background preloader

Coffeeshops111

Facebook Twitter

Holiday Ideas for Your Coffee Shop - St. Patrick’s Day » Coffee Roasters Blog. While it sucks as a customer servant to work on holidays, for your business it can be a fantastic opportunity to renew customer engagement and boost sales; you can also use almost any holiday to boost your employees’ engagement and enthusiasm, which makes up for having to work when many others don’t and which will enhance their customer serving success! Coming up in March is a holiday that can be equal parts fun and messy depending on where you are in the world and what the main demographic is. St. Patrick’s Day has been coopted in America to mean either the clean fun of wearing green or getting pinched, or the often-not-clean-at-all fun of day-drinking. My partner and I traditionally make something like bangers and mash or shepherd’s pie and watch The Boondock Saints. I did one St. I have also worked in the heart of Time’s Square in a coffee shop on St. If you’re going to be open in a major city during St.

I say again, however, to be prepared when it comes to staffing and stocking. Cooking with Coffee » Coffee Roasters Blog. Coffee is an aromatic wonder that much of the world is addicted to drinking; it wakes us up in the morning, boosts our creative output, and helps us excel at social situations. I know many people who are so addicted to just the flavor of coffee that they continue to drink decaf even when they’ve given up caffeine.

Coffee isn’t just great for drinking, however. You’ve probably tasted coffee infused baked goods or candies; but, it is great when used in many edible delights! Coffee is great for savory dishes, especially beef. On a steak or prime rib, for example, you can rub coffee grounds with salt and pepper before cooking, either letting it marinate for a few hours (or overnight) beforehand or immediately before serving. If it is a steak, I would say let it marinate. Homemade jerky of any kind can also be flavored with coffee. Coffee is also surprisingly good on some fish, especially salmon. Catering to Your Niche Customers: Programmers » Coffee Roasters Blog. Freelancers need coffee shops and coffee shops need freelancers.

Today, I want to specifically look at how you can attract and accommodate that unique species of freelancer: the programmer. Computer programmers literally live their lives on computers. They’re the people that are responsible for me being able to type this blog into a Google Doc and also for my boss to then transfer it onto his perfectly curated blog; which allows you access to content and the ability to read it at your leisure! Programmers tell computers what to do, how to do it, and when (like the aforementioned boss with me). As freelancers, they generally do not have a permanent workspace because they generally work remotely, especially when they’re starting out or literally freelancing: doing various projects for various clients independent of one specific company/boss (just like me and the four other bosses I have in addition to the again aforementioned one–he’s the best though, scout’s honor). Good Chinese Coffee: Does it Exist and What is it? » Coffee Roasters Blog.

It’s the Year of the Rooster according to the recently celebrated Chinese New Year. It follows, then, that I have to ask–it’s pun-deniably inevitable if you will: does China have any coffee that’s worth crowing about? If you’re still reading after that intro, thank you for your patience. China is an ancient civilization and coffee is a miracle drug that hails from ancient civilizations. Chinese coffee, however, is not something you often hear about, if ever. Is that because of trade conditions, with China’s previous concrete isolation? Or is it because they’ve always preferred leaf water to ground-bean water? Does good Chinese coffee exist, what is it and where can it be found (besides China, obviously)? It turns out the tea theory–one I blindly speculated before starting to research this piece–is probably the closest to the reason you are unfamiliar with Chinese coffee. Yunnan is, by most accounts, the birthplace of Chinese tea.

Catering to Your Niche Customers: Business Meetings » Coffee Roasters Blog. I can’t count the number of times I’ve said some version of the following: it’s the age of freelancers! In addition to that, it’s the age of small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, and online businesses–all of which may require doing business without an actual, physical office. The coffee shop in the United States has become the work-base for many office-less workers because of the general accommodations of WiFi, affordable fare, and stimulating beverages. As a coffee shop owner, you should consider this niche market in your shop’s design so that you can attract these inevitably profitable business meetings.

Whether it’s a group of three or a group of ten, business people are most likely to patronize your business while utilizing your space because they completely understand the needs of your small business. Unlike idle teenagers or travel-weary tourists, business people want to patronize your business because they want people to patronize theirs! Reviewing Performance Reviews: Do They Help or Hurt? » Coffee Roasters Blog. To be clear: this is not about ditching performance reviews altogether. In fact, it’s about tweaking them and evolving them so that they become more effective. Essentially, it’s about reviewing performance reviews (as I said above) to see what works, what doesn’t, and where to take them next.

