Five Proven Strategies to Implement TODAY to Make your Coffee Shop a Success!

barista pouring latte art, cafe
Morgan Ayres

5 Things to do TODAY to Make your Coffee Shop a Success!

In today’s competitive café industry, you must stand out from your competitors if you want to be successful. It all starts with hiring the right people, training them well and following this list of 5 things that can help make your coffee shop stand out!

  1. Show that you care.

There is more and more competition out there for coffee than ever before. Many coffee shops sell high quality tea and coffee while offering up an array of great pastries to match. While coffee shops a direct competition, many restaurants, gas stations and retail stores also are offering coffee and competition.  The most memorable locations are those where the employees take the time and extra effort to make customers feel welcome.  They welcome them as guests in their own home.  They warmly greet customers as they walk in, ask how they are, and use their names to build the relationship even further.  It makes customers feel welcome and special.  Having team members connect in this way with your guests, keeps them coming back for the connections and the coffee.  When you can train your team members to create this experience, you will see increased sales and more customers.

  1. Welcome comments, feedback and suggestions.

Customer feedback is a gift.  Often they notice things that your team member may not.  They also can provide great ideas for new products or ideas of their own for your café. Listen carefully to what your customers are saying openly as well as what they are not saying.  You may need to actively solicit feedback from your regulars.  Have your team members regularly ask – What is working well?  What is not optimized?  What is not working at all?  These valuable questions can reap amazing feedback for you to implement in your café to improve.  Listen, show appreciation and take action on these suggestions to build customer loyalty and connection.

 

  1. Recognize new and regular customers often

A loyalty or a rewards program is a simple and efficient way of giving something back to the customer, who in turn feels valued and appreciated. This again leads to a high probability of him or her returning. Repeat business leads to higher revenues and more visits!

  1. Be active on social media.

Who doesn’t like receiving feedback on your tweets, Instagram and/or Facebook posts? Post regularly about new products and features, as well as daily specials. This keeps your business front of mind and draws in the crowd to indulge in a new treat or flavor. Engaging with your customers digitally in today’s world is necessary to drive customers into your location, and does not take up too much time. Customers spend a lot of time on social media already, so if done right, social media can be an amazing way to reach out directly to them. Online buzz transforms into more customers. 

  1. Be generous and friendly.

It seems obvious, but it makes a huge difference, and keeps your customers more than happy. A recommendation or the bringing in of new customers in are both highly likely results. And if you are introducing a new product, there’s no better way to promote it than having people try it, either with a free sample or a special offer to catch your customers attention. You’re your competition as many of the ‘large coffee chains’ have offers like 50% off, or happy hour that you must compete with. They also often have new products launching regularly as well as limited time offers that drive engagement. Take advantage of this winning formula as it works!  

If you are a coffee shop owner, try implementing and/or perfecting some of these elements into your business.  Overall, they do not require much, with the potential for a huge payoff.  These simple and easy ways do not take up much time and can really boost your word of mouth-marketing!  And as we know – many people listen to their family and friends far more than they listen to expensive ad campaigns.  When you create an amazing experience for your new and regular customers – your café stands out from the competition!

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