murkycoffee

updates

2008-05-09T17:18:00.002-04:00

Hey folks. Wanted to update everyone on murky coffee goings-ons.

Katie, Travis and I just returned from the Specialty Coffee Association of America's 20th Conference and Exhibition in Minneapolis. Katie competed at the US Barista Championship, where though she went too far over-time to qualify for semi-finals, gave a wonderful presentation!

If you're interested, you can see what the SCAA Conference is like by visiting the official SCAA Conference blog.

Also, we've received many inquiries about training classes resuming. We're waiting on some parts to repair our training machine, a 3-group Synesso Cyncra, so we'll have training info up as soon as we can get the machine fixed.

In the mean time, be sure to send Katie an email through cuppings@ (domain is murkycoffee.com), to get on the email list for our weekly cuppings. There are some lovely coffees on their way right now, and cupping continues to be known as the best tool to get to know all the nuances and flavors that coffee has to offer!

Finally, it's a bit late, but we wanted to wish Aaron and Elizabeth Ultimo happy trails, as they've moved to the Philadelphia area to start work on opening their own shop up there. If anyone's gonna figure out how to pair cheesesteaks with coffees, Aaron's the man. We'll miss you, Aaron, and we love you!

murky coffee capitol hill

2008-03-20T23:48:00.002-04:00

Link to today's Washington Post article

It is with great sadness, regret, and shame that I report that murky coffee capitol hill will not reopen.

The above article in today's Metro section of the Washington Post sums up our situation fairly well: due to my own financial mismanagement, and the DC Office of Tax and Revenue's inability to revise their figures to the actual liability in time to be able to re-open the shop, the shop has been shut down and will not reopen.

I again thank everyone who has sent emails and messages of well-wishing and support. There have been many questions, and I'd like to address a few of them here now:

Q: What about the staff that we've come to love and appreciate?
A: A few have already found new employment at other local independent coffee shops and elsewhere. A few are now working at our Arlington shop. The staff is grateful for the outpouring of support for them specifically.

Q: Will this DC issue effect the Arlington shop?
A: The two shops are separate LLC's and separate companies. As far as I know, having received expert advice on this, there won't be. I have contacted Arlington County, as well as Virginia's tax authorities, and we have no issues that threaten a similar occurrence.

Q: What happens to the tax liabilities, now that you can't reopen?
A: I am committed to resolving all outstanding issues to mutual satisfaction, and as soon as possible. I am not, and never have been, interested in not living up to our obligations. The problems in DC were due to mismanagement that spun out of control.

Q: Can I use my gift certificate at the Arlington shop?
A: Absolutely

Q: Will you open a new shop in DC? If so, when?
A: We are hoping that we will, though that would require that all outstanding issues with DC are resolved first.

Q: Have you engaged any DC Council members, or other people to engage the DC OTR?
A: We had spoken to a couple individuals involved in the DC Council, and may request support from Council members soon. However, and perhaps (at least in hindsight) foolishly, I chose to engage the DC OTR directly and being completely forthcoming.

Q: Why couldn't things get worked out and the store reopened?
A: The DC OTR Audit Division assessed (estimated) our taxes for specific months and years at amounts ten-times higher than the actual amounts, resulting in the $427K published figure. Until the actual amounts would be entered into their records, we could not negotiate terms that would allow us to reopen (we expected that successful revisions to those assessments would have led to our reopening within days of the original action). As engaging the DC OTR continued to drag on slowly, our landlords for the Capitol Hill store were understandably unwilling to wait forever as their property remained locked up. Therefore, they chose to evict us, according to their rights. Our landlords have always been reasonable and understanding with us, and there is absolutely no ill-will towards them. They clearly had no choice. It is unfortunate that the DC OTR could not work with us to allow us to reopen when we had a chance.

If there are any questions or comments, feel free to email me at nick@ (and then murkycoffee.com). Thanks again to all, for your comments both positive and critical. I completely deserve what angry commentary that I have received, and I can only hope that I will be able to re-earn your trust.

Sincerely,
Nick Cho

murky capitol hill updates

2008-03-17T14:58:00.003-04:00

As varying reports about the state of the Capitol Hill shop pop up in different places, I wanted to take a moment to clarify a few points.

