rincon International Film Festival and logo redesign for Flying Fish Parasail. Images soon.

One of the best things we’ve done for our barista career is joining the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the social network Barista Exchange, a forum for barista “geeks” to talk coffee. The David Schomer bible, Espresso Coffee: Professional Techniques, is still the #1 required reading for anyone who wants to up his or her skill. If anyone is thinking about opening a coffeehouse, that’s the best advice we can give.

In the near future, our vision is 3-fold: expand the seating area of Banana Dang downstairs and bring the DANG Factory graphic design business upstairs (with chaise lounges, projectors...). The other “dream” is to open a Banana Dang drive-thru kiosk or a Banana Dang Guesthouse in Rincon…or San Diego?!?

That’s life on the BD front.
Mario + T2

Comings and going-ons...

2008-09-11T13:32:00.036-04:00

Ahhh...the dog days of summer.

August was a surprisingly good month although it's slowed down since. The streets are empty as Hurricane Hanna and Ike ventured north of Puerto Rico. They were mild storms that turned heavy after they passed, giving us fun surf. The locals say the "spirit of El Yunque" protects the island.

Last week gave us a "breather" so we can upgrade Banana Dang for the upcoming season: a local woodworker made us some new pine bookshelves for our book exchange and merch area, we installed new signs and expanded our menu that now includes cinnamon toast, homemade delicious "Rocky Road to Happiness" brownies, Oatmeal a-la-mode cookies (with apple + cream-cheese icing), chocolate chip scones and the tasty Spanish sponge cake, Brazo Gitano.

And not one to be shy about coffee: We proudly introduce the new Puerto Ricans in town—Sandra Farms Coffee—from the mountainous region of Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. The roasters are a mom-and-pop team who walked in one day with the most pleasant sweet-toned aroma beans. In fact, we liked them so much we named Sandra Farms our official house coffee and designed their website. Also in rotation are Puerto Rican coffees Hacienda San Pedro, Yauco Selecto and Cafe Mananero, plus the award-winning "Black Cat" espresso from Intelligentsia in the States.

Yes, we do miss home (California). What we found out living here is that electricity and water are definitely luxuries. In the summer, especially, power can be knocked out for 10-15 hours, with water running empty for 8-12 hours. Every business has to have a generator, water pump and an extra water tank to stay afloat. Those expenses are costly but necessary. There's no buyer's remorse, but we do realize there are things we take for granted. Luckily, we're not living in a Third World country. Crime in Rincon are "crimes of passion," as the ex-owner of our home told us with a smirk on his face.

What's kept us busy and creatively juiced is our graphic design business—now officially DANG Factory. It falls under the marketing umbrella of Banana Dang and stands for Design, Art, Network and Graphics. We've designed posters for the local chapter of Surfrider Foundation, logos and brochures for Lazy Parrot, Belmar Parasail and a slew of indie businesses in the area. DANG Factory has a website on its way. Next month, we are debuting our new ads for local paper El Coqui.

We're off to the water every day to snorkel or surf. It's a luxury you can't get back home on a daily basis. To love Rincon, you have to love the ocean or nature. There is relatively no materialism and people do live off the land. We cherish this and feel that our experiences here will always make for good story-telling at campfire parties!

If you haven't been to Rincon and want to see what it's like—check out Gabriel and the Sea—a new 5-minute short by Brendan Basham of Tapas Bar (great restaurant located a few blocks from us). It's possibly the beginning (or the ending) of a larger project. Starring Paul Carmean. Music by Brokeback. Best seen with headphones and expanded to fit the screen.

Peace out, T2 + Mario

Notes from a Tourist Town

2008-06-02T08:30:00.075-04:00

Tourist Town: According to the Urban Dictionary with minor changes from yours truly, a tourist town has a relatively small population that seems to grow exponentially during certain seasons due to tourists. More often than not, these tourists keep temporary homes—they've got jobs elsewhere or sound investments to survive the rest of the year.

What attracts tourists, "snowbirds," and weekenders to Rincon, Puerto Rico may be the same things that attract people who live here all-year round: the surf, natural beauty, local goods, the "Simple Life." Interestingly, while some tourist towns double their population in the summer months, Rincon is the complete opposite. Winter is when the surf really happens—witness 6-15 ft. sets that even an intermediate surfer has no problem riding.* And every ex-pat who lives here surfs. We've met 80-year-old surfers, 10-year-old rippers, surfing moms, men of all ages, girls who shred...Everyone in Rincon surfs.

