Sixty-Six Beans

A Lil' Greener Everyday

2012-02-28T15:21:00.007-05:00

2/28/12

Hello all! We're almost into our third month of the New Year, and if you haven't already noticed, we've added some new things to our menu and lounge. In hopes of becoming more "Green," we're making use of the resources we already have on hand. Below are lists of what we're doing to...

...Minimize our "waste":

1) Re-using plastic bags from stores we've visited as To Go bags for you and your bulk purchases.

2) Sanitizing, recycling and reloading your redeemed Sixty-Six Beans gift card(s), and using them for new gift cards/Loyalty Cards.
3) Utilizing Facebook as a way to share "deals" and discounts. (Instead of creating paper punch cards that often get lost, and end up cluttering the ground.)

4) If you'd like to participate: Save your retail coffee bags for the next time you want to purchase some of our fresh beans for your home. Then, we'll refill your bag(s) w/ freshly ground coffee. (This will save from the paper waste of purchasing a new bag.)

...Create a "Green-er" (healthier) menu:

1) Powerhouse Green Drink: Filled w/ 13 different fruits and vegetables.

2) Avocado, Hummus and Cucumber Bagel Sandwiches. (Also available on Wheatberry or White Bread.)
2) Continuing to sell our yummy Vegan cookies, from Alternative Baking Co.

We hope you appreciate our efforts to become the best and most efficient coffee lounge we can, and continue to support us by spreading the word about Fair-Trade, Organic coffee in Charlotte Hall, MD!

Love Day 2012

2012-02-02T10:37:00.002-05:00

2/2/12

It's the time of year for bouquets of roses, candy hearts and more chocolate than you know what to do with! Aren't you getting tired of the same old routine every Valentine's? We thought so. That's why we teamed up w/ our friends at Tequila Grill to bring you an amazing dinner and dessert offer that we're sure will blow you away! Remember to stop in the week of February 13th to enjoy this awesome deal.

Chai This!

2012-01-02T12:42:00.004-05:00

1/2/12

Our Chai scored 88 out of 100.

Did you know that...
you can get more than just fair-trade organic coffee at Sixty-Six Beans? That's right! Besides lunch and pastry items, we serve awesome tea! Six of the ten varieties we offer are organic, and all of them are delicious. Our Chai Spice even won second place in a national competition! In the future, we'd like to host a Tea Night and let everyone sample the various teas we serve. For those of you who are interested, we are beginning to expand our chai menu and we've posted some detail information about all our wonderful teas below. All of this information came straight from our supplier MEM Tea Imports.

SIXTY-SIX BEANS Tea Menu:

Black & Black Flavored

English Breakfast
Ceylon Orange Pekoe (Premium)
This prized high-grown black tea is well-balanced yet exotic with bright fruit flavors, an apricot aroma and hints of rose and dark chocolate.

Earl Grey (Organic)
A premium gold-tipped whole leaf organic black tea artfully flavored with high quality bergamot oil (from the citrus family). This earl grey is soft, smooth and fragrant.

Mark’s Chai
MEM Tea's own recipe for the traditional Indian heavy bodied black tea with an exotic spice mix, including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.

Yerba Mate

Lemon Mate
Refreshing blend of Yerba Mate and organic Lemon Grass. The result is a delicate balance of citral aroma and Amazon vegetation.

Green & Green/Flavored

China Green (Jade, Organic)
This delicious everyday organic green tea with long twisted leaves yields a buttery liquor with a variety of vegetal flavors and a subtle sweet finish.

Moroccan Mint (Organic)
Organic China Gunpowder rolled green tea with a balanced addition of high quality organic Peppermint. It is an aromatic, rich and refreshing tea that takes sugar well.

Herbal

Chamomile (Organic)
A light, relaxing and soothing herbal tea made from premium quality sweet chamomile flowers and boasts an apple-like aroma.

Crimson Berry
This herbal tea is a lively harmony of hibiscus, elderberries, grapes, currants and rooibos, creating a fruity tea with a deep red color.

Rooibos (Decorated)
This organic red bush herbal tea is blended with blue cornflowers, orange peel and vanilla for a flavor that is smooth and citrusy sweet.

Iced Tea

Ceylon OP

A balanced and bright black tea from Sri Lanka with a fruity apricot flavor; good with or without milk.CAFFEINATED.

ATTENTION LOCAL TALENT!