- I'm still hopeful that the DC Office of Tax and Revenue will be able to work with us to get murky capitol hill reopened. That office continues to play hot-potato with us, and we're stuck in a now almost month-long holding-pattern, with a new "you need to talk to so-and-so" every few days.
- The $427,395 figure mentioned in the Voice of the Hill and elsewhere is our current "in the system" liability to DC, with the majority of that amount based on assessments from their audit office: from 2 particular months in 2006 for sales tax, and two filings for "unincorporated franchise tax" (which is like income tax on the business profits). Those assessments were for over $200,000 more than the actual submitted returns. All four of those returns WERE previously submitted to the DC tax office (they have the "true" filings for months before and after the months in question), but they were apparently lost by the DC office. ("assessments" are estimates by the tax office)
- Part of the "holding pattern" right now is that we need to correct that $427,395 figure down to the accurate figures. Copies of those previously submitted returns had been sent to the DC Office of Tax and Revenue immediately after the shop was shut down, but the Audit department there has played hot-potato (so to speak) with them ever since.
- I have never denied my responsibility to pay these taxes. There were mistakes made due to financial mismanagement in more than one way. That said, I have complied 100% with the DC OTR since this issue came up, and have dialed 202-442-____ phone numbers no less than 500 times (with 490 of those times resulting in nobody picking up), trying and pleading with the DC OTR to work with us to resolve the issues. To this date, we have made little to no apparent progress with them.

Thank you for all of the support and emails. I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone, particularly to folks who have left comments or sent emails that express some level of displeasure, for this whole debacle.

Stay tuned.
Nick

This weekend at murky capitol hill

2008-02-29T17:57:00.002-05:00

We submitted the requested information on Thursday morning, and our "case" has been sitting on someone's desk at the DC Office of Tax and Revenue since then. Today came and went without any apparent progress at that office.

We were hoping that we could resolve the immediate issues by today, but there was no such luck. Therefore, murky coffee capitol hill will remain closed through the weekend.

We're now hoping for a Monday or Tuesday reopening, but it's hard to be too optimistic about any sort of prediction right now.

Thanks for the flood of emails of support. Again, I'm sorry about all of this, and the supportive emails have meant a lot.

Nick

murky capitol hill

2008-02-26T12:53:00.002-05:00

Just an FYI,

We've had a hiccup with the DC Government, and were shut-down for a couple of non-compliance issues. We're in communication with them, and expect to be back up-and-running in a couple of days.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Feel free to email me with any particular questions or concerns. nick@ (you know the domain).

-Nick Cho

A little thing on CBS News

2008-02-18T21:54:00.000-05:00

Mid Atlantic Finalists

2008-02-17T08:51:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Mid Atlantic Regional finalists, especially Anne (of the blurry face) and Randy!

Live-blogging of the event to take place on www.coffeerevelation.com, courtesy our friends M'lissa and Ben, from Octane Coffee in Atlanta.

Finals begin at 10:30am today (Sunday 2/27)! Cheer em on virtual-style!

Mid Atlantic Regional Barista Competition 2008

2008-02-08T10:56:00.000-05:00

The 3rd annual Mid Atlantic Regional Barista Competition
Hosted by murky coffee
February 15-17, 2008
Held in conjunction with Coffeefest DC
Washington Convention Center
FREE and open to the public!

murky will have four baristas in the throwdown (Marianne, Allie, Anne, and Randy). Come cheer em on! Anyone can come to watch the competition free of charge. It is happening right next to the entrance to the Coffeefest trade show floor. The trade show itself is for trade only and requires paid admission... so if you've ever thought of opening a coffeeshop (or could fathom such a thought)... I guess you'd be trade! ;-)

New classes!

2008-01-10T03:01:00.000-05:00

Two new dates for our "murky coffee home barista training" classes!

Saturday, January 12, 2008, 1:00-4:00pm

&

Wednesday, January 23, 2008, 6:00-9:00pm

Click on "Training" at the menu bar on the left for more info!

New wi-fi at murky capitol hill

2007-12-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

OUT= Covad
IN= Comcast

The first straight two years (as in consecutive... not a reference to orientation), our wi-fi at the Capitol Hill shop was rock-solid. We had to reset our router an entire 3 times in three years. Then, all of a sudden, all H-E-double-toothpicks broke loose.

We'd have to reset the router and/or DSL modem literally 20 times or more a day. Even then, it wouldn't always work. Less reliable than an early-90's Packard Bell.

At the Arlington shop, we got to the bottom of the problem--the electricity was wonky, and a power-conditioner made for a much happier wi-fi router. Things have been pretty solid ever since.

At Cap Hill however, every piece of everything had been replaced multiple times. New wi-fi routers (literally more than 10), new DSL modems, new cables, etc. Nothing helped. To get more nerdy, we changed-up the channels on the 802.11x, we changed-up the router from 802.11B/G to pre-N. Belkin, Netgear, Apple Airports, etc. Nothing helped. Thought maybe the wi-fi was getting interference from other stuff around, but not much we can do about that beyond changing up channels.

