What's the worst thing to offer customers in a coffeehouse? - Barista Exchange2024-03-28T09:01:49Zhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A385579&feed=yes&xn_auth=noInconsistent product and snoo…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-29:1688216:Comment:4095402009-03-29T01:25:36.402ZJonathan Lawsonhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/JonathanLawson
Inconsistent product and snooty service.
Inconsistent product and snooty service. The one thing I would never d…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-28:1688216:Comment:4093432009-03-28T23:19:59.672ZJay Caragayhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/JayCaragay
The one thing I would never do when opening a coffeehouse is opening without a lack of vision.<br />
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What I mean by this is that I see many examples of operations across America where the operator is kind of doing things willy-nilly or without a grasp of whatever it is s/he is trying to do.<br />
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Many people will tell you "don't do 20z drinks," "don't do syrups," "don't do this" and "don't do that." Truth is, there may be a very compelling and legitimate reason you want to do any of those things that…
The one thing I would never do when opening a coffeehouse is opening without a lack of vision.<br />
<br />
What I mean by this is that I see many examples of operations across America where the operator is kind of doing things willy-nilly or without a grasp of whatever it is s/he is trying to do.<br />
<br />
Many people will tell you "don't do 20z drinks," "don't do syrups," "don't do this" and "don't do that." Truth is, there may be a very compelling and legitimate reason you want to do any of those things that people tell you not to do. What's wrong for someone else might be very right for you. My suggestion is that you know exactly why you want to do whatever it is that you're doing.<br />
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Let's take The Spro, for example. We take a relatively hardcore approach when it comes to coffee. I train our baristas extensively and, hopefully, they're able to carry our mission of hospitality and culinary excellence forward. Sometimes we stumble and fall, and other times I hear that we're spot on the money. You come to The Spro and you cannot get a 12z cappuccino. You only get one choice. There are no frozen drinks on the menu - it just ain't gonna happen, no matter how much you protest.<br />
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But maybe you come in on a Thursday and you want soup. We can accommodate you. In fact, while others may poo-poo on soup, I think we do a very high level of soup using only the finest locally sourced ingredients, handmade by us. The stock is made by myself using only local (or organic) vegetables and pastured chickens or cows. Even in the middle of winter when fresh produce is difficult to come by, we're either sourcing hothouse grown veggies or stuff that we've preserved from the local farms before last season ended. Whatever the soup, it was made that morning and never came out of a commercial processor.<br />
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So the one thing to hold firm to is your vision of your business. Define it, understand it and deliver on your promise. ill just quote myself, lol. E…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-28:1688216:Comment:4089032009-03-28T19:18:23.879ZGreg Hillhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/batchburner
ill just quote myself, lol. Elizabeth and South 1st.<br />
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<cite>Dragonball G said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?id=1688216%3ATopic%3A383877&page=3#1688216Comment389703"><div><cite>Jesse -D-> said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer#1688216Comment385071"><div>*note* burrito is an example, I've never actually seen a burrito/coffee…</div>
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ill just quote myself, lol. Elizabeth and South 1st.<br />
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<cite>Dragonball G said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?id=1688216%3ATopic%3A383877&page=3#1688216Comment389703"><div><cite>Jesse -D-> said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer#1688216Comment385071"><div>*note* burrito is an example, I've never actually seen a burrito/coffee shop</div>
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bouldin creek, austin, tx!<br/>
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well...mainly tacos.</div>
</blockquote> Just a follow up on this post…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-28:1688216:Comment:4087482009-03-28T17:47:07.499ZDenise Smithhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/DeniseSmith
Just a follow up on this post:<br />
We are now open and the response in our community as been amazingly supportive!!!<br />
For our type of Coffee House; Food YES!!!! it is what gets them to sit down and socialize and then come back up for a second (and even third) from our baristas!<br />
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Thank to all who have helped get us to this day! God bless you all!
