I would like to thank Tarek Joseph for all the great pictures he snapped of Roos Roast at the Ann Arbor Festival of Films. Besides being a Professor of Geography in the Social Science Division of the University of Michigan you can find him at Eve Restaurant chillin with his posse every Thursday night. I want to share his perspective in this classic shot of an 8 oz paper cup hand printed by Mommer Dean, my mom. Nice work bro!

John on 03.29.07 @ 07:51 PM EST [Permalink]

How was the 45th Ann Arbor International Festival of Experimental films?
All I can say (after the last 5 days) is that watching, looking, listening, hearing and seeing will never be the same.

It dawned on me last night as I loaded up all the coffee supplies, being born and raised here and having gone through the Ann Arbor public school system in the late 60's and 70's I'm sure some of my more influential school teachers were definitely in attendance of previous Film Festivals.

Roos Roast was a huge hit! Warmest thanks to Kim Demyanovich and Chris Donnelly who worked the coffee table and added to the Flavor and Ian Gray for telling me how to put images on this blog when he should have been doing other people work. Also I would like to thank everyone who tried Roos Roast! The 5 days gave me much opportunity and some new stuff is brewing!

I'm already looking forward to next year. I would also like to thank Cafe Ambrosia and the Michigan Theater for helping me with the brewing when the crowds got heavy!

Remember Coffee Foolishness this Sunday April 1st. Coffee Class, tasting, Brewing doing it all and there is still room. Go to the coffee class section of the website to learn more.

John on 03.26.07 @ 09:12 AM EST [Permalink]

No boundaries Inspiration and free Roos Roast need I say more? Come on down people!

John on 03.23.07 @ 03:22 AM EST [Permalink]

The Film Festival kicked off in wild fashion everyone looked fabulous! The Music of Los Gatos featuring the Diblassio brothers Brian and Alan was to say the least stimulating as was the the Roos Roast Colombian Don Telmo Estate Reserva Bourbon. Coffee was flowing so freely that one person picked up 2 coffee canisters and started dancing. People where asking "What is it you put in that coffee?"
P.S. A shipment of new (more sizes and colors) great Roos Roast t-shirts just arrived, and The Roos Roast logo sure looks sweet in the trailer! As for home movies I present Mike Brown's latest!

John on 03.21.07 @ 10:14 AM EST [Permalink]

I don't know how many people read this before they come in to buy a car but If you are looking for me after today I will be at the Ann Arbor International Film Festival serving up some Sobering Brew!
We're living in a new world of Film and Video expression and if you want to see the cutting edge of this medium I'll see you at the Michigan Theater all this week. I was going to put a big note on my cubical glass explaining where I would be but the boss will pull it down as soon as I punch the clock tonight but he can't mess with the Roos Roast. Thank you to all who've bought coffee art and Subaru's and I just wanted to share what Karla and Jack Thompson (recent Scion XB buyers and local Artists) said when they drank the gift bag of Roos Roast they recieved on purchasing their new car.
Karla Thompson said, "I didn't detect any bitterness-very mellow and easy on the tongue-I was especially impressed by the smell of the coffee as I let it sit in the press with a small amount of hot water-before I filled the whole pot-full bodied. And, I have to say, knowing that you roast your beans in small batches not only enhances the taste-but is psychologically superior."
Thank you Karla all the way around!
John Roos

John on 03.19.07 @ 11:31 AM EST [Permalink]

Coffee’s gone corporate defined by the structure of marketing schemes and board members. We’ve seen cafes popping up donning the monikers of nature’s retreats. Rainy forests, fair trade colors. Lions, tiger and bears oh my! Coffee isn’t just something to drink in the morning and after dinner anymore. It’s a way of life, part of our fashionable get up, a daily source of satisfying that little thing inside us called the shopper.
Problem is we’ve lost taste. Taste can’t be read or learned in a crash course. Unfortunately the singular experience of taste is what’s missing from the whole food explosion currently happening in the American lifestyle for the last 10 years. Taste in food is based on methods and techniques, demand and necessity, availability and tradition passed over generations..
That is the reason for the multiplication of many cafes across the landscape. American food has nothing to do with taste. Nobody knows how to properly cook traditional dishes. It’s more about setting. Blonde woods, aproned staff behind machines and things. A blast of steam, pump some bottles, push the buttons, pour from a pitcher made of stainless steel. It’s all so magical.
And religious in it’s ritual.

A place to order. A place to pay. A place to pick up. A place to look at laptop and spy on people (possibly meet a stranger who irresistible)

What’s missing is the comedy and craftsmanship. Hands on know how of the small roaster striving toward that perfect cup. Sourcing, roasting, grinding, making and tasting the coffee.
That wealth of knowledge. That’s where Roos Roast seeks to fill a niche. For a sample of the coffee foolishness to come in the next coffee class this check out my latest Roos Roast Youtube video.

John on 03.16.07 @ 10:20 PM EST [Permalink]

Is it just self imposed the slight insanity I sense in the air these days? Astronauts in diapers, torsos in garages, muzak at work, micro managers, the Rolex after 20 years, the media that plays it? Where is the sanity? I'll tell you where it is. It's in the independent coffee and independent films!



That's why Roos Roast is supporting the 45th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival. One week from now I will be there everyday (using part of my vacation from Subaru to give out cups of Roos Roast in the lobby.)



I remember being at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and again in 1993 drinking coffee looking at films all day so I hope to relive the splendor right here at home in Ann Arbor.

John on 03.13.07 @ 03:17 PM EST [Permalink]