The business world, throughout a variety of industries, has been reevaluating the employee performance review for years now. How effective is sitting every employee down at the end of the year, or quarter, or whatever and grading them on some numerical standard? Most experts are agreeing that it’s less effective than it should be. Here’s my thought process: if a kindergartner takes her classmate’s crayons one day and the teacher does nothing about it because she’s only allowed to criticize behavior at the end of the semester or something. Saying something months down the line, instead of in the moment or soon after, only guarantees that the behavior will continue and potentially worsen. Catering to Your Niche Customers: Moms, Dads, Nannies » Coffee Roasters Blog. From the beginning of marketing time, the mom has been the target demographic for almost everything.

As the center point for domesticity and the family, she was the shopper for the household and its members–imagine Donna Reed spending Mr. Reed’s (he didn’t have a first name, and if he did, does anyone really care?) Money on appliances, groceries, and clothing. The white, stay-at-home-mom was also the one who oversaw the children pretty much 24/7 if movies and television are to be believed. This meant she decided where they would go if they went out to lunch on a shopping day, for instance: maybe the coffee shop with the delicious sandwiches! These days, the person in charge of the children could be anyone; but, their needs and desires are just as important and Donna and her disciples.

First things first: you need a space for strollers. You could also provide high-chairs for smaller children as they do at restaurants–booster seats as well. Catering to Your Niche Customers: Writers » Coffee Roasters Blog. There’s something about coffee shops that have drawn writers from the dawn of (their) time. I’m talking well before the age of the telecommuting freelancer and the freelance direction the bulk of our economy is trending toward. Some of the most famous writers prefer public spaces, like coffee shops, for getting their best work done most efficiently. Many theories postulate that it’s some combination of the white noise, the pressure to be productive in a public space, the inspiration of people watching and eavesdropping, and, of course, the caffeine.

Offices can be too clinical for the creative process and home can be too distracting. That means that you’re likely to attract writers merely on the basis of existing; but, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go the extra mile to attract this solid customer base to your new coffee shop. First thing’s first: your layout needs to be accommodating to the writer. Know How You Can Decorate Your Coffee Shop On Valentine Day. Holidays are an opportunity for your coffee shop to re-engage with your customers, attract new customers, and change up the day-to-day. It’s almost February now, so that means two things: Groundhog’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

Obviously one is bigger than the other, but you can take both as an opportunity to boost revenues and engage in creative ways with your customers. With Groundhog’s Day, you can offer promotions based on the potential outcomes. For example, you could say that if it’s an early spring, customers get a discount on iced coffee or if it’s 6 more weeks of winter they get a discount on hot coffee. You can also offer a specialty item (pastry, beverage, etc) referencing the holiday or even the much-loved film starring Bill Murray. For Valentine’s Day, the opportunities are expansive. This is also definitely the time to ensure that your baristas’ latte art is on point–a heart with every purchase is perfectly on theme. I’m a big fan of puns and they are pretty trendy these days. Sell Your Coffee Using Custom Printed Packaging » Coffee Roasters Blog. Your brand is nothing if it doesn’t speak for itself; and, honestly, your business is nothing without a brand. Perhaps when you first started out, you had to sideline branding and labeling, opting for cheaper alternatives and focusing on getting your product out there in order to build a loyal customer base.

The thing is, the signage on the front of your store only goes so far in making people remember where those products came from. As a coffee shop or roaster just starting out, when you do make the choice for custom labeling, it’ll first be for the takeaway cups holding your perfect brews and perhaps the bags for your pastries and other purchasable goodies. Once you’ve established yourself as a reliable, exciting new business and garnered those loyally returning customers, you’ll want to enhance that baseline in any way you can. Those customers serve as an opportunity to do just that. Custom labeling is essential for branding and expanding your brand. Should You Sell Products In Your Coffee Shop? » Coffee Roasters Blog. The first part of the answer to this question is going to come from you.

