What You Need to Know When Starting Your Coffee Shop

What do you know about work dynamics, portions and budgets? It's time to learn.

If you’re a coffee lover and an entrepreneur, I’m sure that starting your own coffee shop is not that far off your plans. It might even sound like the perfect alternative, and you’re absolutely right to think so! Coffee shops need much more than just passion for the brews, they need a functional setting to work within, and some extra tips that you’re about to find out. Want to make it a perfect place? Then read through!

What do you need to know for coffee shop business?

You should know that not all coffee shops are alike, so take these tips and instructions like a pinch of salt. Select the ones that adapt to your particular venture, and be sure to adapt them to what you really need. We don’t want something bad to happen to your own needs. Are you ready? Then let’s go!

Coffee makers should be durable, more than pretty

That’s right. You need to put aside your aesthetic needs for functionality. While you can find pricey choices that are both gorgeous and functional, these often cash you out. Sometimes, you need to concede to a not-so-pretty-one for durability, to avoid unexpected surprises.

Cleaning goes a long way

Investing in a system to clean your equipment is a must. Some companies offer specialized products that are as domestic as to be handled with little to no training when it comes to cleaning coffee shop appliances. This goes a long way for flavor, hygiene, and durability of your equipment.

You need to pick providers and stick to them

People love a business for their flavor. If you keep on changing providers, your customers will pick up the change. They will be displeased if you keep on changing your flavor, and are more likely to move to another establishment.

Be mindful of the pumps

While most businesses rarely confide this small secret, a perfect pump can save hours of work. For toppings, syrups and that kind of things, a sturdy and trustable pump reduce the amount of time used in less reliable units. And, if you keep them at bain-marie for example (in the case of chocolate topping) you can have a good-to-go service in seconds, instead of the minutes it takes to heat up individual pumps.

Always have snacks

Coffee is not a single thing, it’s a couple with a variety of elements. Sweet, savory, snacks, and so on. These are the perfect mate for coffee, why should you avoid making a good relationship of it? You need to think of this as something as important as coffee itself, so forget about opening without having a reliable stock of snacks for your customers.

Ready to take the step and open up your business? Here at That Coffee Roasters, we’re ready to walk the road with you. With specialty coffee made for top-of-the-line business, we’re sure to cater to your needs as a coffee shop owner.

Visit our website to know more.

Make something amazing by learning from your trusted roaster.

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Cash-Free Coffee Shops: A New Trend?

There are a few cafés that have adopted this method.

Technology has been dictating the way we live ever since we can remember. It had going like this: we discovered how to make paper, and then paper money came along. And now we’ve discovered how to stop needing cash, so it’s only a matter of time until we get rid of it once and for all. At least that’s what some coffee shop owners believe and why they’ve transformed their shops into some of the first cash-free cafes in the world.

And it’s weird because cash actually comes in handy when buying a cup of coffee on your way to work, right? It’s a good use for that extra money that you have laying in your pockets or your purse, right? Well, maybe we should think about it more carefully because there are good reasons as to why some cafés in countries like Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom and Australia are only allowing plastic as a form of payment now.

Why should cafes go cashless?

One of the reasons is efficiency. As there is no need to waste time with cash, orders can be taken quickly, without having to worry about counting or giving change. Using debit and credit cards can keep things running faster and smoother. It makes a daily activity as streamlined as possible, and it avoids adding errors at the end of the day.

It can also be safer. Chip technology has made electronic money a lot safer than carrying a lot of cash around. If there’s a robbery, your money won’t be at risk, and you won’t need to go to the bank with thousands of dollars on you.

It’s true that baristas and coffee shop workers won’t get tips anymore with this method, but you can raise their wages with the money you’d be saving yourself since bank deposit fees and staff cashing up would no longer be a problem.

If, in addition, you establish a method of payment where customers can order their own drinks without having to go to the cashier, you’ll be saving them time as well. Besides, it also gives workers a better way to run the coffee shop, since they’re not bound to walk to or stay at a certain point to take an order.

How can it impact revenue for coffee shops?

Making the best use of time, especially at busy hours, means you can serve more customers, which subsequently means your business will be making more money. However, not all people are ready to take the final step to a cashless world, and most coffee shop owners admit switching to a cash-free type of business has made them lost a few clients.

