Ride Down the Keys

I held the video camera with my right hand just next to my head. It provided a pretty good idea what the ride was like.

Arrived in Key West on Sunday, October 28, 2007

Link to Video of typical Days Ride, pretty good, puts you in the drivers seat. I was able to hold the camera to the right of my head and it worked really good. Like a Reality Show.

Bob and Cathy in Key West

Ride for Independent Coffee Houses

This ride is for all the coffee professionals who daily compete with giants; the plan is to find out how they succeed. What are the tools they use? Who are they? And those who will share their wisdom and smiles will I hope agree to be filmed and linked to youtube.com. We are riding by bicycle from New York to Key West and we are supported by my wife, Cathy Johnson, who will pilot the motor home.

The Plan, What's It All About, An Open Invitation, My Sponsor, Moral Support

Why do it?

First to visit independently owned cafes and coffee houses.

I am a coffee roaster by trade and will visit as many coffee houses as time and distance permit

See how they compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts

With their permission, share this wisdom with other independents.

Demonstrate that age alone does not impede physical activity

Demonstrate that we can all get back into shape regardless of what shape you are in now

Demonstrate that working with other coffee professional helps improve our performance

This is an adventure I've dreamed about for fifty odd years. And thanks to Al Caltabiano, Ric Principato, Rob Kraeuter and the gang at Kaffe Magnum Opus, I am now able to do it.

The Plan

I set out in mid-August on a bicycle trek from New York to Florida. My mission is to stop along the wayat every coffee house and café seeking to learn: how they succeed; what tools they use; who they are.The knowledge and wisdom of every independent encounter will be shared via a trip log, videos andphotos on the web site: www.rideforindependents.com.

What’s It All About

Bob Johnson's Ride for Independent Coffee Houses (rideforindependents.com) is my crusade to support the independently owned coffee houses and cafés that compete with the giant chains every day. This ride is for independent entrepreneurs who greet the day with enthusiasm and determination, greet their customers by name, and have a passion for coffee.

An Open Invitation

Everyone who has an independent spirit and a love of coffee is invited to join the ride. I plan to bike for four hours a day – the distance will be a function of the terrain. If you join the ride, be prepared to stop in every town, take time to taste some coffee, and maybe soak up some wisdom from fellow coffee professionals.

My Sponsor

Kaffé Magnum Opus, KMOcoffee.com, is a specialty coffee roasting company that sells to independent coffee houses and cafés. I started Coffee Time in 1991. Kaffé Magnum Opus was incorporated in 1996 and now sells to thousands of coffee houses around the country. I'm very fortunate to have a great staff and super leadership. Al Caltabiano joined us in 2007 as CEO and is bringing in talented people to help expand our commitment to service. Al has introduced several new tools to help retailers and has many more in development.

Moral Support

My wife Cathy is supporting the ride in our Phoenix Cruiser motor home where Ruby, our Standard Schnauzer, rides shotgun. This endeavor would not be possible were it not for Cathy's support.

Email: bob@gtc3.com • Cell: 609 247-9683 • Office: 800 652-5282 • Web: www.RideForIndependents.com

This site is sponsored by Kaffe Magnum Opus, the coffee roaster. To contact Bob please call his cell 609-247-9683 or e-mail bob@gtc3.com or bob@kmocoffee.com. Or call the office at 800-652-5282 and the folks there will find me.

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