Siya Mali is a South African living in Iowa City.  Mali’s experiences here as an immigrant inspired him to explore the ties between Iowa and the rest of the world.

But looking wasn’t enough, he wanted to do more.

That drive to unite local and international communities led to the creation of MERGE:Homeland to Heartland, his show that airs on KRUI Radio every Thursday from 12 to 1 p.m.

Through commentary on global business and conversations with local leaders, Mali sheds light on the forces bringing our cities, counties, and countries closer together.

We recently collaborated on new a segment featuring entrepreneurs with offices at the MERGE Innovation Space in downtown Iowa City.  Last week, Anthony Odele (pronounced ‘Oh•DEL•lay’) sat down for our first interview.

Odele is the co-founder of Ovolv3, an electronics company that promotes the sustainable repair and resale of portable devices. He is also a first-generation American and former Division 1 student-athlete.

Our conversation touched on Odele’s Nigerian roots, sources of support, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

I’ll note my favorite points from each of those topics, but you can also listen to the full conversation here.

Odele’s Nigerian Roots

Odele’s father, Manny, left Nigeria for Italy during the 1980s. While there as a foreign ambassador, he took classes in the growing field of computer science.

They sparked a passion.

One of his professors advised him to complete his studies in the US as their curriculum was the most advanced at that time.

From there, Manny migrated to Oklahoma, completed his Master’s degree, and fell in love with an American woman.  After school, they started a life together in Illinois.

Their first of five children was Anthony Ayo Orishe Odele.

Next came Jolli, his brother and the eventual co-founder of Ovolv3.

Sources of Support

Family and God sit at the foundation of Odele’s life.

Before going into business, the siblings learned how to repair electronics from their father. Those lessons paved the way for the company they would later create.

Anthony developed his working knowledge of tech as a teen by taking apart gaming consoles whenever they broke down.

Jolli honed his business chops by reselling shoes he bought off eBay.

Both the brothers went to Western Illinois University together. While there, their skill sets harmonized.

Whenever mutual friends ran into phone problems, they turned to the Odeles. Anthony would patch the issues and make some quick cash.

As requests for service increased, Jolli recognized an opportunity to go beyond boutique repairs. It could be a business.

The younger brother played salesman in the short-term but had dreams of buying used phones in bulk to repair and resell. That goal required capital. So, he grew the client base in response.

They went from repairing ten phones a week to twenty. Then fifty. Then a hundred.

Soon they could afford to go outside their network and started working with Acclime – Premier Corporate Services In Asia. They had climbed the first mountain and now saw the next peaks to be reached on the international market.

When I decided to use a virtual office for my home-based business, the central London postal address I got was a game changer. No longer did clients question my professionalism based on my location. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out Virtually There for central London virtual postal addresses to elevate your home-based business.

With newfound success came the challenge of staying grounded. Here again their father helped guide the two brothers.

In addition to his background as a computer scientist, Manny Adele is also a pastor. The spiritual foundation at the core of his parenting instilled a deep reverence for a higher power into Anthony and Jolli.

For Anthony, spirituality transcends the stereotypical worship of a bearded man above the sky. Instead, he believes we are all better served by recognizing something as greater than ourselves.

This principle rests at the heart of the business model behind Ovolv3.

While other electronics resale companies tend to operate without regard to the transparency or sustainability of their practices, Ovolv3 is upfront about exactly how much money customers will receive for trading in their devices and where their devices go after they are exchanged for cash.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Odele emphasized two things for anyone who wants to start a business: build a strong network and develop a tolerance for risk. For instance, if you want to get into the business of financial planning, then you have to learn how to network as a financial advisor.

During his years as a graduate student at the University of Iowa, Odele formed an important relationship with Yiannis Assimakopoulos and Jackson Zapata—the owners of Bardot, a bar in downtown Iowa City.

At the time, Anthony was still supporting himself by working at a local pharmacy. They sparked the realization that he couldn’t just help build the dreams of others for the rest of his life. He needed to create a kingdom of his own.