Nevertheless, they insist that it hasn’t really impacted their finances because tap-and-go card payments make things much more efficient and quicker. Besides, they believe that cashless economy will be eventually inevitable. They’re just doing it first. With time, people will come along.

What about you? Would you rather your favorite cafe to simply let you order your drink and make the payment by yourself? Would you like to be free from the need to carry cash with you at all times? Whether we like it or not, it seems that’s the road technology and humanity are taking! It’s alright, as long as our cups of joe are as good as That Coffee Roasters’ coffee, it should all be worth it.

Would you ban cash from your shop?

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

How to Sell Coffee: 5 Marketing Tips

Having the best coffee is not enough, you've got to know how to sell it!

Specialty coffee has really made its way to the heart of the coffee industry since the so-called third wave started. Nowadays, many people are looking to buy coffee products with knowable origins and characteristics. They can get seriously picky about what they desire to buy. Most of the time, however, customers simply want to drink a cup of coffee. They’re not looking for exotic flavors or special processing methods. They just want to spend some good-quality time with friends or sip their way through the mornings before work.  That’s why, when it comes to selling coffee, understanding who your customers are and what they want is so important.

It’s also essential to understand the kind of product you’re selling. Some roasters might have unique roasts that don’t go well with most people’s usual taste, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t sell it so your customers can start appreciating the different sensations that come with each cup. Here are some tips to get better at selling coffee, both for coffee shop's owners and roasters alike!

Lay down your ego

For us, who really, really love coffee and all there is to know about it, sometimes it can be hard to look past ourselves and realize that not everyone is as interested in coffee culture as we are. If you dive into the market acting like your specialty coffee is better than everyone else’s because it was grown at very specific temperatures in the mountains of… no one cares. Seriously, very few people care about the characteristics behind every cup of coffee. They see coffee as a simple commodity that keeps them up during that eternal meeting at 8:00 a.m.

So putting your ego first will only stop you from being flexible to the market’s demands. You don’t have to sell low-quality coffee. You definitely shouldn’t, actually, but you’ll find out that by listening to what people have to say about your product, you’ll understand more about what they want, and you’ll even be able to spot new opportunities to explore within the market. Whatever you’re selling, always make sure that it’s good-quality, well-processed, well-roasted and well-brewed. People will be bound to like it, beyond the origins.

Educate about coffee through subtlety

Nevertheless, a good part of selling specialty coffee is making sure that people understand what makes your coffee special. Coffee education can be boring, and if people are not interested in it, to begin with, it can easily become a hard market for small businesses. So what can you do about it? Teach your customers about coffee culture without them realizing they’re actually learning. You could train your most passionate and charismatic baristas to talk about the brew they’re serving, or you could put little hard, sharp facts directly in the coffee mugs or cups so your customers can take the information with them.

Listen to your customers and make your products approachable

Don’t expect people to buy your coffee just because it’s very expensive and comes from Ethiopia. Give samples to true potential customers, listen to their opinions, and learn from their experience trying your product. Make it approachable so that they can give it a shot. The coffee industry tends to be a business that’s built upon customer trust. Consumers will most likely stay in their safe lane (trying classic flavors and brews) if they don’t know your brand very well. However, once you’ve gained their trust, you can start offering new and exciting products coming from all parts of the world. It’s all a matter of how you first introduce it to the market.

Understand your value

Now more than ever, people are aware of what they’re consuming. You can always work on people’s necessity to feel they’re contributing to a good cause or a good story. Words like “organic” or “fair trade” capture customers’ attention. Be sure to understand how you can differentiate yourself from your competition and exploit that. If you have a special edition, give it a name, market it as something completely unique, something only your brand can offer. At the end of the day, you’re not only selling a beverage, but also the opportunity to accompany people on their everyday activities and moments.

Use storytelling

After you’ve understood your value, the next thing you need to figure out is a way to communicate it. Storytelling is perfect for it. As we said before, coffee is sold thanks to customers’ trust, so you should definitely do what you can to connect with your consumers. Tell the story of how your brand came to be, of its values, and what makes you different from others. Communicate the same story all across your platforms, social media and advertisements.

