The coffee shop downtown charges $7 for a pour-over now and I think that's insane

Last month I walked into Brew & Bean on Main Street and saw their new menu. A single pour-over coffee costs $7.50. Three years ago I used to get the same thing there for $4.25. The barista tried to explain it's because they use single-origin beans from a small farm in Colombia and hand-grind each order. I get that quality costs money but come on, that's almost double the price. For that much I could buy a whole bag of beans and make it myself for a week. I asked the guy if the price includes a gold flake on top and he did not laugh. I still go there sometimes but I stick to the regular drip coffee which is still $3. Has anyone else noticed cafes in Cincinnati creeping up their prices like crazy?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucasjackson1mo ago

Idk, have you thought about the fact that that $7.50 might actually be a fair price for what goes into it? I mean, yes, three years ago everything was cheaper, but the cost of good beans has gone up a ton since then. I see baristas at my local place hand-grinding each order and dialing in the water temp - that takes time and skill, and they gotta pay rent too. You could buy a bag of beans for the same price, sure, but you're also paying for their expertise and not having to make it yourself. Plus, the regular drip is still $3, so it's not like they're gouging you on everything. Maybe it's just me but I'd rather pay $7 for something made fresh than $3 for something that's been sitting in a pot all morning.

davis.adam1mo ago

Come on @lucasjackson, you're getting snowed by good marketing. $7.50 for a cup of coffee is still $7.50 for a cup of coffee, no matter how fancy the grinder is. That hand-grinding and water temp dialing is stuff the shop owner should be amortizing across hundreds of cups a day, not passing on to me as some premium feature. And let's be real, a fresh pourover takes maybe three minutes of active work, not exactly brain surgery. You could buy those same good beans and a $30 kettle and make 30 cups at home for the same price. The $3 drip is where the actual value is, and that's the hill I'll die on.