2012-01-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

1/2/12

If you, or someone you know, is interested in showcasing their talent(s) then our space is the place. We have a few bulletin boards of various sizes waiting to display your art, and our walls are aching to hear the sound of live music. Interested persons should follow the link to our artist form. Then, drop it by the shop along w/ a few examples of your work, or better yet, e-mail us w/ a link to your portfolio or music page.

New art is displayed at the beginning of each month. We have LIVE! Music nights every THIRD weekend of the month, on Friday and Saturday from 7-9PM. Currently, we are looking for new musicians for the month of February. To check out the local talent we've got scheduled for January, view our Facebook event page here.

Thank you.

We can't wait to see the talent that's hiding in/around Charlotte Hall!

Holiday 2011 Drinks!

2011-11-29T16:28:00.002-05:00

We love finding new and creative drinks to warm your heart and soul. Here's what we've got lined up this Christmas and Winter season...

Minty Hot Chocolate Float
Yes, we said it! Rich, sweet ground Ghiradelli chocolate,and steamed milk poured on top a scoop or two (or three!) of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Sounds delectable, doesn't it? *(Mint leaf not included.) 

Peppermint Mocha 
Rich, sweet ground Ghiradelli chocolate, Monin Peppermint flavoring, and a shot or two of espresso mixed together w/ steamed milk. Topped w/ whip and crushed peppermint. 

Gingerbread Latte
Monin Gingerbread flavor, a shot or two of espresso and steamed milk. Topped w/ whip and nutmeg.

FALL FLAVORS STILL HERE!
(For a limited time only. While supplies last!)

Hot Caramel Apple Cider & S'Mores Latte

Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T08:54:00.003-05:00

11/22/11

HAPPY ALMOST THANKSGIVING! We hope this blog finds you all happy and healthy. My how time flies! It's been a lil' over three months since we opened our doors. What once started as a dream over five years ago has turned into a reality. We couldn't be more thrilled to be serving those in the St. Mary's Co area w/ some of the best fairly traded organic coffee this world has to offer. 

Being that it's "that time of year" to reminisce on what we're thankful for, lets give it up to our roasters at Square One. Boy have they been busy! Jess--one half of the team--just recently visited Kenya to bring back some new ideas and great coffee beans. She even had the opportunity to help out an orphanage there. How awesome is that?! We are so grateful to be a part of their team, and an extension of their brand. We couldn't have picked out a better pair of roasters if we tried.

Here are a few pictures from her journey:

Coffee cherries

Jess and one of the farmers, Richard Kimondo.

"Centre of Excellence" is right! Step #1: Sorting

Step #2: Weighing

Step #3: Pulping (cherry is removed) Step #4: Sorting

Step #5: Wash process

Step #6: Drying

As the great MC Hammer once rapped, "You can't touch this."

The End. Yaaaye!

To see more pics from her trip, CLICK HERE.

We hope your week is winding down quite nicely, and that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you haven't left town just yet, stop by and pay us a visit. Let us serve you a great Cup 'O Joe and bowl of soup on this chilly Fall day.

--Ashlee

Hello Autumn

2011-10-10T10:31:00.004-04:00

10/10/11

Hello, everyone!

Can you believe that Fall has finally arrived?! We can't either. My how time flies... Speaking of Fall, did you know that we have some delicious beverage specials going on this season? You should stop in and try them out. Bring a friend, too!

Introducing the...

S'Mores Latte

Starts w/ a shot (or two) of espresso combined w/ Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Monin Toasted Marshmallow syrup, followed w/ steamed milk and, finally, topped w/ yummy marshmallows and Ghiradelli chocolate drizzle.

Pumpkin Pie
Chai Smoothie

We combine our sweet Mem Tea Chai Spice w/ a bit of milk, ice and MoCafe Vanilla all blended together w/ Monin Pumpkin Spice flavoring and topped w/ sweet whipped cream, Ghiradelli Caramel drizzle and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Mmm mmm mmm...

Also available:
Pumpkin Pie Chai Latte
A beverage that combines half of our delicious Mem Tea Chai and milk steamed together w/ Monin Pumpkin Spice syrup and topped w/ a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon (for added sweetness try it w/ whip!)

And how could we forget everyone's favorite...
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Starts w/ a shot (or two) of espresso combined w/ Monin Pumpkin Spice syrup followed w/ frothed milk and topped w/ a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon (for added sweetness try it w/ whip!)

Hope these new Autumn offerings tickle your fancy.
See you soon!

SUCCESS: Our First Mommy-N-Me Monday

2011-09-27T14:25:00.000-04:00

9/27/11

Hello everyone!