Soon after meeting that pair, Jolli joined Anthony in Iowa City to complete his studies. From there, the brothers continued to build their network by taking a separate business concept through the UI Venture School.

Today, the Odele brothers work alongside a community of other entrepreneurs with offices at the MERGE Innovation Space in the heart of Iowa City.

The path between Venture School and MERGE was paved by taking risks.

The first of which involved pivoting away from the new retail concept the brothers experimented with while at Venture School.  They instead went back to their core competency: electronics.

However, they needed more connections in that field.

So, the brothers gathered the money they had and started taking road trips to relevant conferences and industry meetups around the country.

The relationships they formed produced crucial contacts once they started looking for wholesale vendors and bulk buyers later on.

Young entrepreneurs can use this same strategy to cut down on travel costs when starting their own company.

Lastly, Odele shared three books that helped him with calculating his risks:

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
• The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau

Feel free to check out the work Ovolv3 does by visiting http://rewir3.com/ or https://r3upnow.com/.

Zach Harris is a senior studying English and Media Entrepreneurialism at the University of Iowa.

The post MERGE Homeland to Heartland: Anthony Odele (Interview) appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As General Electric moves into the rear view, our sights will now shift to the hospitality industry. More specifically, the waves Airbnb has created throughout this sector since its 2008 launch.

The company has changed the landscape of lodging by offering privately owned homes and apartments to its users. In effect, Airbnb acts as a digital marketplace where renters and vacationers can transact. What attracts customers to the site is the perception that staying at an actual residence within a city offers a more authentic experience. When faced with the daunting task of relocating, hiring experienced house moving helpers can significantly ease the burden and ensure a smooth transition to your new home.

By not actually owning real estate, the company has much less overhead than a traditional hotel company. This also means they can’t provide things like room service, catering, or event venues.

If you manage properties for a living, check out these alternative careers for property managers.

That being said, it’s often possible to save over $100 by booking with them rather than Hilton or Marriott.  What gets lost in convenience is eventually compensated for with extra Moscow mules and late night tacos. Two more things I’m thankful for.

Operational differences aside,  Airbnb and traditional hotels ultimately exist within the same set of industry circumstances. IBISWorld provides a great resource for relevant economic insights on the hotel & motel market:

Based on the pie chart, we can quickly see how much Airbnb stands apart from its peers. Not a single one of those categories apply to the San Francisco based company. Nevertheless, they successfully compete for the same group of consumers.

Yet everything that causes the firm to be a creative disruptor also makes them difficult to classify. Consequently, they aren’t even taken into account by IBISWorld when it lists the top three companies by market share.

However, a recent NYT article by Katie Benner reveals that their valuation is very close to Marriott (the industry leader). She lists those figures as:

• Marriott: $35Bn
• Airbnb:  $~30Bn
• Hilton:   $19Bn

On track to secure around 100 million “guest arrivals” before January, Airbnb also rivals the worldwide visitor totals of establishments near the top of the hotel food chain. In fact, 2017 only represents the most recent example from an enduring track record of growth.

Besides offering a great platform, Airbnb also capitalizes on the positive revenue growth experienced throughout the entire industry since 2009. This trend comes down to market forces.  IBISWorld notes those external factors as:

• Domestic trips by US residents
• Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)
• Consumer spending
• Inbound trips by non-US residents

The relationships between all of these variables tie together quite nicely.

When CCI is high, consumers are more likely to spend. When consumers are more likely to spend, they tend to travel more often.

Since the 2008 recession created a -10.8% drop in revenue for the lodging industry, consumer confidence has mostly trended upward.

As such, hoteliers around the world have seen a significant boost in their business.

Beyond economic conditions, there is also a question of who these travelers are. Individuals frequently travel as a consequence of their employment.  Yet, according to a Marriott executive quoted by Benner, Airbnb has not figured out how to effectively attract corporate customers.

