How to Make Your Coffee Shop Stand Out

Coffee shops are one of the most lucrative businesses out there and that makes them attractive to own. While this means that competition is fierce, you can still rise above the rest and create a recognizable brand. Efforts to make your coffee shop stand out can be fun and increase your customer base so that one day you may expand your business. If you are looking for some expert tips on how to start a coffee shop, then check this article out. So, let’s see what you can do to get there.  

1.    Take customer relations to the next level

Building quality customer service is the pillar of success for a coffee shop, but you can do even more. Ask your customers for suggestions on what you can add to make the place more welcoming and attractive. Remember that you are the host and they are your guests, so you should always be looking for ways to make them want to come back.

Feedback on the current offer is also an efficient way to adjust the service at your coffee shop. While you won’t implement every suggestion, you will have a variety of ideas to choose from and give your customers a sense of belonging. 

2.    Introduce seasonal flavors

Everyone knows about pumpkin spice latte and, come October, it’s a signature drink in coffee shops. Introducing seasonal flavors will refresh your menu from time to time and give it uniqueness. Be sure to advertise these seasonal recipes to your customers by utilizing digital signage software for coffee shops.

For example, in summer you can serve coconut mint iced mocha, and butterscotch caramel coffee in winter. Spring is perfect for experimenting with tastes, so you can offer a blackberry caramel latte, lavender-honey iced latte, and cardamom rose iced coffee.  

3.    Add international recipes

Coffee is a beverage served globally and people around the world have different ways of preparing this beverage. Moreover, you will be able to introduce other coffee blends, preparations, and grinding levels.

That said, you can introduce Turkish coffee made from finely ground beans giving it a rich flavor and stronger caffeine kick. Even its preparation is exotic and may be interesting to your patrons since it requires a special copper pot called “cezve” (jez-vey). After you pour one cup of water into the cezve, add two teaspoons of coffee and sugar (if you want it sweetened), without stirring the ingredients. Put cezve on the stove and wait until the coffee starts to foam and rise up, which means it’s done.

Other international recipes you can try are Finnish called Kaffeost which involves pouring the coffee over cheese, and Malaysian which is a mix of coffee, black tea, and milk. If you serve espresso, give it a true Italian twist with a slice of lemon that Italians swear brings out the coffee’s sweeter flavor.  

4.    Refresh your Coffee Shop look

Once a year you should get furniture removalists to take the old furniture out and bring the new one in. Refreshing the look occasionally doesn’t have to be expensive and you can switch between furniture pieces you keep in storage and in the café. Add a splash of new paint, some colorful wallpapers, and maybe a seasonal theme to make it more interesting.

Christmas and Valentine’s Day decorating is quite common, so think of celebrating other holidays, as well. You can decorate for St. Patrick’s Day, Day of the Dead, and Diwali, for example.   

5.    Build a social media presence

A lot comes down to social buzz. Use social media to show off the new menu, seasonal offers, and events. People spend a lot of time online and make decisions based on what they see there. So when someone is looking at your profile, they should find the reasons to come to you for a coffee.

To make this happen, you need to be active on your social media account so your followers are aware of the newest drinks and happenings. Also, customers will most likely take photos and post them on their social media accounts, tagging you and increasing your online presence.

6.    Host events at your coffee shop

Events are a great way to attract media and customer attention to your coffee shop. Think about what would be doable for the space that you have and how you can turn it into a desirable venue. For example, a chair, a sound system, and a microphone are enough for Open Mic Night.

A pub quiz is not exclusively reserved for pubs and you can create a coffee shop quiz with the same rules. Stand-up comedy nights, karaoke, and charity events are also crowd magnets, as well as themed occasions, like Halloween. Consider organizing events in partnership with coffee manufacturers, celebrities, humanitarian organizations, and community leaders. It will give you perspective on what to expect and lighten the organizational load.  

Finally

Making your coffee shop stand out can be an exciting and much-needed change to your business. Seasonal drinks, fresh looks, events, and new recipes can give you an edge that will make your business one of a kind. To see what works and what doesn’t, invite your customers to suggest or criticize the offer so you can create the best version of your coffee shop and beat the competition.  

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