Yesterday was our VERY FIRST Mommy-N-Me Monday and what a success it was. There were a little over a dozen little ones running around having a great time. We want to again thank local children's book author Faith Tydings for coming out to read to and entertain the kids. She brought lots of goodies for the children to enjoy. They had a blast listening to the stories, eating lollipops and coloring.

Our October Mommy-N-Me even is being planned right now. Please stay tuned and we will post more information as the date approaches. We assure you it will be another great time for you and your little ones. Hope to see you soon!

--Ashlee
& everyone at Sixty-Six Beans!

CALLING ALL ARTISTS/MUSICIANS!

2011-08-24T08:09:00.000-04:00

8/24/11

Our door is NOW OPEN. Yaye! If you, or someone you know, is interested in showcasing their talent(s) then our space is the place. We have five bulletin boards of various sizes waiting to display your art, and our walls are aching to hear the sound of live music. Interested persons should follow the link to our artist form. Then, drop it by the shop along w/ a few examples of your work, or better yet, e-mail us w/ a link to your portfolio or music page.

Thank you.

We can't wait to see the talent that's hiding in/around Charlotte Hall!

The Time Is Near

2011-08-01T20:14:00.001-04:00

8/1/11

We have been busy, busy, busy here at Sixty-Six Beans. Some awesome retail items have arrived. Our equipment's been delivered. We are so excited to FINALLY see God's plan for our little dream come true. Hopefully we will be up an running w/in a week! =D Another neat thing to mention is we are featured over at an awesome blog I follow——it's called She Breathes Deeply. After viewing some of our updated pics here, be sure to check us out on Mandy's blog here.

Hope to see you soon!
—Ashlee

SNEAK PEEK!

2011-07-16T16:55:00.000-04:00

7/16/11

Hi everyone!

We have been SUPER busy getting everything ready for our opening. It's been quite the journey thus far. God has surprised us along the way w/ random e-mails and phone calls from those in our area who are eager to help us put up drywall, paint, lay tiles, etc. This encourages us so much, and is a reminder that He's got our back. I've updated our Kickstarter project w/ a mini pic of how our space has developed along w/ images of our thank you items.

Please continue to spread the word about our lil' coffee lounge. We appreciate your support more than you can imagine! =D It's awesome to be able to share this process w/ everyone. After all, that's what being a part of a community is all about.

—Ashlee

Look at our Kickstarter page HERE!

Who Wants Some Cool Stuff?

2011-06-22T22:34:00.000-04:00

6/22/11

Hey everyone!

Sommer and I have created a quick promo/fundraising video to give you a little more information about what Sixty-Six Beans is all about—in case you weren't sure. We've posted it on this really cool fundraising website called Kickstarter. This site allows all kinds of people to raise funding for all kinds of things. The cool part is 1) If the project doesn't meet its goal by its deadline everyone gets their money back (100% guaranteed) 2) As a way to encourage funding, the more you give the more you get in return.

A few months ago, I helped fund one of my favorite bands Falling UP. They needed a lil' extra cash to record a new album and in return I got a few electronica song downloads and my name/webpage linked on their website. Pretty cool, huh?

To see what YOU can get from us, check out our Kickstarter page. We hope to see you soon. Thanks in advance for all your support! =D

—Ashlee

Calling All Baristas!

2011-06-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

6/7/11

Hello everyone! We are now in the process of looking for awesome employees to help us serve the great city of Charlotte Hall. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in working for Sixty-Six Beans, please have them fill out an application.

Simply clink the image below, print the forms, fill them out and either scan and email them to Ashlee at ms_sasska@yahoo.com or mail them to: P.O. Box 266, Charlotte Hall, Md 20622.

Thanks! We look forward to reviewing all your applications.

—Ashlee

Updates from Sommer

2011-05-22T15:46:00.000-04:00

5/22/11

Check out Sommer's blog here:
http://seasonsofsommer.blogspot.com/2011/05/catching-up.html

Now or Never

2011-05-10T20:57:00.002-04:00

5/10/11

This evening Sommer and I signed our loan to start Sixty-Six Beans Coffee Lounge!

As I went through my closet this morning——trying to figure out what to wear——I came across a nice white shirt that I hadn't worn in a while. When I took it off the hanger I noticed something stuck to it. After taking a closer look I realized it was one of the Sixty-Six Beans pins I made last Summer. =) God wink! ;)

I hadn't worn that shirt since last Spring and apparently I left the pin on it. I think God knew I would wear this shirt on the day we signed our loan. It was just too perfect to merely be a coincidence.