Understand your customer's needs.

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Working on What You Love: How to Make a Career in the Coffee Industry

From baristas to entrepreneurs, there's a whole world of possibilities in the coffee industry.

Every morning, coffee fuels the energy of millions of workers around the world. Many of those workers dedicate themselves to coffee art. Although often an underappreciated field, as Allegra Strategies shared with us, you should thank the coffee industry for providing the 1.3 billion cups of coffee that are consumed around the world each day.

Over the last few years, the coffee industry has experimented an incredible growth, making from 60 to 80 billion dollars per year. Each day, more and more people are interested in this craft, especially in a culinary approach that this beverage offers to the most experienced. What was once considered only a part-time job to pay for college, today has potential to become a full-time career.

If you’re able to fuse your passion with your job, you’re considered one of the few lucky ones. However, it’s not an impossible task! If you’ve ever wondered how you can make a professional path out of your love for coffee, then you’ve come to the right place. You just need a lot of hard work and motivation for learning new things. Chances are everywhere!

The website Craft Beverage Jobs has divided different coffee jobs opportunities into four big areas. Depending on what you excel at and how much experience you have, you can choose from a variety of positions to give your best and increase your potential in the coffee industry. These areas are: hospitality, sales, marketing, and production.

Employment in hospitality has the better-known coffee jobs: baristas and coffee shop managers. According to the Speciality Coffee Association of America, baristas can earn $22,000 a year and rise it up to $24,500 with a professional certificate. It’s a good place to start if you want to get to know the real deal and learn all there is to know about coffee brewing.

As a barista, you have the responsibility to be the first connection between your customers and the whole production process that goes behind a cup of coffee. There is a lot of crafting and dedication in this art, so if you’re full of passion, patience, and love to serve, you can even sign up to the World Barista Championship and earn a place among the best ones of this field.

You always have the alternative to ascend and become a coffee shop manager or open your own cafe. You can focus on increasing sales and offer a unique experience for your customers, differentiating yourself from competition and becoming a reference in your area. Independent cafes are a trendy business nowadays, so if you want more details about how to successfully open a coffee shop, don’t forget to check our article right here.

Now, if you’re an experienced barista with knowledge of coffee's machines and products, you can also make a career in sales. Your level of expertise will be perfect to provide solutions to your clients and offer the best alternatives in the market, as well as to supervise coffee distribution and to advise customers on how to grow their businesses. Think you have a lot to teach? Then start selling right now!

The marketing world is perfect for creative coffee lovers ready to offer new ideas and think outside the box. If you’re good at communicating and connecting with people, you could set the difference between any other coffee brand in the market and a product full of soul and identity that attracts every customer around!

As the industry grows, competition does too. That’s why it’s so important to develop marketing strategies that fit your brand, whether it is a coffee shop, a coffee roaster business or anything else. Advertising, digital media, and product campaigns are some of the areas you can specialize in and combine with your knowledge and love for coffee.

If by any chance you want to continue your path in the coffee brewing world, then you can move on from being a barista to become a coffee roaster or taster. In this career, you will go beyond art and dive into science, techniques, and processes to understand what truly makes a cup of coffee great.

Being a coffee taster is as good as it sounds. You’ll be paid to taste different types of coffee, to give your insight and improve the product’s quality and its preparation process. You’re responsible for detecting defects, as well as rating and describing beverages using coffee terminology. Don’t be fooled: it’s pretty serious, and you need to know a lot about coffee to understand each cup's qualities and attributes.

And when it comes to coffee roasters, it’s not just about roasting coffee: it’s also about assisting buyers, getting the best beans, supervising coffee's blending and packaging and ensuring a proper quality control of each step of the process. You can start with self-teaching materials, or you can invest in programs and apprenticeships to master every single part of the job. One thing we can assure you is that it’s a career path full of rewards and dedication. Trust us, at That Coffee Roasters, we know!

Think big, be inspired, work hard, and trust your instincts. The coffee's world has a lot to offer, and you might be exactly what it needs!  

Do you already know where to start? Go on with it and find success!