Just a follow up on this post:<br />
We are now open and the response in our community as been amazingly supportive!!!<br />
For our type of Coffee House; Food YES!!!! it is what gets them to sit down and socialize and then come back up for a second (and even third) from our baristas!<br />
<br />
Thank to all who have helped get us to this day! God bless you all! OMG, you just gave me a great…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-28:1688216:Comment:4086202009-03-28T15:57:21.102ZKate Hhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/Katerina
OMG, you just gave me a great idea that I hadn't even considered even tho I've been going around mornings wondering, "Why can't I get awesome breakfast tacos AND delicious coffee at the SAME DAMN PLACE?!" Now, if anyone in Austin steals this idea, I will hunt you down and demand partnership, :p.<br />
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<cite>Jesse -D-> said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer#1688216Comment385071"><div>IMHO, it is important to consider aroma when you…</div>
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OMG, you just gave me a great idea that I hadn't even considered even tho I've been going around mornings wondering, "Why can't I get awesome breakfast tacos AND delicious coffee at the SAME DAMN PLACE?!" Now, if anyone in Austin steals this idea, I will hunt you down and demand partnership, :p.<br />
<br />
<cite>Jesse -D-> said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer#1688216Comment385071"><div>IMHO, it is important to consider aroma when you are deciding if/which foods to serve. Ideally you get your lunch at a restaurant and your coffee at a coffee shop. But as some of you have mentioned the American market seems to think that they should go together in many cases. So all I can say is that if you have a coffeshop with light fare then consider that you are still a coffee shop. If it smells like burritos when people walk into your COFFEE shop then it will only appeal to your burrito customers (which would be a smaller percentage than your coffee customers) Make it smell like delicious coffee, even outside your cafe.<br/> <br/>
as for things to not offer, there is only one size of cappucino. Just 5-7oz no matter what your customers say. Just 1 size, this opens the door to educating so many people because they think that espresso drinks have different ingredients when it is actually a ratio difference in may cases.<br/>
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*note* burrito is an example, I've never actually seen a burrito/coffee shop</div>
</blockquote> Paul Yates said:The consensus…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-28:1688216:Comment:4085052009-03-28T14:32:56.907ZEldon Hooleyhttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/EldonHooley
<cite>Paul Yates said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://baristaexchange.ning.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?page=2&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A386288&x=1#1688216Comment386288"><div>The consensus I am receiving seems to be: remain true to myself and my vision for this venture, but listen to my customer base and be willing to consider items that may not have otherwise registered on my radar screen. Good advice. Yes, I do have a fairly clear idea of what I want to offer,…</div>
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<cite>Paul Yates said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://baristaexchange.ning.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?page=2&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A386288&x=1#1688216Comment386288"><div>The consensus I am receiving seems to be: remain true to myself and my vision for this venture, but listen to my customer base and be willing to consider items that may not have otherwise registered on my radar screen. Good advice. Yes, I do have a fairly clear idea of what I want to offer, but that is likely due to watching the opportunity arrive over 4 years. I have had time to think about it some.<br/> However, because my experience with coffeehouses is mostly *$ and others, I have realized that an independent shop has a great advantage over the franchise shop. In the distant large city to the north, there are only a few *$, and even fewer independent shops. So, for me to gain a better insight into how to create a successful coffeehouse, I still find myself coming back to my original question: What should I never offer/do/forget, etc, in my coffeehouse?</div>
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Hi Paul,<br />
The only thing really new and enlightening in your coffee shop is your customer. Every day, just like you and I, your customer comes in with another day on his/her agenda. That means he/she might feel different from one day to the next and however slight that may be for some, it's a chance to make someones palate feel good. If my customers are my life, I feel inspired to make the best possible experience for them. To do that, I follow some rules.......<br />
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The same old standby's we've always had in all food service professions.....<br />
1. Great customer service.<br />
2. Quality food and beverage.<br />
3. Clean and friendly environment.<br />
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To focus in on a bit further are things like being unique to your shop, flavor consistency, style of service, branding, artwork, and hours of operation.<br />
Be courteous and professional with the food inspector.<br />
Visibly take the tip cup off the counter in front of the person who you SAW take money out of it. Don't say anything.<br />
Post your wifi password by your cash register but you will be respected more by offering it without a purchase than if you require a purchase. Most people will respect it. A bad apple now and then won't hurt you.<br />
Know your plu's and pull reports at the end of each day.<br />
Keep a running log of what plu's are doing.<br />
Choose a food service that offers a cost breakdown.<br />
Train your staff to be consistent with ingredients. That means the exact amount of syrup in a drink to the exact amount of cheese on a deli sandwich. You can throw away a lot of money otherwise and consistency will change.<br />
Training is key to all your service and can hardly be emphasized enough in general.... (espresso, frothing, and flavoring training is another absolute to quality and consistency on a detail level)<br />
