OCS game-changer: ansā brings on-demand green coffee roasting to the office

There is a new piece of equipment coming from an Israeli technology company that could be a game-changer for OCS operators. Without question, the ansā Micro Roaster will provide participating OCS operators with differentiation from all competition, including other operators and online sellers.

Roasting coffee in the office – science fiction?

The ansā Micro Roaster uses artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced roasting technology to provide freshly roasted coffee, all day long, in a workplace. The Micro Roaster is an add-on appliance to existing bean-to-cup brewers, ultimately allowing them to accept freshly roasted beans.

“What we have accomplished with the ansā Micro Roaster is phenomenal,” said Matan Scharf, the company’s co-founder and chief marketing officer. “Anyone who understands the complexities behind coffee roasting will surely be blown away.

“It's super-fast, It's homogeneous. It's clean. It’s 100% automatic and it comes with the bonus of a delicate, pleasant and sweet roasting aroma,” Matan added. “The machine’s algorithms ensure full control over how much energy is being absorbed by the beans during the roasting process. This guarantees there is no temperature overshoot, and therefore no smoke, and no charred flavors in the coffee. Every bean is roasted to the perfect degree. I know it seems like science fiction, but years of R&D made it a reality. No one has ever roasted coffee this way.”

Operator investment: a small deposit

While the technology is impressive, the business model that ansā is offering to operators will have them asking one question: Is this too good to be true?

●     The ansā Micro Roaster is compact, designed to be placed above the brewing system, positioned just over the grinder, to allow for the entire drink preparation process to be fully automatic and streamlined - green beans go in, brewed coffee comes out.

●      Ansā management said they do not see themselves as an OEM trying to squeeze a profit from equipment sales. Instead, ansā is a coffee company connected to the MAE luxury brand, a large Israeli-based direct sourcing coffee company, with extensive ties to coffee plantations worldwide.

●      OCS operators receive the roaster “rent free” (with a small deposit) under a contractual agreement to procure the green, un-roasted coffee beans directly from ansā.

●      Operators will enjoy access to numerous single-origin, high-quality 100% arabica green coffee beans.

“Bringing the green beans through the operators directly to the point of consumption is a real game-changer,” Matan said. “Operators will be very pleased with the boost to their profit margins.”

An elevated level of flavor

“Freshness for coffee means that you are getting the most flavor, the peak of quality of whatever it is that you're tasting. In our case, we only source premium coffee. The flavors are very distinct and unique,” said David Bensal, ansā's food engineering advisor and the former chief technologist for the Strauss Corp.’s instant coffee division, where he worked for 37 years.

“For a lot of people who experience our micro-roasted coffee, it is the first time they have ever tasted truly fresh roasted coffee, and it clicks,” he added. “They immediately realize that it tastes like nothing they have ever had before. The depth of the flavor, the aromas, everything is there to elevate the end user’s cup of coffee to a new level.”

The ansā team: coffee meets technology

The ansā Micro Roaster was developed through a collaboration that is described by ansā management as a “team with a soul of a coffee lover, the heart of a maker, the mindset of a scientist, and entrepreneurs with a passion for creation and an obsession with perfection.”

• Yuval Weisglass, CEO: Israeli defense industry veteran and accomplished tech entrepreneur who co-founded and was chief technology officer of TowerSec, which was acquired by Harman (Samsung) in 2016.
•  Jonathan Scharf, COO: Founder of the “Q-cafe” specialty coffee chain in Costa Rica and founder of MAE, a direct coffee sourcing company and roaster, along with a chain of espresso bars.
• Matan Scharf, CMO: Senior marketing specialist with extensive experience working with multinational enterprises, including Check Point, Synopsys and Harman.

Senior advisors include coffee industry veterans Ami Shemtov, chief executive of the largest Israeli coffee company, and Drew Wolf, former Starbucks global treasurer and CFO of international and channel development, as well as the aforementioned Bensal.

Key component: Jonathan, the coffee expert

While the ansā team is heavy on technology, Matan points to their coffee expert and co-founder, Jonathan Scharf, as the key component of the collaboration.

“When you look up the word ‘coffee,’ his picture should be in the dictionary,” Matan said. “He has years of experience in the coffee world, starting from Q-Café chain of coffee stores in Costa Rica where he lived for several years.

That is where he learned the ways of the trade,” Matan continued, “and today he's one of a handful of people and organizations in the world who actually hold the entire coffee supply chain end-to-end: from the direct sourcing practice in origin countries (and even published a book on the topic), through the roasting factory and the very luxurious MAE brand that he owns, and all the way to a cup of coffee in any one of his retail stores.”

Sustainability on many levels

Matan noted that as ansā focused in on the idea of changing the way roasting was done and moving it to the point of consumption, several eco benefits and values started coming up to the point that today, “when we look at ourselves, first and foremost, we can say, ‘We're sustainable.’

“Not just sustainable in terms of being eco-friendly and green, but also in our approach to our business partners,” he explained. “We really think that a healthy ecosystem is an ecosystem where each part is contributing and receiving back from its counterparts.

“The green part is something that just grew as we were growing,” Matan added. “We are sourcing green coffee directly from the farmers, so we can make sure that they are getting a fair share for their work. We are using green coffee, so we don't need to package it in aluminum with vacuum seals - because green coffee stays fresh for a year, sometimes two years.”

Highest quality with maximum profitability

“One of the key elements here, is the ability to help OCS operators create a new kind of offering, without having to spend money on equipment. Instead of just selling beans that are certainly OK, but less than exceptional, plus the same old capsules and pods, we want operators to sell the highest quality bean-to-cup coffee, which should be most profitable product for an OCS operator,” Matan observed. “It certainly will be the most profitable channel for operators with our business model.”

Ansā's message to operators

Matan and his team have a clear message for OCS operators: “We are building a partnership. We want operators to know that we built ansā with the thought of the OCS operator as our partner in this venture. We are eager to meet with operators, get their feedback and work with them on making the ansā Micro Roaster a huge success for everyone involved.”

As a first step, ansā management is currently in the process of setting up meetings with a limited number of operators in New York and Atlanta, with an eye toward operating the first prototype ansā Micro Roasters in fall of 2021.

The entire industry will have an opportunity to see the ansā Micro Roaster in August. ansā management has announced that they will be exhibiting at The NAMA Show in New Orleans this August.

Matan Scharf can be reached at [email protected]

Website » ansacoffee.com

About Bob Tullio

Industry consultant and contributing editor Bob Tullio (www.tullioB2B.com) is a content specialist who advises operators in the convenience services industry on how to build a successful business from the ground up and advises industry suppliers on how to successfully connect with operators. Tullio’s YouTube channel, b2b Perspective, is designed to “elevate your business in two minutes.” Tullio is currently developing an online course, Leverage the power of LinkedIn to grow your business.

As he is a recognized industry expert in business development and sales, NAMA retained him to write and narrate their online course, “Selling Convenience Services,” which is now available. Use discount code B2B10 for an instant discount and for free access to upcoming Q&A webinars from Tullio in the coming months. Here is a free sample of the course.