It’s up to you and your vision for your business’ brand, your financial situation, and so forth if you want to invest in, design, stock and promote retail items. Retail items offer several advantages to your business. They reinforce your brand, giving your loyal and enthusiastic customers the opportunity to help promote it even when they leave your premises. They keep your brand memorable, whether to your regulars or the tourist who happens upon your shop and needs a better way to remember it than a flimsy old business card. And it adds revenue options. Boosting your revenue is always a sound strategy. Retail items, especially the non-degradable kind, are an easy and fun way to do this. You can invest in one or two coffee machines or pour-over systems; you only have to invest in new ones if and when they sell. And, of course, if you offer no other retail items, you should offer your coffees.

Where To Find a Source For Your Coffee Shop's Utensils and Drinkware - Coffee Roasters Blog. Where you find your coffee shop’s supplies is going to depend in part on your location and the aesthetic of your business. It also depends on the size of your business and the money you are willing to spend. Most likely, you are going to want to look at restaurant supply stores for your supplies; they are going to have everything you need as far as utensils and drinkware and in a decent variety at a decent price. My advice, as always, is to shop around online first, checking out various prices (including shipping prices) and aesthetics. You’ll also want to investigate the quality and perception of the business before purchasing from them. You can check out online reviews as well as connect with your acquaintances and friends in the coffee business to find out who they like and don’t like for restaurant supplies. Just like you are going to rely on word-of-mouth to promote your new business, you can rely on it to find the right place to furnish that business!

Pay Your Employees Better, Make More Money? - Coffee Roasters Blog. A prominent debate on the national stage this year has been the status of minimum wage. Should minimum wage be raised? Should there be a minimum wage? What effect does paying higher wages have on small, medium and large businesses? What effect does it have on the economy at large? One of the main arguments against raising the minimum wage, even though it has not followed the trends of inflation to continue to be a living wage, which was its original intent, is that doing so would have a negative effect on businesses. It’s a logical hypothesis on the surface; if you have to spend more money on employees, that’s cutting into your profits, right?

The thing is, more often than not, the opposite is true, especially if you’re smart about it. The simplistic explanation here is that, when workers are paid more, they can afford more; they put that money back into the economy, not just for utilities and rent; they just pay for those basics when they’re making far less than a living wage. You're Killin' Me Smalls: Small, Micro, Nano Batching - Coffee Roasters Blog.

The third wave of coffee created coffee roasting and sourcing rock stars. Roasters and coffee shops alike were dissatisfied with coffee middlemen holding a monopoly on coffee sourcing information, so they started going directly to the source. The price reduction and opportunity for fairer trading practices were also a draw. When the coffee buyers and roasters, the coffee lovers let’s say, became more directly involved in the sourcing process, they discovered that our love for coffee could be grown even more. The third wave rolled in, bringing gallons of new information about coffee at its source, and the benefits of difference sources.

Whoever bought the green raw coffee and roasted it was now responsible for preserving this new influx of information and elevating it (not ruining it or burning it away to negligibility) with their roasting and blending process. That’s where small and nano-batch coffee emerged. No matter what type of roaster you are, remember that packaging is key. Design Your Menu to Be Beautiful, Functional and Fun - Coffee Roasters Blog. Your menu is a part of your brand. It is a visual, interactive and informative aspect of the overall impression of your business. Each of those adjectives is an important aspect to consider in your design. Make It Visual Make sure your menu reflects the visuals in the rest of your business. Make sure there is coherence between your internal decor and colors, your logo, and your serving supplies (mugs, plates). Clarity Is Key The main point of your menu is to inform your customers about your products. Fun options for minimalistic include lower-case, one or two word descriptions with just numbers for prices.

I also encourage uniqueness in your menuing. Whatever you do, make sure it’s on brand, it doesn’t look cheap in a way that makes people feel cheap, and that gives the impression that you actually care. Make It Interactive This means considering how your customers are going to interact with your menu. I recommend making a menu that people can read from far away; or offer a menu outside. Coffee and Your Health - Does Coffee Affect Your Heart? - Coffee Roasters Blog. The Best of the Best Coffee Beans - Coffee Roasters Blog. Throwaway or Reusable? - Coffee Roasters Blog. Not Just Coffee: Food Pairings for Your Brew - Coffee Roasters Blog.

Coffee Roasting Trends and Technology - Coffee Roasters Blog. Pricing Your Products - Coffee Roasters Blog.