*Note: Winter in Rincon is about 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Some locals hate The Invasion of The Winter People: the increased traffic, the noise at all hours from people who don't have to get up early to go to work, the parked cars littering the already narrow streets, the demanding customers who get cranky when there's a shortage of water, frequent blackouts and worse of all—weak (or no)—Internet connection.

For those who are still thinking about visiting us and actually want to see us, I've outlined the best times when the "Invasion" doesn't happen:

Best times: Late May-early July, September-October, early November. Unfortunately, the "dead" months (July-Sept) are also hurricane months.

Busiest times: After Thanksgiving to Easter weekend, July 4, Labor Day

Life in a tourist town has its perks: Business cranks up during the winter months and owners rest up for several months thereafter. But resting doesn't mean the work stops—it just means now there's time to do maintenance: paint, build, landscape...Some restaurants and guest houses have already announced their closing during Sept and Oct and every business has excitedly posted their "Summer Hours." On top of that, Puerto Rico celebrates several holidays during summer and it's normal to see 3-day weekends every weekend. Work? What work?!? See pictures of us parasailing.

Every day, we wake up knowing that we live in a surf mecca. One that brings the invasion of thousands of people every winter—some who've arrived over the years to buy into the locals' quality of life, some who just want to escape "drama," some who've lived out their dream of owning land and being entrepreneurs. Generations of surfers and nature lovers arrived before us and have stories to tell about the advancement of Rincon—from dirt roads and horse buggies to grandiose hotels and condos popping up like weed.

Back in Cali, I thought I would miss my 50-meter lap pool—but nothing beats snorkeling after a hard day of work. It's only a 5-minute drive to any beach here: We've swam with schools of 100+ fish, schools of Tuna, tropical fish, lobster and turtles near underwater caves in the clearest of waters.

After all, one of the best things about living in a tourist town is acting like a tourist.

NEW YORK!

2008-04-24T18:05:00.021-04:00

It’s GOOD to get out of the house. We made a very brief visit to New York to attend the 3rd Annual Coffee + Tea Festival held at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The event celebrated everything related to coffee + tea. Funds were raised for the official event charity, Cup for Education.

New York was beautiful this time of year, crisp and sunny—reminds us of a SoCal winter. It was also great to finally eat again. Yes, I said EAT. For those who don’t live in Rincon, that’s the one thing paradise lacks—you can’t find diverse cuisine here. I’m talking Indian, Thai, Japanese (rare) and Vietnamese food? Forget about it. We ate like it was our last meal on Earth. In one hour, we had Thai at a Farmer’s Market and pizza around the corner. In fact, most of our pictures on this trip were of us eating!

At the festival, we attended the Art of Japanese Tea given by Tea Master Yoshikazu Taf u and tasted wonderfully fresh Sencha and Genmaicha, among others. We also chatted up movie director/producer Su Friedrich who made From the Ground Up, a documentary that shows "how an ordinary cup of coffee occupies center stage in the world economy"—or as we like to put it—the life of a bean. We attended a coffee cupping class (like wine—sip, swirl and spit), and were all ears when Chris Cason of Tavalon discussed the future of tea and recent trends in the industry.

Wow, we remember the days of attending Advertising conferences and Music festivals! It’s interesting to switch industries (again). But although the coffee festival was informative, the real education was on the STREET. We did recon at a handful of specialty coffee houses and observed baristas at Ninth Street Espresso, Grumpy’s, Gimme Coffee and Joe the Art of Coffee pour amazing latte art into our cups.

Ninth Street Espresso in the Chelsea Market was by far the best cappuccino New York has to offer. It's a bold statement but Ninth Street does live up to the hype as Kim—our barista—poured beautiful rosettas from Stumptown coffee. And right now, we're already gearing up to attend the 21st Annual SCAA Conference in Atlanta next year, as part of our ongoing coffee education.

On our journey via foot in the Big Apple, we paid close attention to the graphic design on storefronts, which was all about simplicity—the use of 1-2 colors and sans serif fonts. We appreciate good design and it was inspirational to just walk and soak it all in. Talking about design—we got back home just in time for the 1st Annual Rincon International Film Festival (see poster we designed for the event). Rincon turned into a big block party as it welcomed filmmakers from as far as China and Germany. There were a lot of great flicks–from comedy, horror, chick flicks, surf films to documentaries. We look forward to '09!