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Secrets Behind a Successful Coffee Shop

Open the coffee shop of your dreams.

Many people fantasize with the idea of leaving their jobs someday to open their own cafe or restaurant. The possibility of creating a unique and independent space that’s both profitable, fun, and full of personality sounds terrific. Having all this while enjoying and sharing with everyone one of the things you love the most (a good cup of coffee) looks like a dream come true.

But owning a business that should be customer-service focused at all times is not as simple and enchanting as it might seem at first. Many challenges and details are often underestimated about coffee shop’s market. That does not mean owning your own cafe can’t be incredibly rewarding and a successful endeavor, but if you’re a beginner and you don’t know what it takes to start in this world, then you should look for as much information as you can.

Some tips are more obvious than others but are overlooked just as often. So stay humble and keep an open mind.

Create an experience worth living!

Think about what you look for when you go to a cafe. It’s definitely more than just drinking coffee. You’re searching for a place where you can relax, spend some quality time with friends, work on your next project or have a business meeting. This means that one of the most important things about opening a coffee shop is creating an inviting atmosphere and an experience worth living.

Make your customers feel good. That goes from having a trendy decoration and an excellent service, to an ergonomic design. Go to your favorite cafes and think of what you love the most about them and what makes you want to stay there aside from their menu. Create your own style and own it: this is the kind of feeling you want to convey to people and that will guarantee you’ll stay open for business.

Coffee is not always everything

Coffee prices are not always as profitable as we wish they were. Maintaining a coffee shop can be expensive, so you need to find new ways of increasing your profits. Selling pre-made food and desserts is an excellent way to do so keeping it simple, without losing too much time. Don’t overextend your menu's variety. People don’t need to have that many options. They just need your advice and recommendations on what they should try and what goes best with their latte.

Put market’s expectations and customer's experience over profit

Many people tend to make the mistake of overthinking about how much money they can make from what they’re selling. With cafes, this balance is especially complicated. You should stick to prices people expect to see and not to the maximum profit you can make from a cup of coffee.

In the long run, it will be much more rewarding to earn your customers’ fidelity thanks to your exceptional service and hospitality than just charge them for what you think they should be paying.

If you’re new in the business, lowering your prices can help. Of course, we know you still need to make money. A good alternative is to put a higher price on a special dessert (or any other type of added value) that only your cafe offers.

Find a place with good traffic

It will be hard to attract new customers to your cafe if they can’t find it. That’s why it’s vital to find the perfect balance between good traffic and reasonable rent. You also need to understand how your typical customers behave.

Do people go to a coffee shop out of impulse? Or do they plan their visits? The answer is: cafes don’t belong in the impulse-purchases category. Most of the time, people will make plans with friends or colleagues before going. That means that you won’t necessarily be more successful if your cafe is located in a zone where people pass by in a hurry every day. Instead, you should pick a location in an accessible place with little competition around you.

Invest in people!

Customer service is one of the hardest areas of this business due to how important it is to understand people’s needs and desires. That’s why you should invest in workers who know good service's value and who meet your customers' expectations.

Don’t leave them alone! If you can’t be present at all times, find a good manager who can. Being in the first line of the battle right along with your employees will be extremely motivating. You’ll know your business like no one else and will understand what you need to keep growing and achieve success.

Serve excellent quality espresso, but remember to stay consistent

If you want to start your own cafe, chances are you want to serve a good quality product. This doesn’t mean that you have to hire as many roasters as you can or offer a huge variety of coffee's types. Coffee owners often forget that what most people want is to eat and drink something delicious.

However, buying good coffee is not enough. If you’re not an experienced barista, maybe you should start considering becoming one. The more you learn, the more you’ll understand what needs to be done to transform a good quality product into a great cup of coffee and an unforgettable experience.  

Once you become successful, remember to keep consistency. Always look for new ways to improve your products and services. That way, you won’t give customers the chance to say “this place used to be great, but not so much anymore…”.

In That Coffee Roasters, we have all the excellent quality products and services you need to make your dream come true and own your cafe. The road to success can be challenging, but the best advice we can give you is: work hard and keep learning. We believe in you!

Follow these tips and remember to have fun with your project!

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters