Before you open your doors and begin welcoming customers into your coffee shop, make sure you have enough equipment, a great location and menu, and, of course, some advertising. You want to excel, so knowing the mistakes to avoid in your coffee shop is critical to your—begin by remaining mindful of each detail.
Your Location
Choosing a poor location is detrimental to your shop, as your target customers may not be able to find or get to it, so you may end up pulling in the wrong clientele. If you plan to have an elegant shop, you may want a location in the city or within a high-end town. The market you pull is a direct result of your locale, so chose carefully and consider your target market.
Furthermore, make sure you know the competition in your area. You want a high-traffic location, and choosing one surrounded by other coffee shops will do the exact opposite. If there’s a shop or two around, evaluate their options and prices to ensure yours competes well or caters to a different clientele.
No Advertising
The next mistake to avoid in your coffee shop is a lack of proper marketing. Advertising for your shop is vital to its survival; it’s what keeps you in the public eye, enticing customers. Before opening your shop, make sure you advertise on various social media platforms to get the word out. As you look for ways to advertise, consider:
- Giving free samples
- Promoting word-of-mouth endorsements
- Giveaways
Additionally, consider advertising for your brand from within the shop with custom hot coffee cups; By placing your name or logo on the cups, you transform customers into traveling advertisements as they carry them around!
No Variety
Once you’ve reached an audience, keep them around with a menu packed with variety! Every customer has a different taste and will come to your shop for a different drink. If you lack variety, you unintentionally turn customers away from your shop.
While you’ll mainly offer coffee, make sure you sell other caffeinated beverages, such as lattes, blended drinks, and teas. Moreover, add drinks for those who don’t want caffeine, such as juice, hot chocolate, and more! Consider adding food to the menu—it’s entirely up to you whether you want to offer strictly baked goods or salads and sandwiches, but by adding food, you keep customers in the shop longer.
As you get ready to open your coffee shop, avoid these common mistakes so that you’ll have a successful shop ready to welcome a variety of customers! Make sure to market properly and give your customers the variety they’re searching for. Purchase custom cups and more at Maryland Match to ensure your advertising material is of the highest quality.