It’s been a great month.
Con Amor, T2 and Mario

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh MY!!!!

2008-03-22T15:05:00.021-04:00

It was BIG WEDNESDAY in Rincon—and even BIGGER on THURSDAY!

The locals tell us this was the BIGGEST SWELL that's hit Puerto Rico in the last 15 years. Everyone came into Banana Dang with stories about the surf—from surfers who towed in (like our UPS man) to surf photographers who nearly lost their equipment in 10 ft. "white" water! It was a big party on Route 413 - cars parked neck-to-neck to witness monster waves.

Here are some words from Mario below...

The BIGGEST, most PERFECT waves I have ever seen.

Last night on my way to pick up bananas I pulled over on the side of the road to watch the most enormous waves I've ever seen roll through the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve. They looked to be about 40 ft+ on the face.

The only way I was able to get a sense of scale was by watching the jet skiers tow in surfers onto monsters waves. This was something I have only seen in surfing videos; to witness it in person is pretty mindblowing.

These last few months have been amazing. T2 and I are having a blast at Banana Dang. We learn something new everyday. The support from the local community and travelers has been great and make the long days of work come easier.

See you out there...MARIO

Blog with no name

2008-03-06T16:56:00.029-05:00

Hello everyone.

It’s taken some time but we finally hired some employees to help us clean Banana Dang at night. It gives us 2 more hours of sleep and that is definitely worth it. They are not full-time but maybe soon they can be baristas/order takers so we can take some time off to surf!

IAN, our first hire, is 6’4” and would be a great model for Diesel Jeans or some quirky brand like Camper. He likes his coffee extra caffeinated and inspired us to name a drink after him called the “Vietnamese Ian”—which is Vietnamese Iced Coffee shakened with a double shot of espresso. His love for coffee is nearly equaled to his love for blogging. When not at our work, Ian is most likely at his other job making Tapas.

3 things he can’t live without: Food, water, music
Historical person he’d most like to dine with: Rasputin
How his closest friend describes him: “Boing! Boing! Boing!”

ENID is our Puerto Rican home-girl. She is not a coffee drinker but has tasted every smoothie on the menu—she is a big fan of the Mango Lassi, Purple Dang and Thai Iced Tea. Enid is fluent in English and has a passion for languages. She is unrecognizable outside of Banana Dang because she really knows how to doll up for a night out. Her hair changes on a daily basis but her smile (and laughter) is constant.

3 things she can’t live without: Perfume, music, pedicures
Famous person she’d most like to dine with: Diane Arbus
How her closest friend describes her: Silly!

On another note, we got our house painted upstairs—well, only half the house—but now cozier and more comfortable. Our favorite new thing to do is project movies on the living room wall. It feels like we’re in a private movie theater—widescreen, surround sound, popcorn and all!

We also cut down our Sunday hours to 9-3 pm which gives us even more time to do an evening surf session. It really does wonders when you’re able to re-coop—and we don’t want to burn out too early. Every day feels more like home as we scope out the area and get more familiar with the roads—and restaurants! We met more people in Rincon in the last few months then we did in 5 years in L.A. In fact…

We always get asked: “Do you miss L.A?” Obviously, our family and friends mean everything to us but aside from that...

We do NOT miss:

- 2 hours commute in what should take less than 30 minutes
- Metered parking (no meters anywhere here!)
- Billboards with crappy ads with fake people selling crappy stuff we do not need
- Long lines to get into clubs and restaurants (no velvet rope here)
- Attitude! (Those who live here are “perma-vacationers,” so most are relaxed)

What we do miss about L.A…

- Whole Foods, Trader Joes, health food stores
- “Real” car washes (ones with soap in the dispenser and scrub brushes...really, is that too much to ask?!?)
- Good hair salons
- Cops who give tickets when someone speeds through red lights going 80mph
- No mosquitoes, ants who attack, lizards in the house (although lizards are cute)

In February, we made it out to the Maricao Coffee Festival in the Highlands of Puerto Rico. Over three days the town's main plaza was chock-full of food + drinks, arts + crafts, parades + musicians. Of course, the main attraction was the bean. We found two vendors we were very happy with—Café Bello and El Mananero. Café Bello beans have a delicate aroma with hints of honey and cedar. They scored a 90 out of 100 in the cupping category, which is a very good rating!

