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?

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Should You Offer Free WiFi Connection in Your Cafe?

Many cafes offer WiFi connection, but is it truly the best choice?

You enter your favorite coffee shop. It’s full of people working on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Sounds of fingers hitting keys and texts notifications popping up are subtly camouflaged by the cashier’s voice taking orders, the espresso machine doing its magic, and the mild conversations taking place in some of the tables. Does this sound familiar to you?

It’s already been many years since technology made its way into our lives and our everyday activities. Around 2010, coffee shops started offering free WiFi connection to their customers. It worked wonderfully for franchises like Starbucks. Because of it, and ever since then, this practice has widely spread and many cafe owners started thinking of it as a competitive rule. They think you should offer free WiFi because that’s what everybody wants.

Well, what if we told you that’s changing? Many cafés are actually starting to ban Internet usage in an effort to encourage face-to-face interactions and provide an environment free from communication technologies. It might seem a little hipsterish at first. After all, it’s true that offering free WiFi can attract many potential customers, such as freelancers, to your store. The problem is: it also implies the risk of turning your cafe into an office.

No one stays in a coffee shop for five hours straight, but if they got a report to finish and free connection to use, they might. So offering free WiFi can encourage customers to stay longer, but that will only be useful if they keep ordering. And that’s not one hundred percent bound to happen. That's why you’ll probably feel the need to keep your customers coming and going.

Do you remember when cafés were about meeting with your friends and having conversations? Yes, that still happens. But does a workplace environment inspires that feeling? Probably not. That’s the reason why so many cafés are changing their approach around WiFi connections and are trying to offer something that can be seen as unique nowadays: a place to talk and engage in real-time human interactions.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t have free WiFi. It depends on what your close competition is doing, your customer's needs, and which kind of experience you’d like to offer them. Many coffee shop's owners feel like offering this service is a true perk that inspires their visitors to choose them over other places.

But you should unquestionably think it thoroughly and not do it only because you feel you have to. There are many costs associated with a stable WiFi connection, and if it starts to fail because of lack of maintenance, it can turn into a reason for your customers to complain and get angry. It’s better not to offer it at all if it’s barely going to be usable.

What do you think? Do you feel like coffee houses' mystic aura has been lost due to technology? Do you prefer to have a place where you can rest from the digital world and engage in meaningful conversations while enjoying your favorite cup of coffee? Trends are always changing, so it’s important to keep a record of what customers prefer! At That Coffee Roasters, we’re always looking forward to giving our clients the very best. If you have that in mind, you’ll probably succeed no matter what your choice is!

It will all depend on your customers' needs.

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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!

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That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters