Ivy Cottage Online

Coffee Shoppe Restuarant

Hot coffee is brewing all over America! That is, coffee diner shops are swarming in almost every corner in different avenues. It’s as if people are leaving their own homes to drink their favorite mocha or cappuccino in one of these restaurants. In fact, according to a 2001 survey conducted by the National Coffee Association, an everyday coffee drinker will actually consume numerous cups on a daily basis, which sums up to millions and millions of coffee cups within 24 hours.

Coffee is such demand that many entrepreneurs are setting their eyes on running their own coffee restaurant business. But just when you think that it’s all about the brew, donuts, and perhaps a good book, think again because truthfully, there’s more than what meets your business mind.

To be able to compete in the coffee restaurant industry, you need to develop dynamic marketing strategies. The initial and perhaps the most important step is to identify your target market and build your identity from it. If you want to cater to students and young professionals, a more urban- and younger-sounding brand name will do. Of course, there’s the logo and maybe a catchphrase that will further enhance the probability of your being recognized.

One marketing tool that is often taken for granted is the word of mouth. Research shows that out of five customers, four of them are likely to favor a restaurant they haven’t patronized yet simply because of their friends’ or families’ suggestions. So as a coffee shop, you can dazzle your present customers with the widest array of coffee and other beverage choices, the tastiest pastries to go with them, and the most excellent customer service they could experience. Without a doubt, patrons will double or even triple in a very short while. You can also take advantage of other marketing media like newspapers, brochures, radio, and TV advertisements, though they can be costly.

Partnerships with other related businesses may well boost your café and will create diversity that your customers will surely love and look forward to. You can make your own book club, for example, knowing what a perfect combination a drink such as coffee and must-read literature can be.

Most of all, all your marketing methods should be client-based. One of the most efficient techniques is survey. Their opinions, suggestions, and comments can help you improve your service and the overall operations of your business so you can be more marketable and competitive.

Indeed, the coffee restaurant industry is meant to last longer than what most people might have expected. Well, what could beat good marketing strategies and brewed coffee?

Managing A Restaurant

Myth: Because people need to eat everyday, putting up a restaurant as a business will surely be profitable.

Fact:  People do need to eat but they have choices other than your restaurant.

Needless to say, managing a restaurant business is tricky.  It’s hard enough to juggle day-to-day work and yet it’s even more challenging to ensure its long-term growth and profitability.  The following tips should serve as a guide to managing your restaurant and simple as they are, they could be used as a valuable checklist to make sure that everything in your business goes smoothly and yes, profitably.

Follow a plan.  Work with your original business plan and put all of your ideas for improvement into writing.  This will help you think things over and will allow you to specify the actual steps needed to achieve those.

Know your market.  Is it high-powered executives, health buffs, or teenagers?  Accurately identifying your target market will put all of your marketing strategies into the right perspective.  It will direct your advertisement and promotion efforts through the right channels making them more effective and efficient.

Hire professional help.  Expert advice from accountants and lawyers will add valuable insights to aid you in decision-making.  Moreover, hiring a capable and experienced restaurant manager will take the responsibility of daily operations off your hands giving you more time to think, plan, and strategize.

Crunch your numbers.  As much as possible, perform a thorough financial analysis when pondering on major business decisions. You need empirical evidence to check whether buying an automated oven will increase profitability or hiring three additional waitresses will increase efficiency.  In addition, match short-term needs with short-term financing and long-term needs with long-term financing.  This will put you in a safe financial position and will prevent you from accumulating a damaging amount of debt.

Learn from others.  Study the experiences of other restaurants.  Read on how they got through difficult times, how they spurred instant growth, or how they have gone out of business despite good forecasts.  Hopefully, you’ll learn from the mistakes others have made and follow the example of well-managed restaurants.

Focus on customer satisfaction.  The bottom-line of any business entity is increasing profits.  However, you’re mission is to provide maximum customer satisfaction and making it a reality will eventually (not instantly) be reflected on your financial statements.  Thus, don’t use cheap and low-quality ingredients just to reduce costs if it means dissatisfying your most loyal patrons.