Awesome post this will help me.

I like how everyone is backing Philz. Except they only have blends and they're 'secret'. Right. You don't like blue bottle because you're actually tasting the coffee, it's not hidden behind some syrup, 'cream, and sugar'. Who adds sweetener before they even hand over the cup?? I dont think blue bottle is small or special, but I respect what they're doing. Cmon guys, don't talk about coffee like you're care if you don't even know what you're drinking...

I don't get it.

Tried blue bottle a few times.. Tastes like normal coffee.

Now Philz tastes amazing and blows every other cup out of the water. Which roast you get matters etc etc.

How is blue bottle even good? I'll try it again but if it's average again the verdict is in for me.

Kevin, we don't want to see ANY business in the park. Ever. Amen. This isn't a coffee issue. It's a commons issue. A comodification issue. It's an art issue. This has nothing to do with coffee. This is about the civic apparatus that make decisions here in the city of art and innovation. And we want due process. We didn't get it.

And we are fucking angry.

Guess what? Arguing over which artisinal San Francisco-based coffee joint goes in a San Francisco park is a fabulous luxury. And applying for a lease in said park is an open bidding process. If BB got there first, good for them. Four Barrel and Ritual had the same opportunity and they didn't take it.

Folks, our city is bankrupt, dirty, and losing jobs. Don't you think we have bigger beans to roast than this one?

What if BB was a publicly traded company? What if they had 300 or 400 employees? What if they had 10 stores? What then? Would that change anyone's mind?

Prop G protects us from "Formula Retail" with it's definition. 10 stores.

How BB can be a $20 million dollar a year company that's about to IPO and people defend it as the 'little guy' is beyond me.

BB is a chain store. So is Ritual. The idea of a chain store is in the marketing of an identical product.

So, I think BB is a chain store. I don't prefer chain stores. So I'm against BB going into the park. I'm not against BB, however. But I'm allergic to the horrific way that JF has handled this situation. And I'm disgusted with Park and Rec.

And I thank you for listening. I will push as hard as I can to get that trailer permit revoked through due process.

chicken

@JEFF.. yes BB is not Walmart, that is an obvious statement.. but they are also not the 'little kiosk' that could, at this point either. So regardless if people like/don't like BB... the point is.. Do we need and 8x12 foot trailer or two in the middle of the park? Do we need vendors in the park?
@MAT - glad your article reflected a little empathy for Dolores Park Cafe (who along with any of the other businesses in the area, will be effected by ANY business going into the park).. sounds like you love coffee. I was hoping your article would focus a little more about the shenanigans of the Park and Rec department than the the 'awesomeness' of Blue Bottle and their doings.
Yes, BB is great. Great coffee. Great Style. Great Business model.... but the the way BB and the P&R have gone about permits 'process' is laughable and has obviously blown up in their collective faces.
Maybe BB was just along for the ride and the P&R were like "yeah yeah yeah, no problem.. this is a slam dunk'... regardless, the whole thing now stinks and feels a little rude in regards to the surrounding businesses and neighbors.
I hate politics, but am planning on attending the community meeting on the 27th to see what everyone has to say.
A few of the article I have read online about this issue seem a little slanted against a few of the businesses that decided to speak up at City Hall, which is unfortunate..... a community forum where people speak up, and then they get the 'sour grapes' label? Unfortunate.
This is bigger than coffee, than BB, than competition... its about doing the right thing... and again asking yourself "Do we need vendors in the park?" Isn't Dolores Park already awesome?

here's the thing, kids. bb is not walmart. all this is about a little trailer that is going in the park, and it's not going to eat anyones lunch. if you don't like bb, how about this? quit whining and go somewhere you like better.