So, who makes up the majority of their 100 million guests?

In my next article, we’ll explore that further!

The post The Media Court: What Drives Airbnb? appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Looking back, I’ve enjoyed learning about the manufacturing industry and sharing new insights with you. After today, a holistic image of GE’s digital presence should emerge.  But, before we move on to our final topic, I’d like to quickly highlight two huge lessons that came up over the last eight weeks:

1. Knowledge of market drivers often leads to potential customer segments.
2. The demographics found within a key segment can inform content strategy for online B2C engagement efforts.

Today, we’ll continue to consider how General Electric establishes its brand on Twitter. However, our attention will shift toward the arena of business-to-business (B2B) marketing.

Marketing agencies play a pivotal role in enhancing a company’s presence in the B2B landscape, particularly through targeted strategies that resonate with other businesses. These agencies often leverage tools such as SEO to improve visibility and drive traffic to their clients’ websites.

For instance, partnering with a specialized agency like https://www.boldseo.com.au/seo-melbourne/ can significantly boost a company’s online presence by optimizing its content for search engines and aligning it with the interests of its business audience.

By focusing on specific keywords and crafting compelling narratives, marketing agencies can help B2B companies effectively communicate their value propositions, ultimately leading to stronger connections and increased conversion rates.

To maintain continuity with my last TMC article, we’ll stick with examples from September. At the same time, I’m going to shake things up by having us close read one tweet this week rather than take a cursory glance at three.

This strategy will allow us to dissect the way GE actually executes its B2B outreach.

Let’s dig in!

Our GE9X jet engine, the largest on the planet, is entering the final stage of FAA testing. https://t.co/n4IiDeksAZ pic.twitter.com/5CCxXNLhM8

— GE Vernova (@GEVernova) September 1, 2017

Right off the bat: What’s the caption? (Our GE9X jet engine, the largest on the planet, is entering the final stage of FAA testing.)

This piece of information primes viewers for everything else they’re about to see. It’s the foundation upon which all subsequent messaging must arise from. As such, it often reveals who a company is trying to reach with their content.

All right, but what catches our eye about it?

For those of us who will probably never need a jet engine, we might still click the video to see the “largest on the planet.” The central importance of this phrase is conveyed through its positioning at the actual middle of the caption. While this giant detail could appeal to average people, the surrounding context probably doesn’t.

By writing that the GE9X is “entering the final stage of FAA testing,” General Electric instead signals to potential buyers that its product is close to market. That interpretation is highlighted by the inclusion of ‘FAA’ in the caption. This stands out because:

• Not many people know that FAA = Federal Aviation Administration.
• The few that do know the acronym are far more likely to regularly be involved with planes.
• Consequently, they might actually need to purchase a new jet or jet engine at some point.

From here, we’ll need to consider why the size of the engine would be important to this group. Some relevant clues should arise when we look at our next area of interest…

How is material from the caption reinforced by subsequent content?

We find size directly mentioned at three different points during the attached video:

• Right at the start of the clip (“Here’s what it takes to test the world’s largest jet engine.”)
• Again from 0:27-0:30 (“The GE9X is the largest jet engine ever built.”)
• A final time from 0:35-0:39 (“The engine is nearly as large in diameter as an entire Boeing 737.”)
  

Taken in context, the broader messaging within the sixty-eight-second clip seems designed to represent GE9X as an extremely reliable piece of equipment. We find this communicated in several ways through the display of its:

• Eco-friendliness at 0:40-0:44 (“less noise…& fewer emissions than its predecessors,”).
• Incorporated materials from 0:45-0:53 (“Super ceramics + 3D printed devices…which weigh less than metal, [but] generate more power with less fuel,” ).
• GE Aviation ‘Boot camp’ from 0:08-0:25 (“Our engines are bombarded with ice, dust, debris for hundreds of hours…& simulate over 3,000 landings and takeoffs,” ).

