How to Grow Your Coffee Business By Avoiding Small Mistakes
It’s no secret that coffee gets most of us jumping on a lazy day. Your day could be off to a slow start, and you might be feeling groggy, but all it takes is a cup of coffee to get your brain sizzling and give you that burst of energy. Consequently, it is no wonder that research shows that 88% of Canadians drink an average of three cups of coffee per day.
Coffee shops are the ideal setting for many people to have discussions, relax, work, and study. They also work well for a solo date, meeting with friends and colleagues, and the occasional chat with an acquaintance.
If you’re looking to create this atmosphere by setting up a coffee shop with the right guiding principles implemented, you could have a profitable business franchise on your hands.
Factors to Consider When Starting a Coffee Shop
To get started, you must obtain the required licenses and permits from the relevant authorities. This tip is essential for your coffee shop to be legally recognized. Every successful business has reliable partners, so you should find a good source for your products. Your product supplier should also be able to provide you with what you need to satisfy the changing tastes of your customers.
In addition, the location of your coffee shop is just as important as the business itself. It would be best if you chose a place that has significant visibility and is easily accessible, like a busy street where workers and students take on their way to work and school. As a result, your company should be accessible to your target audience.
Furthermore, it would help if you also analyzed the initial cost of setting up your coffee shop. A proper cost analysis will enable you to estimate the initial cost compared to the profit margins, and help you make an informed decision about the benefits of your investment.
How can you attract and keep customers?
Select a Convenient Location
A typical conversation before getting a coffee often sounds like this: “Oh, let’s grab a cup of coffee at the shop down the street.” Your coffee shop should thus be in a location where your customers can conveniently get to school or work. It should also be on a busy street with pedestrian activity.
Additionally, your coffee shop should have ample parking space. If your customers consistently have issues parking, it would dissuade them from returning. Furthermore, the ideal location should be visible from the road. It won’t matter how great your shop is if it’s crowded by malls or other huge buildings, as no one might notice it.
Consistently Serve a High-Quality Product
Consistency ensures that your customers will always return because they are assured of a quality product. One way to maintain the high standards of your coffee is to invest in a quality coffee maker, like an automatic coffee machine.
Another way is to always use top-quality ingredients. The elements required for the different coffee variants must always be available to guarantee the same taste. Therefore, ensure that you always have the needed products in stock.
Lastly, your customers should know when to expect your shop to open. So, make certain that you have regular operational hours; this way, customers can depend on your availability.
Provide Great Customer Service
Customer service is vital to the success and growth of any business. With excellent customer service, you ensure customer loyalty and retention, which in turn grows your business. Excellent customer service means avoiding delays in service and aiming to please your customers.
In this regard, you’re better off with counter service rather than table service, as the latter causes delays and can make movement within the cafe clumsy. So, instead, it’s better to have customers come up to the counter, make their order, be given a tag, and have their order delivered when it’s ready. This way, you retain the usual customer banter while ensuring quick and efficient service.
Create a Trendy, Relaxing Café Atmosphere
Coffee shops are ideal for relaxation, conversations, work, and connection. Therefore, you should create a warm atmosphere where people can feel relaxed and have relative privacy, as these factors are what most customers look out for in a coffee shop. You can achieve this with great ambiance, soft lights, and comfortable seating.
Before you start, have a clear idea of the overall theme you want for your coffee shop. Creating an atmosphere is easier when you have some intentional notions in mind. Thus, for example, invest in creating a distinctive interior that would attract customers.
Offer a Variety of Snacks
Your business cannot survive on the sale of coffee alone. Your coffee shop should offer a variety of snacks to ensure that customers make an additional purchase when they visit. You can prepare pastries at your coffee shop or partner with a local bakery to deliver them to save you time.
Make sure to think beyond the usual muffins and cookies, and add distinctive items that cater to your customers’ changing tastes in your locale.
Starting Isn't Always Easy… But It Might Be Worth It
Starting a new company is no walk in the park, but with the right factors, you can avoid mistakes and grow your business in no time. When setting up your coffee shop, ensure you obtain the required licenses and permits from the relevant authorities.
Also, choose a location that would attract your customers, offer excellent customer service, and intentionally curate the theme of your coffee shop to create a homey and personalized feel. As customers order coffee, persuade them to make additional purchases by offering a variety of snacks.
Remember that customers will always choose you above competitors if your product is what they want. So, ensure that your customers have a fantastic experience when they visit your coffee shop.