——Ashlee

"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is."

——Albert Einstein

We're Off the Ground and ALMOST Brewin'

2011-05-04T20:46:00.000-04:00

5/4/11

Yup, that's right. We got the loan——thanks to the wonderful folks over at Tri-County! Now begins the very exciting, and also very scary, process of opening up shop. It's hard to believe the time has finally come.

Before we walked into Tri-County we decided it would be our last attempt at trying for a loan for a while. We were burnt out and decided that if this one didn't work out we we're taking a break for a while. Before we went in for our appointment, we prayed that God would have His will and if this wasn't the right timing we wouldn't get the loan. Well it must've been the right time, because here I am writing this entry. Wow. Our dream is finally coming to fruition. After five years of musing at the idea, and about five months of anxiously awaiting news from banks, our lil' coffee shop that could finally can——and will!

For those who have been keeping up w/ our lil' blog and sending prayers our way we greatly appreciate it. We're not quite sure what God has in store for these two lil' art majors running a coffee lounge, but it must be something big. Otherwise, we wouldn't have made it this far.

As Sommer always likes to quote:
“God doesn’t call the equipped,
He equips the called!”

We've Got Some Work to Do

2011-03-18T19:06:00.002-04:00

3/18/11

“Ah coffee. The sweet balm by which we shall accomplish today’s tasks.”― Holly Black

I've got no idea who Holly Black is, but I agree w/ her. Each day I get a 'Daily Thought' emailed to me from REAL SIMPLE. I love their magazine——and reading cool quotes——so I signed up for this lil' feature. Today's quote of course reminded me of Sixty-Six Beans.

It is w/ regret that I write to you saying that we got denied for a small biz loan, yet again. =( Boo. Hoo. While we were accepted at one bank, their terms just didn't work for us. So, here we are. While this whole waiting process has been going on, in the back of my mind I've been thinking that getting a loan wouldn't really show God's glory. Unless they already had money, almost every business owner got a loan this way. Nothing extraordinary about that.

From the beginning, Sommer's said how she thought we could somehow get this thing going debt-free, meaning without any loans from the bank. (And, for as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to have an experience where something great happened because of God's help alone, no one else's.) Our ideas were to visit local churches and ask if they'd like to support a Christian-based coffee house opening in their area and to start a Small Biz Directory——which we've already had a few local businesses sign up for. =) Our assistant pastor also suggested serving/selling coffee on Sundays in-between morning services as a way of raising money, too.

Well, these were our ideas from the beginning, but we only went through w/ one——the small biz directory. Instead of letting the loan process simmer on the back burner while we went full throttle serving coffee at our church and visiting other local churches, we did just the opposite. We placed the we'd-need-God-to-REALLY-show-up-for-these-to-actually-work ideas on the back burner, and placed the easy-way-out-everyone-else-does-it-this-way idea first. I think that's why we've reached a standstill.

We——actually I'm not going to lie——I got too scared of what other people would think of our crazy God's-really-gotta-show-up ideas. I'm not too proud to admit that I'm mostly to blame. =/ I realized my lack of faith when my pastor said on Sunday that he makes God-size goals. Meaning, if he can reach a goal on his own then it's not big enough. Wow. Looks like I need to learn what it's like to make plans and expect God to show up, BIG time.

Keep us in prayer, because we refuse to throw in the towel just yet!

——Ashlee

Helping Hands

2011-02-26T09:51:00.001-05:00

2/26/11

Sommer and I have placed brochures randomly around the county and to local businesses who are participating in our Small Business Directory. Last weekend was the first time we had someone——who we don't already know——contact us about helping out. It was a woman who said her fiancé saw our brochure and told her about it. She contacted Sommer and told her that whenever construction time begins they'd love to come out and help tear down old walls and paint the new ones. How awesome and sweet was that?! It was nice to get some unexpected encouragement. That's what keeps us going sometimes. =) 

We're still awaiting the bank, but we're pretty certain things will be moving here fairly soon, and at lightning speeds. Keep us in your prayers.

Ashlee

Help Us Help You

2011-01-17T13:31:00.007-05:00

1/17/11

As a way to build strong community ties, we are putting together a Southern MD Community Business Directory. Because we want Sixty-Six Beans to be a community-centered business this is our way of helping to promote businesses in the local area while raising money to get ourselves off the ground and brewing! If you own a business, or know of anyone in the St. Mary's/Charles/Calvert County area that does, please pass on this information.