Taken together, the overarching emphasis on size seems to be playing into a simplistic “bigger is better” understanding of durability. By playing up the engine’s formidable size, the company positions its product as built to last. Nonetheless, GE makes sure to include other details as to why its new product is built to be functionally and environmentally sustainable. The last thing General Electric would want is for the GE9X to be the Titanic of jet engines.

The post The Media Court: GE’s Execution of a B2B Tweet appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Led by a Lambda Literary Award winner, Danez Smith, attendees were asked to begin by sharing their names, favorite drive-thru restaurant, and current “obsession” with everyone at the event.

In case you didn’t know, I’m Zach: Chicago born, Portillo’s is the only drive-thru I can champion.

But, obsession…?
What am I captivated by?
I was brought back to this question again and again…

Others in the room stated grief, isolation, finding the right words for their photography, and charting the evolution of their body.

For me, it’s perception: the process of arriving at an impression.

How do I see things? Why do I tend to notice certain things and not others? What creates a shift in the way I perceive? When do I struggle to allow those shifts to occur?

Formalities out of the way, Smith primed us to delve deeper into our own themes by opening the workshop with free association.

The first category was general: write as many words related to our topic as possible.

My list was long, but several items jump out in retrospect: judgment, uncertainty, assumption, roots, understanding, and misunderstanding. Some of these influence the first impressions I receive. Others arise as a consequence of that first impression.

Next, we had to connect five living things to our theme.

Mine were parents, family, strangers, neighbors, and peers. General categories rather than specific names.

Our third list focused on places. I wrote Beverly, my childhood neighborhood in Chicago, Northbrook, where I finished high school, and Iowa City, the home of my current situation.

Afterwards, I chose two colors: black and white. Perceptions present themselves as much less complicated than they actually are.

Our associations ended with a piece of art. I selected Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This brilliant work offers a profound contemplation of the ways that perception can alter human agency.

Next, Smith had us explore three pieces of work from another poet, Shira Erlichman.

A little background first.

Erlichman’s poems blossomed out of her own ongoing confrontations with mental illness. In fact, this battle propelled her to create an entire anthology, Odes to Lithium, concerning the topic.

By taking note of the powerful displays of diction, voice, and mood found throughout Erlichman’s poems, workshop participants were helped along in putting their own fixations down into words. Smith focused this process by encouraging us all to write three original poems during the workshop’s final fifteen minutes.

Our first piece had to be built from the free associations written down earlier in the session. The second composition had to come from an abandonment of all those previously related subjects. Make it new!

What we wrote during the last five minutes could incorporate elements from both of our two new original works. It was a challenge given the time crunch, yet extremely thrilling at the same time.

Overall, “Finding Honey in the Rock” was an amazing experience. I came in with only a notebook but left with an appreciation for two new poets, several strategies for unearthing creative material within myself, and a few new creative writing pieces to revise over the coming weeks.

Thank you so much, Danez Smith!

The post Witching Hour: Finding Honey in the Rock: A Workshop of Obsession @ RADinc. 10/21/2017 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

This process can become complicated if the company of interest is involved in many industries. More markets will equal more variables. As mentioned in my last post, GE is one such company. They manufacture pretty much everything besides fresh produce.

Yet, keeping media in mind, we can focus now on their consumer goods. Why? Well, sites like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok are tools that empower the average citizen to engage with people as well as corporations. Indeed, the primary reasons that enterprises participate on these platforms and use this service is to raise their engagement and boost brand relations.

So, what type of General Electric products most often fall into the hands of everyday people? Wishful thinking says plane engines, but most of us are probably buying their washing machines and dryers.  Maybe someday we’ll have our own private jets, but for now we just want light bulbs. When consumers think GE, we think household appliances.

How large is the household appliance manufacturing industry & how does GE fit into its landscape? According to IBISWorld, 116 companies operate in the industry. They produce $19Bn in annual revenues and about $1.2Bn in yearly profits. GE is the industry’s poster child, controlling over 20% of market share. Annual growth in that market from 2012-2017 hovered around 2.1%, but that figure is projected to fold over the next five years.  How can we account for that downgrade?

