Every cafe owner knows that running a coffee shop is a 24/7 job and each day is different from the next. As an operator, you’ll be wearing many hats throughout the day. Sometimes you might find yourself short-staffed and manning the cash register, other times you’ll be doing your accounts, or purchasing a new espresso machine. Juggling so many tasks can become overwhelming especially when you’ve just opened and still don’t have a grasp of things. Not to mention, the way you run your business will also determine how successful it will be. That is why we have put together the most basic instructions for running a coffee shop.
Building A Coffee Shop Menu
Get To Know Your Customers
When choosing food items or adding new items on your menu, take a look at what your competition is serving and what is selling well. This will give you an idea of the type of food and caffeinated drinks the people in your restaurant’s area prefer. It would also be a good idea to investigate the latest coffee shop food trends and research your target demographic to get a good idea of what their values are. For example, the customers in your area might prefer vegan or gluten-free food, in which case, you’ll want to include those options on your menu.
What Can You Afford?
When adding food items on your menu, always keep in mind your budget. A coffee shop can serve simple snacks, meals, and desserts. You do not need to include meals that require a large number of ingredients as this can become costly and will also be pricey for your customers. During your research, investigate the economic standing of your key demographic to see what type of food items they will be able to afford.
Menu Design
For design consistency, make sure your menu matches the color scheme of your restaurant. Most cafes will have their menu printed or written on an overhead board, as most of your customers will probably be making their way to work and will want to have a quick glance at the menu options. For this reason, you will want your menu to be easy to read. The text color should be sharply contrasted by the background color and the letters should be large enough to be seen from any part of the restaurant. To make your menu even easier to read, separate the menu items into these sections:
- Hot coffees
- Iced coffees
- Blended beverages
- Specialty drinks
- Bakery
- Breakfast
- Lunch
How To Create A Coffee Shop Floor Plan
If you think your floor plan needs a makeover, you can work with an interior designer to work out your floor plan or you can easily do it yourself. All you have to do is take a look at the interior of your restaurant and section it off into zones. You’ll want to create zones for:
- Customer queue
- Dining tables
- Coffee bar
- Restroom
- Workroom
Next, you’ll want to find out the dimensions and square footage of the interior of your restaurant, if you didn’t already know. The size of your restaurant will greatly affect the layout because it will allow you to measure how much space you need to have in each section. Keep in mind that you don’t want to have customers huddled together while they’re in line and you want to provide employees with enough space to work.
Once you know how much room you have, you can select the type of furniture and equipment for your restaurant. For instance, the size of your restaurant will tell you how many dining tables you can fit in your dining area and what size they should be. Before purchasing each item, make sure their design matches and is consistent with the vibe you’re going for.
Promotions
If you want to attract new customers or build customer loyalty, create promotions customers won’t be able to resist. Coffee shops are extremely popular and common, which means you will have plenty of competition, and promotions are a great tool to make you stand out. Here are a couple of promotional programs to help you get started:
Points-based rewards - This reward program gives customers points for every purchase or dollar they spend, typically with a punch card or through an app. Once they have accumulated a certain amount of points, they can earn a free drink or snack.
Daily/holiday promotions - This type of promotion offers rewards on certain days of the week or holidays. For example, on Mondays customers can have a free cookie if they purchase a latte, or give discounts on special holidays such as Memorial Day.
Managing Employees
If you’ve gotten into the coffee shop business, it’s most likely because you are a people person. Customers want to start their day off with a delicious coffee and excellent customer service which is why you need to hire people that look forward to interacting with others. Remember, customers might enjoy your cup of coffee but if they have a bad experience with your employees they will think twice about returning to your establishment.
Hiring Employees
Look for employees that are friendly and can keep a cool head when dealing with unruly customers. Hire people you can afford to hire, for instance, if you have a small budget, search for young employees with little to no experience. On the other hand, experienced employees will ask for a higher hourly rate but will probably be more reliable and require little to no training. Ideally, a mix of both can really help your business shine as the more experienced employees will serve as examples for less experienced employees.
Training Employees
A cafe will typically have four types of employees, the manager, baristas, cashier, and janitor. You will have to create a training program that is tailored to your coffee shop for each type of employee. Even if they are experienced in the coffee shop business, you will still have to guide them through the training program.
Managers
Your manager will be your right hand when it comes to day-to-day operations in your cafe. Therefore, you will have to hire someone you can trust that is highly responsible. Managers are typically in charge of:
- Hiring staff
- Training employees
- Supervising employees
- Keeping supplies in stock
- Keeping records
- Resolving customers issues
- Keeping the establishment clean
Baristas
If you hire an experienced barista then half of the work is already done for you. All you have to do is take them through the training program and teach them any specialty drinks that are unique to your cafe. However, if you are hiring someone with no experience, you will have to train them yourself or have them attend a barista class. Baristas are typically in charge of:
- Preparing and serving beverages
- Preparing and serving food
- Describing and suggesting food items to customers
- Keeping coffee equipment clean
Cashier
Your cashier will have to be a master of basic arithmetic and be able to operate a cash register. Remember, the cashier will communicate directly with your customers which means that they will always be expected to deliver excellent customer satisfaction. Cashiers are typically in charge of:
- Receiving and fulfilling orders
- Expertly handling cash
- Providing customer service
- Keeping the coffee bar clean
Janitor
While cleaning might be one of the most basic duties in a coffeehouse, it is no doubt one of the most important. Your janitor or cleaner will have to stay on top of all of their duties so your cafe can look presentable for customers. Janitors are typically in charge of heavy cleaning duties such as:
- Keeping floors and surfaces clean
- Cleaning restrooms
- Restocking coffee bar area
- Working with strong cleaning agents
- Lifting heavy objects
- Maintaining the outdoor area
Take Your Time
Whether you’re just opening a coffee shop or are seeking to run your business more efficiently, it is always important to have a plan before diving into any task. As you might have learned, running a coffee shop requires that each decision is made with a lot of thought and tact. So if you’re planning to do things differently in your establishment, remember to take some time to lay out a plan. No matter what changes you bring to your cafe, as long as you have created a meticulous strategy, every decision will be the right decision.