My office did a blind coffee tasting yesterday with 7 local roasters "single origin" coffees. It was touted as team morale-morning boosts. At the end whoever guessed where each coffee came from got a dining chip to Flour and Water. Best and Worst coffees were also in the pot. Tops were as follows: 1. Four Barrell 2. Site Glass 3. Ritual 4. Mr. Espresso 5.Blue Bottle. 6. De La Paz 7. Philz coffee. In that order. Swear

I realized we are followers of trends and media. I would have never placed coffee Blue Bottle or Philz as the worst. It was so unanimous that I realized I too had become a "victim" of perpetual publicity.

In agreement. Another stereotypical writer that jerks off to Blue Bottle in his sleep mean while stereotypically trashing other local business. Mission is very unique in that shop owners are unique and compliment one another. I love Four Barrell's coffee and what Jeremy built from scratch, I love Rituals "bookend" appeal that the Mat Honan refers to. Dolores Park Cafe is ridiculously cool and tasty. YAYYYY Blue Bottle for coming in and yet again piggy backing on other businesses successes and allowing the media to jerk off to you. We all love for that! Meh

No, no. That's not what I meant. Everyone enjoys bagging on Medjool. 

I was referring to: "Why would we want the 4th best roaster in SF in our 'hood when we already have the two best?" And: "The Mission neither needs nor wants these."

That's stereotypically Mission. Arrogant. Young. No sense of history. And in fact it does a disservice to the people who have lived in the Mission for years, who tended to be more open minded.

But in any case the Mission has at various points in time not wanted Irish, Germans, Salvadorians and Mexicans. In the 90s it was dotcommers and proto-hipsters the mission didn't want. There were certainly elements of the neighborhood that didn't want or welcome Ritual. (And still do not.) Just as there is very much of the neighborhood that deplores the skinny jeans and oversized glasses set.

You may not like Blue Bottle, but you're a fool if you think it's not a world class roaster. And you could make a strong argument that Blue Bottle helped make Ritual and Four Barrel possible. (I'm not saying that's true, but it's certainly a more plausible argument than the one you offer.) 

As to your third favorite San Francisco roaster: Ecco is owned by Intelligentsia, from Chicago. And they're based out of Santa Rosa. I believe that would qualify as bridge, tunnel and possibly even airplane. (Assuming I interpreted your "B&T" shorthand correctly.)

But they're amazing, and Andrew Barnett is a stone cold giant who has some of the best relationships and roasts some of the greatest coffees in the US. I love Ecco. I can't wait for its new cafe to open. You'd be an absolute fool to dismiss Barnett or Ecco outright simply due to zipcode bias, just as you'd be a fool to not want Blue Bottle in your neighborhood simply because you don't like some of its customers. (There's a reason the ad hominem is taught in every intro to logic class.)

I don't know you (and I'm traveling next week) but I'll offer you an open invitation to try a blind taste test of Blue Bottle versus a few other Bay Area and national roasters at my expense. I suspect you may, in fact, like it.

Email me at mhonan at gmail and we will hook it up.

If by "stereotypically Mission" you mean "sick of Medjool Beauty Bar B&T douchebags" then sure, it's stereotypical. Doesn't mean it's not true. Just like wishing I didn't have to hide at home on weekend nights to avoid the plague of these freaking people.

So does this mean that Blue Bottle is going to be selling their Tribal Aromas coffee here too? Or is a coffee that "smells like dirty brown people" going to be limited to their more-white locations?

Oh... the other one is Ecco.

Screw James Freeman and screw Blue Bottle. Philz still has the best cup in the City.

@Mat Honan That got a good chuckle out.

Yea! My three favorite SF coffee houses all on one street. Plus all the other great coffee shops in the 'hood. Now there is no excuse not to be over-caffeinated at all times.

Congratulations! You just won today's prize for most stereotypically Mission comment. 

(Also: Who is number three?)

Why would we want the 4th best roaster in SF in our 'hood when we already have the two best? Blue Bottle should stick to selling coffee to tourists and yuppies and other folks who don't have a sense of taste. The Mission neither needs nor wants them here.