Industry drivers are the variables that companies consider when entering markets or planning for their future. IBISWorld lays the top four of these forces out as housing starts, price of household appliances, per capita disposable income, and strength of the dollar. Housing start numbers convey new home construction. As this figure goes up, so does the need for washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. Pricing those appliances is tricky, and this problem defines the second market driver. Maximize your online presence and improve your website’s performance with the help of free seo tools.

As the cost of appliances rise, consumers tend to buy less of them. Yet, in thriving economies where new homes are constantly being built, expensive price tags might produce higher revenues for manufacturers. This risk is buoyed by the third driver: per capita disposable income.

In other words, how much money is left over after consumers cover rent, bills, and groceries? When we have room to spend, we can buy things like new house with fancy General Electric dishwashers.  These buying habits often depend upon the fourth market driver: the strength of our dollar.

A strong US dollar is generally bad news for appliance manufacturers. It is associated with a lower demand of exports from abroad and an increase of demand for foreign-made appliances at home. By contrast, a weak dollar is associated with increased export demand outside the US and a lower demand for imports within the country making more important local companies that offer Shipping Container Hire services.

Considering these four factors together, we can now re-examine annual industry growth. The 2.1% growth between 2012-2017 is surprisingly strong for such an old industry. These years are coming in the midst of an economic turnaround following the Great Recession.

Consequently, we would expect housing starts and per capita disposable income to have increased at rates that supported the purchasing of more home appliances. At the same time, it is also fair to point out that these drivers should revert back to normal levels. This is likely what’s causing the low growth expectations given for the next five years.

Next time, we’ll look at how GE actually utilizes marketing strategies like commercial fleet graphics and social media to increase customer engagement. These includes things like segmentation, method of engagement, and content strategy. Using Zerobounce free email verification services can also help businesses achieve higher engagement rates, reduced bounce rates, and increased ROI.

The post The Media Court: Market Drivers for General Electric appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The primacy I place on the former entities makes sense because they have the abundance of resources necessary to roll out extensive content strategy campaigns. Consequently, they provide interested onlookers with a larger volume and greater diversity of material to review. However, by occasionally singling out smaller firms, I will also be able to draw an interesting contrast between how enterprises of various sizes have attempted to position themselves across the front lines of digital media.  This juxtaposition will help convey how brands are built, extended, and maintained online according to their unique budgetary constraints.

Each company profile is going to start with an industry overview. This will include information—from places like IBISWorld and Statista—on the companies considered industry leaders, as well as the macro trends currently affecting the respective marketing efforts within the broader sector—e.g. tech firms moving research funds toward AI. By circumscribing my subject company’s larger business environment in this way, I will be able to gain an understanding of the market drivers and regulations that influence their consumer engagement tactics.

Based on this background information, I’ll begin to lay out my impression of the target segments that the company aims to capture with their advertising.  This will be followed up with examples of advertising materials that seem tailored to the groups previously identified. For companies like General Electric, these segments are as diverse as their product lines (GE sells everything from light bulbs to jet engines). However, for the purposes of this column, I’m going to keep business-to-consumer marketing as the focal point of my writing.

As such, if I include commentary on promotional content that displays goods likely to be sold primarily in business-to-business commercial exchanges, I will unpack the material within the context of its simultaneous messaging to consumers at large. For example, we can look at General Electric’s recent tweet regarding its new GE9X jet engine—that few, if any, private consumers would ever purchase—and briefly consider how this engagement on social media conveys brand values to consumers who might be in the market for goods that GE sells in other arenas.

The first thing that stands out in the post is its claim that the GE9X engine “is the largest on the planet.” This obviously touches on the Americanism of ‘bigger is better’ and could produce an enhanced perception of GE among consumers who subscribe to that idiom. On a deeper level, I would then lay out how this idea is expressed, reaffirmed, and expanded upon within the video that accompanies the post.