Also—we debut the “Purple Dang” (acai berries, banana and strawberries); The name was thought up by Purple Telescope and has become the #1 smoothie seller at Banana Dang—even beating out Lattes as the top popular item on some days. Thank you, Sambazon!

The next few months will also bring more familiar faces from home as friends and family make their way to our island. We promise we will feature some guest bloggers (Tanya? Rosarito?). Surfwise, Rincon’s had a major flat spell in the last 2 weeks. We’re talking FLAT as a pancake. It was nice to go snorkeling again and we even found a new spot—Antonio’s—where we can see plenty of caves underwater, reminiscent of the movie “Finding Nemo.” For the uninitiated, seeing caves underwater can be kinda spooky, but very fun!

Enough rambling. Time for an afternoon cappuccino...

Con Amore,
T2 and Mario

Marketing the "Banana"

2008-01-28T13:01:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. We still can’t believe we live in Rincon. Last week, we took a day to go snorkeling at Steps — a legendary beach which got its name from the set of steps that clings to the beach — and it was postcard perfect. Crystal clear waters on a bed of coral with lots of fish — like swimming in an aquarium. This week, a 15-ft. swell hit Puntas; tomorrow should be offshore, 3 ft. overhead with great shape. And every day when we go downstairs to Banana Dang to make our first latte, it’s Nirvana. I still can’t get over the fact that this is my JOB.

On the marketing front—if there’s one thing we can rely on in Rincon, it’s Word of Mouth. We’ve been opened for 2 months and feel lucky to have a lot of regulars frequent our place. We did manage to do “real” advertising in local paper El Coqui (see ad)—otherwise, it’s about the word. The “Banana” also got on the map by the Tourism Association of Rincon and graphic-wise, we’ve been commissioned to design the 1st Annual Rincon International Film Festival happening April 22-26. We're also donating community time to design the 11th Annual St. Patty’s Day Poster benefiting ARF—Animal Rescue Foundation — and DANG art will be featured in Artistic Invisions Gallery.

Inside the shop, we hooked up with Uncharted Studio to silk screen our new American Apparel T-shirts for Women and 100% Organic Tees for Men. Our Café Press store is now open and features bibs to cups emblazoned with the beloved Banana.

Food-wise, we're excited to announce that Banana Dang now serves Banana Bread. After all, it’s only fitting that we have banana bread! They’re yummy and locally baked by "mompreneur" Robin. We also elevated our “Eggspresso” Paninis to feature Italian Focaccia — a great alternative to garlic bread with lots of herbs – and debut our feature drink this month — "Mango Lassi" – a traditional North Indian beverage blend of mangos, yogurt, milk and honey. Kind of like a cross between a smoothie and a milkshake. One of our biggest sellers is also our "Organic Granola Cereal with Hemp" sold in stacked Chinese food cartons. We even offer extra hemp for those in the know.

What is the biggest challenge of owning a food business in Puerto Rico? One word. Inventory. You basically have to order 3-4 weeks ahead for everything – not coffee — but everything else...condensed milk, soy, teas, peanut butter, cereal, etc. Even bananas don’t get stocked in the market on a weekly basis! Things travel s-l-o-w-l-y here and everything requires patience. After all, it’s the price of paradise.

Con Amor, T2 + Mario

Banana Dang: Primer Mes

2007-12-22T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hello friends and family, we miss you all and hope everyone is enjoying their holiday. It's been a while since our last update but we've been busy with Banana Dang in its first month of infancy.

It's been very hard work; no sugar coating here. We see it in our hands—calluses and all—as we put in 15 hour days with 2 hours of cleaning every night. But what a good month it's been. Working at Banana Dang is a bit like working at "Cheers." It feels like we've opened our home to all walks of life: some stay for 2-3 hours, others take their drinks to go. Regardless, we've met so many people from locals, tourists, to other business owners/workers and can even call a few "regulars" friends (Spike, Patty, John, David...)!

One of our very first customers, Spike, visited us at least twice a day in our first month. Spike is an "old school" surfer whose style is relaxed, controlled yet radical. Check out his moves in the photo as he surfed "Steps" about 5 minutes away from us. He is a big inspiration and we look forward to seeing him again.