Either do a simple menu so you can change it often or provide printed menus for tables.<br />
If the bathroom isn't clean, your friends will forgive you because they like you, but keep it clean anyway. No one really likes to use a dirty bathroom.<br />
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Listen to your customers. Their usually right. Some people say always, but I've backed away from that. :)<br />
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Remember a coffee shop is a profession. You can get about any kind of food and a cup of coffee just about anywhere at anytime but a great cup of coffee, latte, or cappuccinno is an experience! Keep it that way in your shop. If you do, you can serve an array of other foods (but not drinks) without hurting the coffee experience. (I know that's out of the box but you're not a franchise and your locality is somewhat unique)<br />
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Don't fear change or the unknown.<br />
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And, last but not least, serve JAVATAZA COFFEE! :)<br />
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I know you well enough by now to say all the above are things you know as much or more about as I do. And you're a people person and that will go a long ways in this profession. Flavia Celidonio Pogliani sai…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-26:1688216:Comment:3907842009-03-26T23:30:40.925ZChris/Dalehttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/ChrisDale
<cite>Flavia Celidonio Pogliani said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?page=3&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A390673&x=1#1688216Comment390593">Hey Paul, get ready to become a control freak or to live without decent days off, if you don´t want your staff to ruin your business. And make sure you´ll always deliver quality and consistence. Unless your costumers don´t give a damn to it and all they really want is low price and…</blockquote>
<cite>Flavia Celidonio Pogliani said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?page=3&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A390673&x=1#1688216Comment390593">Hey Paul, get ready to become a control freak or to live without decent days off, if you don´t want your staff to ruin your business. And make sure you´ll always deliver quality and consistence. Unless your costumers don´t give a damn to it and all they really want is low price and lots of milk. Get to know your costumers, and be 100% available to your own business. Staff can cost you much more than just their wages.
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true enough, If you want to run a cafe effectively , you pretty much have to live there. Sometimes you end up drinking…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-26:1688216:Comment:3905932009-03-26T21:27:52.510ZFlavia Celidonio Poglianihttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/FlaviaCelidonioPogliani
Sometimes you end up drinking crap even though you haven´t ordered it.<br />
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Hey Paul, get ready to become a control freak or to live without decent days off, if you don´t want your staff to ruin your business. And make sure you´ll always deliver quality and consistence. Unless your costumers don´t give a damn to it and all they really want is low price and lots of milk.<br />
Get to know your costumers, and be 100% available to your own business. Staff can cost you much more than just their…
Sometimes you end up drinking crap even though you haven´t ordered it.<br />
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Hey Paul, get ready to become a control freak or to live without decent days off, if you don´t want your staff to ruin your business. And make sure you´ll always deliver quality and consistence. Unless your costumers don´t give a damn to it and all they really want is low price and lots of milk.<br />
Get to know your costumers, and be 100% available to your own business. Staff can cost you much more than just their wages.<br />
<br />
<cite>Chris/Dale said:</cite><blockquote cite="http://www.baristaexchange.com/forum/topics/whats-the-worst-thing-to-offer?page=3&commentId=1688216%3AComment%3A390534&x=1#1688216Comment390534"><div>granted...i don't order or listen to crap</div>
</blockquote> http://coffeegeek.com/opinion…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-26:1688216:Comment:3905622009-03-26T21:10:28.903ZFlavia Celidonio Poglianihttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/FlaviaCelidonioPogliani
<a href="http://coffeegeek.com/opinions/professionals/02-20-2009">http://coffeegeek.com/opinions/professionals/02-20-2009</a><br />
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"Coffeehouse customers reveal a surprisingly balanced decision making process not unlike the mythical rational consumer, or at least they did in August 2007, when Mintel International Group asked them what they are most interested in when visiting a coffeehouse. Respondents were allowed to choose as many answers as they found applicable. The top four answers:<br />
<br />
1.…
<a href="http://coffeegeek.com/opinions/professionals/02-20-2009">http://coffeegeek.com/opinions/professionals/02-20-2009</a><br />
<br />
"Coffeehouse customers reveal a surprisingly balanced decision making process not unlike the mythical rational consumer, or at least they did in August 2007, when Mintel International Group asked them what they are most interested in when visiting a coffeehouse. Respondents were allowed to choose as many answers as they found applicable. The top four answers:<br />
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1. Reasonable prices 62%<br />
2. Serves me quickly 62%<br />
3. Has consistently high-quality coffee 61%<br />
4. Conveniently located to where I live 61%<br />
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One must imagine that the percentage of customers who would say "reasonable prices" has increased since August 2007, perhaps dramatically and perhaps at the expense of quality-driven decisions..." granted...i don't order or li…tag:www.baristaexchange.com,2009-03-26:1688216:Comment:3905342009-03-26T20:45:36.058ZChris/Dalehttps://www.baristaexchange.com/profile/ChrisDale
granted...i don't order or listen to crap
granted...i don't order or listen to crap