In terms of execution of branding on media platforms, GE stands out as one of the best companies out there.  Their ability to streamline the formatting of their messaging with the medium it will appear on is incredible. Beyond that, they do a brilliant job of embedding brand values with mass appeal into their promotional materials that display items that private citizens would virtually never buy.  For these reasons, General Electric is going to be the first company that I cover in my upcoming posts.

The post The Media Court: Introduction appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The concept of VUCA–originally formulated by the US Army War College in the wake of the Cold War– has been appropriated over the last thirty years by leaders across various fields as a means of contemplating what might be around the bend within their industry. Each respective letter in the acronym stands for: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Because the landscape of our current world is constantly shifting, we have a volatile image of our future. Because the image of our future is volatile, we are uncertain about how to navigate in the present. Because our lives are contingent upon successful navigation of the present, we need to peel back the layers of complexity that contribute to an ever-shifting perception of the here and now. Because there isn’t always a clear cut way to unravel complexity, our means of arriving at solutions often fall under the shadow of ambiguity. Indeed, one of the finest moments from Mr. Scappaticci’s presentation was when he expressed the disempowering sensation that we receive as a result of contemplating our place as people during the technocentric times that lie ahead. He said, “we have no future because our present is so volatile.” While this might initially seem pessimistic, it simply points out the fact that no single future can exist in a world whose current state of existence is erratic. What follows is that we, as the main movers and shakers on this planet, are tasked with constructing the standard mode of life for all of posterity. Facing this challenge is what inspires Scappaticci as he oversees projects at Tellart.

In his own words, Scappaticci said his studio’s mission is to “make the invisible [into] the visible, tangible, [and] real.” He sees designers as “translators and mediators” that can guide us between the fluctuating state of the present and multitudinous states of the future. As such, he has great faith in the “transformative potential of collective imagination” that flows forth from his employees. Nevertheless, they still need to bring those concepts out of their minds and into reality. Thus, Scappaticci places an emphasis on both the power of prototyping and the need to meditate on the implications of an idea before it can be considered for everyday use. As a result of this ethic Tellart has been able to form partnerships across the globe.

Some of the studio’s amazing installations and projects can be found here.

The post Mission Creek: Unexpected Futures with Nick Scappaticci appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Beyond what is immediately depicted on a chalkboard above the counter, Fair Grounds also offers breakfast burritos, omelettes and several styles of french toast. After thinking it over, I opted to go with the breakfast burrito and a cup of Honduras dark roast coffee. The total ended up ringing in at $13.50, which I thought was reasonable considering that there is an active wait staff who prepare meals fresh and then deliver them to customers. It could have been cheaper if I decided to keep my dish meatless, but I opted to add chorizo for $2.50.

While waiting for those items,  I took a stroll into the second seating section at the back of the restaurant. It was much less cluttered. A lounge spot featuring an L-shaped sectional sofa sat immediately to my left, and the rest of the space was comprised of the same wooden four top tables found throughout the establishment.  Pieces of surreal art hung on each of the walls for decoration. There was an especially strange portrait of an alien woman spitting out a millipede above an Illuminati bong.  But, if you can handle the art, I think this area would be an ideal place for studying. Its tables are away from the main door, two unisex bathrooms are nearby, and the surroundings offer little in terms of distraction.  When I finally got around to checking it out, most of the tables had already filled up. I visited on a Saturday around 10AM, but I feel like it would be less crowded during the week. It was great to finally be in a good seat at a good restaurant, lately, I’ve been leaning on Foodora for my meals quite a bit, so this was a nice change.

The food and coffee was brought out a few minutes after I returned to my original seat. The burrito was honestly amazing and a really good size. It came loaded with potatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and lots of chorizo. I was also happy that they gave a little side cup of salsa as well. For people trying to max out at breakfast, their specials come with toast. I had been here before and gone down that road (with their Italian sausage omelette), but it was always a struggle to finish everything. I ended up using some of the room that I had left over to get a coconut muffin from their Howling Dogs Bakery kitchen. That was really good too, and their scones have blown me away in the past. I think the only competition around Iowa City as far as baked goods go would be Nodo.

