Don’t Dump the Joe

Waste not, want not. Get creative with coffee and recoup cash by sending less excess brew down the drain.

“Old” coffee still has many useful applications regardless of the altered flavor profile.

For many food service operations coffee is hands down one of the highest food cost items that we consistently waste on a daily basis. Even though each brew comes at a premium it tends to be the item that usually gets poured down the drain at the end of every service; to be replaced by a fresh pot for the next shift. When it comes to serving fresh coffee “out with the old & in with the new” is necessary. As business operators it is also necessary to think creatively to recoup otherwise wasted product. In this case the excess pour off that subsequently costs you money.

Do the math: If you pay $50.00 per case of coffee (which is a very low estimate – I’ve paid upwards of $150.00+ per case of coffee) and your drain pour is 10%, your essentially pouring $5.00 down the drain. If you use 4 cases of coffee per week your drain pour could be as high as $1040.00 per year! Yes, some operations use far less coffee while others use far more; the point is that reinventing an already prepared product is reinvesting in your business. Plus! It’s a chance for you to show your foodie prowess!

Being crafty with Joe:

• 1 gal coffee + 2 cups sugar + 1 cinnamon stick + low and slow reduction = coffee syrup
• Use coffee syrup in desserts, or as a dessert garnish
• Use coffee syrup in a cocktail…coffee martini with rosemary ash on the rim of the glass
• Marinate beef in a mixture of leftover coffee (chilled coffee) + garlic + herbs + balsamic + S&P
• Add coffee to your pork belly brine
• Transform into a JoeBQ sauce (bbq sauce with coffee)