Hello there, coffee gourmets!
We are glad to have you on board with us one more week. Creating a tycoon video game requires some research into the subject matter, and this was no exception for Coffee Shop Tycoon. It wasn't a particularly hard task for us to get started as we've always been big fans of this delicious beverage but, indeed, we did have to analyze the most relevant aspects of managing a cafe and learn a lot of new concepts in no time. Today we're sharing this knowledge with you all in a short list of 5 things we learned from the coffee shop industry. Let's get started!
It takes a world to produce a good cup of coffee
The production of coffee is a fascinating topic! It takes between 4 to 7 years for a coffee tree to reach maturity; at that point, it produces cherries that can be harvested by hand or through machinery. These cherries are then processed to remove the outer layers of the fruit, revealing the coffee beans we all know and love. Coffee roasters purchase these raw seeds to extract their best properties to produce high-quality coffee. The final tasting profile will depend both on the coffee's origin and the roaster's goals.
But we are not done yet; the barista takes the coffee to the finish line. There are many brewing practices, each producing an exciting outcome. If you take the same coffee and compare the flavor of espresso vs. a pour-over, you will immediately notice how different even the same coffee can taste.
So, as you can see, producing a good cup of joe is very complex. Next time you find yourself enjoying this glorious drink, think about all the work that went into it to give you that experience.
Light roasted and dark roasted coffee have the same amount of caffeine
Contrary to popular belief, the process of roasting doesn't change the amount of caffeine in each coffee bean. The only thing that will affect the amount of caffeine in your drink is how many beans you use to brew it. Here is where it becomes interesting!
Depending on how you measure your coffee, you might end up with more caffeine or not. Dark roasted coffee beans are larger in volume since they have expanded with heat but weigh less. Consequently, if you measure your coffee by volume, dark roasted coffee will mean fewer coffee beans than light roasted coffee, hence producing a less caffeinated drink. But if you measure by weight, since each dark roasted coffee bean weighs less, you will end up with more coffee beans and, therefore, more caffeine than a light roasted coffee.
Good quality water is just as important as good quality coffee
This might be obvious, but oftentimes you don't give it a second thought. If you want to taste a coffee flavor that is only driven by the coffee properties, try to filter your water. Tap water has chemicals to prevent the growth of bacteria. The smell and taste of these chemicals can ruin a wonderful cup of coffee.
Coffee can go extinct with climate change
Coffee can only be produced in some parts of the world. It is susceptible to temperature, light, and humidity levels. It is estimated that rising temperatures due to climate change can reduce the areas suitable to produce coffee by 50%. This will not only affect the amount of coffee we produce but also the flavor. The soil, elevation, and conditions of each region give the coffee its distinct flavors and aromas. If the weather changes, coffee will need to be produced at different altitudes, changing its properties.
You have probably only tasted Arabica coffee
There are two major types of coffee, Robusta, and Arabica. Depending on where you live, you might have only tasted Arabica coffee. Before arabica coffee started to be associated with quality, it was common to come across supermarket coffee that used Robusta as a filler. Nowadays, Arabica is considered the standard and a higher quality coffee, so it is hard to come by Robusta beans.
Some community members are familiar with these ideas since they have worked in cafes and restaurant businesses for many years, so we’d love to know their points of view. After all, tycoon games should be all about a balanced mix of expertise in the topic to address and lots of crazy ideas to turn the usual tasks and work routines into a super fun gaming experience. We think Riff Studios is on the right way when it comes to achieving this, but a little push never hurts!
With all that said, the only thing left is encouraging you both experts and fans to express your thoughts on this in the comments section, or maybe the DIscussions area. Also, there’s a wonderful community server on Discord that you can join today — this is the best time to do it because we are on the verge of many interesting changes in its structure!
Enjoy your coffees, we’ll see you in the next entry!
Riff Studios