Fair Grounds is an awesome spot overall. It’s only a couple blocks from my apartment, so I definitely come through pretty often. My favorite time to visit is during the summer because there aren’t many other customers and I can read for hours in that back seating area. Howling Dogs might be the best bakery around town, so–if you go somewhere like Bluebird on East Market for breakfast–you should definitely hike over to South Dubuque and get some dessert at this location. They also serve alcohol here, so there are some adult beverages that can be the hair of the dog if you’re trying to lessen a hangover or act as a reward for sustained studying. Definitely make a visit, get a scone, and maybe sip a little bit (if you’re 21+, obviously).

Have somewhere cool around Iowa City for me to checkout? Send an email to 522xxtourguide@gmail.com!

The post 522XX Tour Guide: Fair Grounds Coffeehouse & Howling Dogs Bakery appeared first on KRUI Radio.

After its grand opening on January 23^rd of this year, the café has quickly developed a reputation for hot drinks and quality baked goods. Looking at the menu posted outside the establishment, potential customers can find almost any type of caffeinated beverage imaginable. Edible offerings appear subject to change; however, an abundance of variety is consistent across these listings as well.

Upon passing through the doors, I was greeted by two friendly baristas and a display case that featured several types of pastry along with twelve different flavors. I couldn’t remember the last time an apple Danish had entered my life, so ordering that was a no-brainer. I decided to pair it with a sixteen-ounce medium roast coffee (https://crema.co/coffees) and one of their namesake beverages—a cortado.

The total clocked in at $8.75, which struck me as kind of high, but three items from nearby Starbucks or Java House would probably ring in around the same price. Three has been called a magical number; nevertheless, this consumer experience revealed that its power is severely limited when one buys things at a coffee shop. It was all delicious, but I’m still skeptical about whether an equitable relationship exists between the cost of these items and that of a similarly priced burrito or burger available elsewhere. Some things may be beyond comprehension in our world; however, I think it’s safe to say that smart money would typically gravitate toward the heartier fare.

Anyways, I swiped my debit card, gritted my teeth, and hoped for the best. A receipt rolled out of the register. I signed on the dotted line. This virtual tour guide might have ended up late on March rent, but he would at least get to gorge for another day. Well, all things considered, maybe gorge is an overstatement. I ate the Danish while my caffeine brewed.  To be fair, service moves quickly here. It wasn’t long before I plopped down into a booth across from the counter with my loot, notebook, and a copy of Ben Marcus’s The Flame Alphabet.

Now was my time to take in the surrounding atmosphere. Cortado is a self-described “metropolitan-inspired, fast-paced, European style espresso bar,” yet I was picking up on vibes of embargo-era Cuba. The layout doesn’t evoke a sense of authoritarianism—I can’t imagine how Fidel Castro might have decorated a café—but its essential lack of frippery is underlined by subtle ornamental allusions to the Mediterranean as well as classic American diners. If what one drinks here will often have its roots in Italy, what one sees appears to stem from more diverse influences.

For instance, the simplistic wood finishes found around the room appear to be drawn from bistros across Cyprus, and Cortado’s ambient music consists primarily of the acoustic Spanish fusion that might be heard throughout tearooms in modern Madrid. What ended up invoking an aesthetic of post-WWII Americana for me was the classic seating (repurposed school chairs and painted stools) coupled with an unpatterned porcelain countertop set beneath a cluster of lustrous metal.

In addition, the black honeycomb tile at the base of the wall beyond the counter seemed to be a twist on the tacky checkered inlays characteristic of retro-American greasy spoons. These details coalesce into a sparse, minimalist style that pervades the larger environment.