In our first month, we've noticed that our best seller is the Vietnamese Iced Coffee, followed by PC use and Lattes, French Press Coffee, "Eggspresso" (eggs steamed with the espresso wand, served on a toasted bagel Panini-style) and "Dang Berry" smoothie (strawberries, banana, vanilla + honey blended with soy). The organic teas, Thai Iced Tea and Chai Latte have also been HITS!

Marketing-wise, we joined the Tourism Association of Rincon and placed an ad in local paper El Coqui. Our Banana Dang T-shirts have also been selling well so we will soon open a CafePress store to push other merchandise.

Life here is rich and rewarding. There are no stop lights in Rincon and horses ride by every day. It's a life not driven by material goods, but by the sheer joy of serving a good cup of coffee and surfing beautiful waves. We can only take one day off a week to surf and recoop, but that day is fully enjoyed.

Hopefully, we can write more often.
Feliz Navidad, Mario + T2

Abierto!

2007-11-21T18:21:00.002-05:00

The lights are on and we are home! The first few months were intense, but Mario and I are proud to say: “Banana Dang is officially OPEN” (first day of business was Monday, Nov. 19).

Already we’ve had a steady flow of curious onlookers—mostly internationals (from Germany, Italy, France), New Yorkers and local American ex-pats—enjoying some espressos and Dang-styled coffees and smoothies. The most exciting part was a few ordered straight shots...and you know how much Mario loves dialing in our La Marzocco! I had Vietnamese Coffee requests already and served it both hot and iced. The smoothies that seems to be getting the most attention are the "Green Tea Dang" and the "Nutty Dang." Our organic teas have also peaked the interest of a few locals, especially the appropriately titled “Chocolate Monkey."

The initial big draw seems to be our Internet offerings (not just WiFi—but actual PC computers for people to get on and check their Email).

Living on the island has also enabled us to offer the best Puerto Rican coffees—mostly mild in taste with chocolate undertones and caramel like flavor. Don’t be fooled with coffee beans grown in third world countries! We proudly carry our house coffee Encantos de Puerto Rico along with Hacienda San Pedro, Yauco Selecto and Cafe Rico Seleccion Especial.

Following the “Espresso Vivace” method—our goal with each cup is to reach the ideal 18-25 second-timed double-shots. But aside from our obsession with espresso, we do have a soft spot for our favorite brewing method—the French Press. We feel it offers a better coffee experience than an over-the-counter brewer (we don't own a Bunn Brewer—how "Third Wave" of us). For iced coffees, we soak fresh grounds overnight, pour it through a filter in the AM and then swirl it with condensed milk. Our customers say it’s beautifully sweet!

Our online and guerilla marketing will launch in a few weeks. Your advice and ideas are gratefully accepted. Please keep them coming and visit us soon...

Con Amor, Mario y T2

Rincon is #1

2007-11-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

We just got exciting news from the Puerto Rico Tourism Association that in the December 2007 issue of TransWorld SURF magazine, Rincon, PR was named the #1 "Surf Mecca" in the world!

December edition highlights "10 Surf Meccas"—the top ten places that every surfer would love to "live and shred." Rincon beat out exotic locales like Kuta Beach, Bali, Costa Rica, San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua and Santa Cruz, California.

Each dream surf town is rated on everything from cost of living to wave consistency and nightlife. Check out today's 8-10 ft swell...Obviously, too small for us! :) Now...back to work!

Banana Dang, Inc.

2007-11-03T16:06:00.000-04:00

FINALLY. We planned our business for 3 years before making the move so we knew this had to happen and there’s no turning back. It has not been easy but the PR gov't ARPE finally gave us our Permiso de Uso (permission to do business)! We are completely exhausted getting all the paperwork and permits together but ARPE gave us the green light after denying us twice for limited parking (they require 9 spaces—we have 4).

Thanks to the good folks at Lazy Parrot (a beautiful hotel 2 doors from us)—we can now open. Our 5 extra parking spaces are on loan from them so we’ll have to offer the official “Lazy Parrot” drink in honor of our neighbors. On top of that, we’ve heard it could take up to 3 years to get an ARPE permit—Getting ours in 2 months is “record time” for PR (say the locals).

What you need to open a food biz in PR (besides tons of patience):

Certificado de Salud (Health certificate)
Cuerpo De Bomberos (Fire certificate)
Endoso de Municipio (Municipality permit)
Permiso de Uso (ARPE government permit)
Patente (patent)
Certificado de Registro de Comerciante (merchant license)
Certificado de Exencion (merchant tax exemption)

…And before each application, you have to pay for a voucher.