So the only thing left to do was to boot the DSL out altogether.

Comcast is universally hated to levels once only known by such pillars of consumer contempt
as CVS or (if you're a guy with a wife or girlfriend with an eye for "chabby chic,") Anthropologie. However, we're gonna give them a go, only because it's literally the last resort.

If this doesn't work, we're going back to dial-up folks. Seriously. That's the only other solution.

Haven't used the word "baud" in over a decade.

murky t-shirts are on the way!

2007-12-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

Our new crop of murky coffee t-shirts are on the way!

A ladies'-cut yellow on black version of our popular 2005 design, an argyle pattern t-shirt with a twist on our logo, and the obligatory DC non-state flag design on a baseball raglan.

Coming soon... very limited quantities and sizes, so get them while they're hot!

The Five Dollar Hot Chocolate Update

2007-10-25T19:22:00.000-04:00

Just so y'all know, we dodged a major bullet this past week.

We called our secret Oompa-Loompa Chocolate Supplier (O.L.C.S.) for our first order of Five Dollar Hot Chocolate of the year last week. You can imagine my shock and disappointment when I was told that they ceased wholesale operations entirely.

I cried. I begged. I plead. I pledged my future offspring.

Apparently they felt that they needed to re-establish quality standards for their beautiful chocolates, and they were seeing less-than-ideal handling practices by many of their resellers.

So the bad news is, our O.L.C.S. has indeed ceased all wholesale distribution.

The good news is, they've decided to make an exception, but only for us.

The moral of the story is: The Five Dollar Hot Chocolate is BACK! The deal is the same as it's always been: 12 ounces, FIVE dollars, no modifications, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

If I ever have more children, y'all owe me big time.

Goodrow by Edwards

2007-10-24T02:07:00.001-04:00

The art of the barista is not limited to the cup...

...thanks Travis!

By the way folks... Katie Duris was awarded 4th place at the 2007 South East Regional Barista Competition! A great first-time placement!!! We're SO proud!

The 2007 South East Regional Barista Competition

2007-10-21T00:18:00.000-04:00

We're at the end of Day 2 of the 2007 SERBC, and our lone murky representative, Ms. Katie Duris, is putting her head down on her pillow before competing in the Finals Round tomorrow. She rocked the house down here in Clearwater FL, and made it from the Round-of-20 to the Round-of-6.

She competes at about 11:15am tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Send some positive vibes down to Katie for tomorrow morning!!!

murky coffee barista training dates

2007-09-10T03:33:00.000-04:00

Join Aaron Ultimo, murky's Director of Coffee Quality, for an upcoming "murky coffee home barista training" class!

We have two upcoming dates: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 (6-9pm) and Saturday, September 29, 2007 (1-4pm), where Aaron and an assistant instructor will teach the class of six coffee enthusiasts all about coffee, and how to grind, dose, level, tamp, and pull espresso on our world-class equipment.

We've had some very happy graduates from the "home barista class," so sign up now and improve your barista skills now!

Click on the "Training" button at the left menu bar for more information.

murky arlington in a commercial

2007-09-08T19:21:00.000-04:00

This is too funny.

Price change... notice to customers

2007-08-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

August 17, 2007

Dear murky coffee customer,

We hope that you've enjoyed the quality of coffee experience that murky coffee offers every day; we've definitely enjoyed serving you.

For better or worse, there are certain realities that we all face, and one of those is that the numbers don't lie.

Over the past few years of our service to you, especially since our last price increase two years ago, the costs involved in delivering to you the best coffee experience we can have increased significantly--from the costs of every ingredient (especially our coffee beans and our milk), to fuel surcharges, to rent, to the cost of the additional training that every murky coffee barista undergoes.

As a result, and as you can see, we have needed to raise our prices.

We hope that you will continue to find value in what we serve you, and we in turn pledge to remain ever committed to providing you the best coffee experience that we can, continuing to improve our quality of service in every way we can.

As always, feel free to contact me for any comment or questions.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cho
President and Head Barista
nick@murkycoXXee.com (to prevent spam, please change XX to "ff")

Super-limited offering: Panama Boquete Hacienda La Esmeralda Especial

2007-07-20T13:24:00.000-04:00

We are excited to announce a super-limited offering of the fabled Panama Boquete Hacienda La Esmeralda Especial. Available as a french press ($4 for small, $7 for large) or 12 oz. of whole bean ($45).

This very special coffee is a direct-purchase acquisition of the same coffee that has, year after year, shattered international coffee auction price records, and that has won the top honors at the annual SCAA Cupping Pavilion for the past three years.

Amazingly floral with flavors of bergamot, jasmine, and orange blossom, the mythical coffee bean varietal known as Gesha is really like no coffee we've tried before.