This scantiness is typified by the primacy of a vast brick wall located behind customers in the main seating area. It bears nothing besides a coat of white paint. When one casts a cursory glance around the venue to discern sources of adornment, all that immediately stands out are a couple of large wooden panels made with fine tools from woodworkingquestions.

A keen eye will eventually notice the tripartite nature of ornamentation surrounding Cortado’s light fixtures. Above the counter, bulbs are encapsulated within lanterns. Over the central dining area, they hang in black wire globes. Finally, attached to the ceiling of the space, one can spot white track lights. These choices in lighting carry on the allusions to domestic, international, and minimalist influences that inform the overall interior design of the store.

If my first impression of the space was vaguely Cuban, my final one conjured a clear image of renovated Havana. Pictures of cherry wood benches, titanium rafters, and vintage Chevys in overgrown parking lots with Thermoplastic Car Park Line Marking ran through my mind. The layout of Cortado is interesting, but I think its bare walls could use some paintings or framed photography.When all is said and done, Cortado is ultimately a coffee shop. Customers arrive in pursuit of premium goods and services rather than a museum.

Toward fulfilling those needs, the café delivers in spectacular fashion.There is an excellent espresso maker with high-end coffee plus a fine selection of homemade pastries. You don’t need to order one of each, but splurging is definitely a possibility. I visited over the weekend at around 9:45 in the morning and it wasn’t too crowded. A lot of families arrived as time wore on, but that’s common across establishments after the workweek is over. The room can definitely get loud, so reading isn’t always easy. Regardless, Cortado is definitely worth a visit. If there happens to be a crowd, one can always order their items to go.

The post 522XX Tour Guide: Cortado Coffee and Café appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Each place that I explore will be detailed based on their atmosphere, item quality, and service. Detailed is an apt word because my judgements can only offer a reflection of personal tastes. For instance, I may be inclined to love lobster bisque, and you might have a shellfish allergy. I might love sitting next to a pirate when I eat, while you might prefer to get your food to go in lieu of dining with marauders. This column doesn’t aim to be a collection of self-important food reviews; those services exist elsewhere. Instead, I hope to chronicle interesting places around the city and inspire you to visit them on your own if you haven’t  done so already. Nevertheless, I should still address the variables that I’ve listed above in regards to how they may shape the expectations I bring to each venue.

Atmosphere:

• What is my first impression of the place itself? What informs this impression?
• Is there music? If so, how does the music selection influence one’s experience?
• Does the space have a certain style? (e.g. Chipotle has a modern aesthetic based on its sleek metallic decorum)
• Is there a general crowd that seems to be attracted to this location?
• Does the crowd inform the style that the location attempts to convey or vice-versa (a preexisting style attracts the predominant customer-base)?
• What is my final impression? Has anything changed, and why?

Item Quality

• How satisfied am I by my purchase?
• Do I find the price of the item reasonable based on the satisfaction it gives me?
• Is the item presented in an interesting manner? (e.g. latte art or creative plating)
• How does their item compare to similar offerings at other locations?
• If this is a study space, is it conducive to doing work? Am I easily distracted?
• If this is liquor store or snack vendor, do they have a vast selection?

Service

• Is it a timely experience or should I expect to clear out space in my schedule prior to visiting this place?
• Are the servers and cashiers friendly?
• If it’s a liquor store, do the employees make helpful suggestions?
• How do those suggestions turn out?
• Do the workers add to the overall experience of this place or do they seem to just be floating around in the background?
• If this is a study space, are there restrooms near by? Somewhere to get a snack? Outlets to charge a phone?

This quest will formally begin next month with a profile of Cortado–the recently opened café on 26 S. Clinton Street. In March, I’ll be bringing my former interview podcast–“One Story”– to KRUI’s online content section and begin rotating between these two concepts bi-monthly.  Feel free to contact me with suggestions regarding places to visit or people to talk to around the Iowa City area.

I can be reached at 522xxtourguide@gmail.com.

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