Also, there is finally SURF in Rincon after several months. It picked up to 2-4 ft. (“fun size”). For those unfamiliar with PR terrain– some advice:

- It’s a reef bottom, beware of rocks, coral + sea urchins
- Beware of “sea lice" (they bite like mosquitoes)
- Like all oceans, there’s jelly fish
- Surf has push on the inside, but there’s a channel
- Water is as warm as the air: 75-80 degrees
- Locals are nice but feel it out before dropping in

Life here is rewarding. Fingers crossed as we plan to open in 2-3 weeks! Working 10-15 hour days never felt sooo good…

Con Amor, Mario y T2

Diary of a Startup

2007-10-07T20:54:00.000-04:00

Click here for more pictures of ADVENTURES IN PR

We are now “Rinconeros.” It’s still so surreal. We work from dawn to dusk—scurrying to make ends meet with the government, health and fire inspectors, vendors, insurance agents, banks and car registration personnel. The good news is we got the temporary approval from the Puerto Rico government ARPE to jumpstart our business. Our carpenter is nearly finished with the barista bar and we're anxiously waiting for our La Marzocco espresso machine to arrive. Also, it took 6 weeks to get the car but our trusty Scion XB finally made it, flat tire and all.

The busy tourist season is nearing quickly and we have less than a month to open Banana Dang—that means we have less than 2 weeks to clean the upstairs and move in, dust the downstairs, bomb the bugs, landscape, paint the exterior, get the sign ready for business, finalize the menu, install appliances and furniture, get DSL and perhaps...sleep!

It’s been quite the change to go from corpo world to urban refugee land. The roads have no name, the streets are narrow (built for horse and buggy) and defensive driving is a must—as Mario says: “Drive like they’re out to get you!”

If you want directions, you’ll get an answer that goes something like this: “Go up the hill, when you see the white tire, turn left then you’ll see the crazy dog, turn right and go to the gas station, make a left and then call me…I’ll give you the rest of the directions then...better yet—just follow me!”

Puerto Rican Culture 101:

• Honk only if you want to say “hello.”
• Don’t talk negative about anyone—they’re probably related to the person you’re gossiping to.
• If you’re a woman, you must be totally dolled up before even going to the supermarket.
• For men: Plucking your eyebrows is considered “clean,” NOT gay.
• If you’re 15, you can marry legally (many parents consent)!
• Patience is a virtue and must be practiced daily.
• Being an hour (or two) late for meetings is considered normal.
• In fact, meetings don't have a specific time, just a general one ("I'll be there in the morning.")
• Mosquitoes are part of the culture. Stay indoors during sunrise and sunset.
• Your word is GOLD. Here...reputation is everything.

Greatest thing about Puerto Rico is it’s “organic” by default. The import tax is so high on most things that you are forced to buy local, eat organic and even drink coffee the traditional way. You will never find a 24-oz triple hazelnut caramel macchiato no whip in Rincon. It’s the 6-oz cappuccino or 4-oz café con leche that sells.

Con amor, T2 + Mario

Bienvenidos a Rincon

2007-09-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, we wanted a big change and we got it. Rincon's bright blue sky, rich green foliage and crystal clear oceans is the perfect muse for any poet. You will experience all the colors of the earth here. What's most interesting is between 2-4 pm, it pours like clockwork everyday. We've settled at John and Yolanda (Mario’s cousin)’s guesthouse, Dos Angeles Del Mar. They've been so wonderful to us—cooking for us, driving us around the island, giving us room and board downstairs by the pool, which I fully take advantage of! Although Mario and I both caught a cold upon arrival, we're motivated to get Banana Dang up and running by November.

It’s been a month, but it feels like several. I have to admit that I miss my comfortable old life in SoCal but I do know I would’ve had many regrets if I didn’t leave to pursue a lifelong dream of opening my own coffeehouse very close to the beach—especially with Mario. My favorite new quote: “Every oak tree began with a couple of nuts who firmly stood their ground.”

However, a month in PR and I haven’t even touched the ocean! It’s been flat as a pancake or too big (at least for me) to surf. We’re also keeping busy readying up the biz: dusting, priming, painting, re-painting, raking, washing, chopping bananas—YES, we have two BANANA plants in our backyard!—all this in 85 percent humidity.