We have a very limited quantity of this coffee: 9 bags (12 oz each) per store. Come and get a taste while you can!

Independent Coffee Shop Day Holiday

2007-07-03T11:34:00.000-04:00

We just found out that July 4th is "Independents Day," which we can only interpret to mean "indie coffeeshop day." We'd like to thank the Congress-people who passed the law, whenever it was, to create a holiday just for us! We raise our cappuccino cups to you, Mr. John Q. Lawmaker!

In return, we're going to shorten our work-day by 6.5 hours. So both murky coffee locations will be on a July 4th Indie Day schedule: Open at 8:00am, close at 3:30pm.

Now if only someone would like... I dunno... light a firecracker in our honor or something....

More at zacharyzachary.com

2007-06-02T10:21:00.001-04:00

... zacharyzachary.com

A small gesture...

2007-05-06T09:01:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to last week's post, we've been asked to join a group of Eastern Market businesses in supporting our neighbors whose businesses have been displaced by the fire. We're honored to be able to contribute, even in this small way.

So on Tuesday, May 8th, 10% of all revenue, all day, at BOTH shops, will be donated to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.

Read about it here and here.

We also ask that you consider a direct contribution to the Foundation.

Thanks, and keep our Eastern Market neighbors in your thoughts and prayers.

Meanwhile, Katie and I compete in the semifinals (round of 25) of the US Barista Championships today. We'll find out if we made it to the final round of 6
at about 7:30pm Pacific time. Cross your fingers and toes for us!!!

Tragedy

2007-04-30T18:05:00.000-04:00

We at murky coffee are absolutely heartbroken at this morning's tragic fire at Eastern Market. To us, as to many in our community, Eastern Market is more than a building with shops, more than historic architecture... Eastern Market is our neighbor and friend, and within its walls have been many more neighbors and many more friends.

We are committed to helping our neighbors in any way that we can, up until the moment that the doors of Eastern Market reopen for business. After that? Those dudes are on their own! (just kidding... but we only dare to joke because it WILL be back!)

(photos by Trey Hicks)

Cupcake Alert!

2007-04-23T15:19:00.001-04:00

We're psyched to announce that starting today, we're serving cupcakes along side our coffee and other pastry offerings.

These moist and delectable cupcakes are from "Bakeshop DC" by Justin Stegall. Justin moved back to the area after baking in the NYC area, and he's looking to bring some new sweetness to DC. While he looks for a retail location in DC or Arlington, he'll be delivering his cupcakes fresh to both locations.

In addition to the cupcakes, these next few weeks are big ones for murky. We're proud to be featured in this month's Imbibe Magazine, in an article about up-and-coming coffee cities, where there is mention of another big deal: The Liberty Tavern has opened, just a block up the hill from our Arlington/Clarendon shop. We're honored to collaborate with the folks at The Liberty Tavern on their coffee menu, where they will be offering exclusively french press coffees, from a specially selected seasonal menu of our single origin coffees, ground fresh and prepared properly: the perfect end to a perfect meal. Great food... great beer (they have a GREAT selection)... great coffee... what more could you ask for?

The first weekend of May is important for us: Katie and Nick travel to Long Beach, California to represent the east coast in the 2007 US Barista Championships, held in conjunction with the Specialty Coffee Association of America's Conference and Exhibition. We're both practicing hard, and will compete in the semi-finals on Sunday the 6th (semi's because we've won the South East and Mid Atlantic regional competitions). Wish us luck!

There are other little changes and tweaks to the murky shops and menu that are coming soon... Spring is a new season, and usually brings new things! Stay tuned.

Thanks as always for your continued love and support. We do work hard to give you the best coffee experience that we can, and folks have taken much time to show us how much that's appreciated... and we can't thank you enough for that. Now, log off the dang Interweb and go get yourself a nice cupcake!

An article to read if you haven't already...

2007-04-09T17:04:00.000-04:00

This article arouses interesting emotions and thoughts. Check it out.

Pearls Before Breakfast
Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out.
By Gene Weingarten
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2007; Page W10

Easter

2007-04-05T09:56:00.000-04:00

Holy moly, Holy Week is upon us!

Both murky coffee locations will be closed for Easter Sunday. We might look like a bunch of h*ll-bound heathens, but this Sunday (if you can find us) we'll be in our best floral-print and seersucker from head to toe.

So to everyone, Happy Easter! (a.k.a. Happy Passover! a.k.a. Happy 265-days until Kwanzaa! a.k.a. Happy "Pact of Delhi" Day! a.k.a. Happy Birthday Izzy Stradlin!)