When I'm in Vancouver I have a routine. I get to my hotel, go to bed, wake up, and then I go to Revolver Coffee, the best coffee shop in the world. Revolver is a magical place for me it seems to have everything you would want in a coffee shop from the beans to the music to the staff, which is why I think Revolver is the best coffee shop in the world. I wanted to understand why Revolver is just so good, so I caught up with father-and-son team George and Tarry part of the family founded and operate the business. And if we wanted to bring it down to one word, Revolver is about something that's even higher than the coffee itself and the one word would be, experience. It begins with a headspace that we actually love people, and love serving them, and love enjoying them enjoying what we're doing. Watching someone else enjoy themselves is really joyful. Some people say how many great cups of coffee have you had, it's like lots but I've had way greater conversations over those cups of coffee that were way more important to me.
“it's the ambiance when you walk in”
The coffee is great of course but that isn't that hard to do it's everything put together, it's the ambiance when you walk in, it's the attitude and part of the people working there, it's the music, it's the feel, it's the design, it's the transparency of the store, it's also the people that come in because all of the stuff I just described is not fully animated until people come in and then it becomes the whole thing.The closest thing I can relate it to would be like playing a team sport basketball you just know when it works and there's a momentum that you can build on. Well, when it's working essentially the entire store becomes a.., I don’t want to call it a house party because it's not as chaotic as the house party but there is that feeling of let's just go to Revolver and hang out and kind of see what happens. It is like a living organism and everything is in sync and you can feel it. I remember we were here after Christmas where everyone had finished all their shopping and they were genuinely relaxing and you could, everything was in sync, like the music, the people, the conversations, the coffee flow, it was the peak of peaks and when you see that all the time but then you see that super peak it's like the next level and I and I know that you know and people get it even if they don't get it, they go this feels good.
I love Revolver for so many reasons. It’s like Tarry says of course the coffee is great and it is, it’s absolutely delicious. It's not just about the coffee it’s about so much more, it’s about the design, it’s about the location it's about the city but mostly it's about the people. It’s about, that it's a family business and that the people behind that business are enlightened souls. It’s also the people that come here and they make a big part of it, and when all of that comes together something special happens. You can’t put your finger on it but you can feel it, and that’s Revolver. I love it.
Questions:
Part 1: Comprehension
Watch and summarize the video thinking of who, what, when, where & why.
Part 2: True or False Questions
a) True or false – Revolver imports special coffee beans from Colombia. T/F
b) True or False – Revolver is the most popular coffee shop in Vancouver. T/F
c) True or False – The location of the coffee shop is important. T/F
d) True or False – Revolver is a family-run business. T/F
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary.
a) "Magical" (0:13 min)
b) "Headspace" (0:49 min)
c) "Chaotic" (2:00 min)
d) "Enlightened" (3:14 min)
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (0:25 - 0:34 minutes) I wanted ________________________________________the business.
b) Fill in the blanks (1:15 - 1:25 minutes)The coffee________________________________________ walk in,
c) Fill in the blanks (2:06 - 2:15 minutes) It is _______________________________________________feel it.
Part 5: Talking Points
Part 6: Role play Scenarios
Scenario 1: Customer and Barista
In this scenario, one person plays the role of a customer visiting Revolver Coffee for the first time and the other person plays the role of a barista. The customer is looking for recommendations on the best coffee and wants to know what makes Revolver Coffee special compared to other coffee shops.
Scenario 2: Friends at Revolver
In this scenario, two friends are catching up over coffee at Revolver. They discuss their experiences at different coffee shops and compare them to Revolver. One friend is a regular customer and the other is visiting for the first time.
Scenario 3: Business Meeting
In this scenario, two business partners are meeting at Revolver to discuss a new venture. They discuss the importance of creating an experience for their customers that is similar to what Revolver has done. They brainstorm ideas for how they can make their business stand out.
Part 7: Writing Activity
The article describes Revolver as the “best” coffee shop. Use comparative language to compare 2 or more coffee shops in your town.
Part 8: Critical Thinking - Best coffee Shop.
Objective: In this activity, work in groups to identify the best coffee shop in your city or town based on criteria below.
Then share your findings with other groups and work together to reach a consensus on the best coffee shop.
Criteria: coffee quality, ambiance, customer service, location, price, and any other relevant factors
Answers:
Part 1: Comprehension
This video was made by John Quilter who is a British chef and entrepreneur. He talks about his favorite coffee shop that he likes to visit when he is in Vancouver. In the video, he describes Revolver as being a magical coffee shop that has everything you could want from a coffee shop. He proposed that the coffee beans, music, and staff are the main reason he loves it so much. After introducing the coffee shop, John talks with the owners Tarry and George and he asks them why they think the coffee shop is so successful. The co-founders state that they have a real passion for coffee and people and that they love watching people enjoy themselves. The state that the coffee taste is only one small part of the business, creating an environment where people can enjoy themselves and relax is most important. I think John created this video to show his love for Revolver, and perhaps to promote the company.
Part 2: True or False
A: False B: False C: True D: True
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary or phrases.
a) "Magical" Answer: I think magical means beautiful or amazing in this context as John talks about how good he thinks Revolver is and the different strengths of the business.
b) "Headspace" Answer: It means a person’s state of mind because in the listening the speaker talks about working with the right attitude and having a love and passion for the job.
c) "Chaotic" Answer: This means a state of disorder or lawlessness because in the listening the speaker says that the coffee shop is not as chaotic as a house party. He means that groups of friends and family gather in a place that has a good atmosphere, but without the chaotic elements of a house party.
d) "Enlightened" Answer: I think enlightened means a rational, modern, and well-informed way of thinking because the speaker in complementing the co-owners on how well they run their business and he states that it is one of the reasons the business is doing so well.
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (0:25 - 0:34 minutes) I wanted to understand why Revolver is just so good, so I caught up with father-and-son team George and Tarry part of the family founded and operate the business.
b) Fill in the blanks (1:15 - 1:25 minutes)The coffee is great of course but that isn't that hard to do it's everything put together, it's the ambiance when you walk in,
c) Fill in the blanks (2:06 - 2:15 minutes) It is like a living organism and everything is in sync and you can feel it.
Part 7: Writing (example)
Costa Coffee and Starbucks are two popular coffee shops. Costa Coffee started in London in 1971, and Starbucks began in Seattle, USA, in the same year. Costa Coffee has a special kind of coffee called Mocha Italia and offers British food like tea and cakes. Starbucks has many kinds of coffee and lets you choose different flavors, and they also have food like sandwiches and sweets. Costa Coffee's shops feel cozy and quiet, while Starbucks' shops are busy and good for meeting friends or working. Costa Coffee is very popular in the UK and is growing in other countries. Starbucks is all over the world. Both have loyalty programs: Costa Coffee has the Costa Club, and Starbucks has Starbucks Rewards, where you can get free drinks and other things. Both care about the environment and try to waste less. Costa Coffee is more traditional, and Starbucks is more modern and American.