To fill out an ad request:

Click the form image above
Print and fill out the information
Write check out to 'Sixty-Six Beans'
Mail items to: P.O. Box #266, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622

Or:

Complete numbers 1 and 2 above
Scan and e-mail signed form to Ashlee (ms_sasska@yahoo.com)
Make payment through the PayPal Donate button on this page

If you don't have a business, but would love to have a part in helping to open our door, simply click the Donate button to the right and make a secure donation through PayPal.

Thank you in advance for all of your love and support!
Ashlee

Now Walk It Out

2011-01-16T19:12:00.001-05:00

1/16/11
Well, the nail-biting continues. We've read the unfortunate "We're sorry to inform you . . ." blurb two times now. However, we're still hopeful. From the beginning Sommer has always said that she wanted to open this coffee lounge debt free. (What a concept to have in times like these!) That would mean no banks and no loans—being that that's debt. At this point we are waiting to hear back from a bank, within walking distance from our location, where we've already set up a checking account. If we had to pick any of the banks to get a loan from it would be them. They have been the most excited about our place and even set out our brochures letting the community know about our plans and our need. What an encouragement!

However, while we wait we must continue to move forward. God has placed this desire in our hearts and the Bible tells us that sometimes we must step out in faith, even when we can't quite see the finish line. Last night, after I prayed for guidance in this journey, I read a great excerpt from my devotional. It said, "He knows the answers you are waiting for, which ones you need answered immediately, and how he will provide. Will you be bold and move forward, despite how overwhelming the task seems?" The Bible verse for that entry came from Genesis 24:45. When Abraham's servant was sent to find a wife for his son Isaac, the servant prayed that God would lead him to the right woman. That verse in Genesis says that before he had finished praying he saw his answer, Rebekah, Isaac's future wife. While my prayer didn't lead me to the exact answer I was looking for, it did lead me to the perfect devotional to encourage me to continue boldly moving forward.

I ask that you pray for us, and if you feel led, ask God how you can help us as we "walk it out."

Thanks,
Ashlee

Nail Biting Time

2010-12-30T12:29:00.007-05:00

12/30/10
OK so it's been quite some time—over a year to be exact—since I've update or revamped this blog in any way. A lot has happened since last August. We've found what we believe to be our location. The place has been inspected, permits have been signed and we're essentially ready to start tearing down and building back up. However . . . now comes the issue of funds.

Two weeks ago we approached three different banks in our area with our business plan and sales projections. They are currently being looked over and we should hear back from our first bank on Jan. 5th! This is the time when prayers would be much appreciated. Even if these banks turn us down at the moment, there is no doubt in my mind that Sixty-Six Beans will one day open it's doors. To me it's not a matter of if, but when.

Even with that said, of course our hearts are longing for this to happen now. Ideally we would like to be off the ground and brewing by this May 2011. If you in any way would like to help open the doors of Sixty-Six Beans please feel free to contact us. We look forward to creating a community atmosphere, and having the support of those who believe in our coffee lounge is one step closer toward making that goal happen happen. Thank you.

We Have A Dream

2009-08-17T16:07:00.004-04:00

8/17/09
Well it all started a long, long time ago in a tropical paradise called Hawaii... No really that is exactly where we were when my sister, Sommer, and I started dreaming up our coffee shop. We were on one of our day excursions with the rest of the family all packed in a mini van. Tired of getting in and out of the vehicle, we just started chatting. While talking about all the different things we'd like to do in life we somehow both came to the same conclusion, coffee.

You see, there's not much to do for young people where we live except party. Being I'm a young person and I'd rather do something else with my time, and Sommer has a heart for young people, we decided why not start a Christian coffee lounge? It'd be a place for young people to hang out, study, express their talents (w/ small concerts, poetry readings, skits, displayed artwork, etc.) and, of course, drink coffee! The atmosphere would be positive and uplifting, but without all the chessyness people often associate with the Christian faith. We want it to be raw and real. I would love a place like that to hang out in with friends and wish we had one now, but unfortunately we don't. Therefore, instead of sitting around and saying, "Man too bad there's nowhere around to go and just chill," Sommer & I have decided we're going to make it happen!

We've been letting these ideas simmer since September 2006 and we think it's about time we get serious before time passes us by. I decided to start this blog to let everyone know what we're up to, the ideas we have, how we're progressing and finally when we have our grand opening. We want people to get excited and support us through prayers, advice, and if willing, an investment in a great cause for Jesus.