Our place is starting to come alive: A/C unit's been installed, driveway’s been paved, downstairs' interiors got color and we even picked out some cool modern furniture. We will soon make a trip to San Juan to get our La Marzocco espresso machine. We also met the Mayor of Rincon at his new building downtown where the municipality gave us the endorsement for our business. Next, the government has to sign off—then we have to get a blood test (required to serve food), took a health class and up next: get our patent! On the downside, the contractor who promised he’d finish our remodeling work before we arrived (plumbing + electricity) is a month late on the job. This is normal pace for PR. The locals “work to live—not live to work.”

Still, my only regret in moving is that I never learned Spanish although I'm picking up a little everyday. A majority of the residents do speak English, but whether they want to or not is another story. For a primarily English-only speaking citizen, it is fairly easy, however, to get by in Rincon (means “corner”). A lot of pro surfers and international travelers frequent this area and Americans from the mainland have opened several restaurants and shops in town.

Contrary to popular belief, Puerto Rico is no desert island. The Commonwealth of PR is a self-governing part of the U.S. where its citizens have the same control over their internal affairs as do the 50 U.S. states. However, they do not vote in national elections, only in national primaries. No federal income tax collected here, but as part of the U.S. legal system, most federal laws do apply. In Rincon you will find: Home Depot, Sam’s, Quizno's, Denny’s—even Pier 1. Surprisingly, NO Starbucks! Yes, the "big green" is nowhere to be seen in this part of the island.

We are getting a major lifestyle change: adjusting to a new culture, building a new business, and (for me) learning a new language. In mid-October we move upstairs into our home and in 2 weeks our personal belongings and trusty Scion will be arriving. It will feel nice to experience freedom on wheels again!

We hope this blog finds everyone well.
Con Amor, T2 + Mario

On the road to Puerto Rico...

2007-08-21T18:49:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE for more pictures from the road

Hello family and friends. We're alive, happy and well.

Leaving Los Angeles—and mainland USA—was a very hard thing to do because we have so much love for everyone in our lives. In so many ways, L.A. will always be home.

It's been 8 days on the road as we drive on the 10 Fwy to Orlando to ship our beloved Scion, which—by the way, has not let us down. Thank you, Toyota! We've stayed at some pretty moldy and stinky hotels that cost less than $50, but also some nicer ones with big pools and workout rooms. After all, you've got to have balance in life—even on a budget.

We wanted to "recon" as many coffeehouses as possible and stopped at various cafes along our route—averaging 300 miles (approx 5 hours) daily. Unfortunately, we don't have an MP3 player so our only entertainment was bad radio reception!

There were some highlights, including:

San Dimas, CA—Coffee Klatch is the home of Heather Perry, 2007 U.S. Barista Champion (she also won in 2003) and placed 2nd in the 2007 World Barista Championship. Unfortunately, she wasn't there but her trophies were as well as banners and pictures of her winnings. The cafe was comfortable, homey and quiet. Cappuccino was 16oz and tasted more like a latte but was decent. We'd come back just for you, Heather!

Tucson, AZ—Cafe Passé is a cute little coffeehouse located on a very hip street (with a natural food market, bookstore and fashion boutiques). Sabine runs the joint and she did a great job given the moderate store traffic and large space. The menu had "The Bruce Lee"—2 shots of espresso with condensed milk...my kind of coffee.

Junction, TX—Sunshine Cafe + Bakery has the BEST BANANA CREAM PIE we've ever tasted. "I cook food," says the chef, "the way food is supposed to taste." The salad was HUGE and so were the drinks. The "regular" lemonade clocked in at 42oz. Everything is BIG in TEXAS. C'est vrai.

Beaumont, TX—Frank's restaurant has been in business for over 40 years. Need we say more?

Gulfport, MS—No coffeehouse here but we just had to mention that two years after Hurricane Katrina this city is still in the dumps! Shattered and moldy buildings with roof tops blown off everywhere. It looked like a war-torn Third World country. We were SHOCKED. Is this America????

Tallahassee, FL—Bad Ass Coffee was one of the best-branded coffee chains we've ever been too. Their logo was EVERYWHERE in the store—from the ass himself (donkey mascot) to cups, stickers, T-shirts that read, "I love my Bad Ass attitude," and so forth.

Tomorrow we head to Orlando and fly one-way to Rincon, PR. We're anxious, excited and nervous, but most of all—motivated!

Adios muchachos,
T2 + Mario