When it comes to coffee, no pandemic can stop people from buying it. According to a survey by the National Coffee Data Trends, this year 73% of specialty coffee drinkers missed their favorite shops. Meanwhile more than half of those surveyed still drank at least one cup today. A coffee shop can still prosper in 2021.
Flexibility and following customer trends will get coffee shops back to business as usual. Whether they want to see a house-made flavor of the day or swap their usual frappe for tea, here are three ways to keep up with customers this year.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Making Your Coffee Shop a Hit
New Creations
Lately, customers have gotten more involved with how their food is made. For example, many fixate on fresh or organic ingredients. They’re willing to spend a little more on locally and ethically sourced products. Where you get your roast may also affect purchases. You’ll draw in a lot of guests with unique promos, like periodically introducing coffee from around the world.
Coffee has also gotten stronger. From cold brew to nitrogenation (which results in a smoother, creamier drink without the extra calories), we’re pushing the boundaries of possibility. This has cropped up in conjunction with such a different kind of trend: A hint of seltzer for sparkle and fizz. Whether your coffee shop makes a more effective brew or adds flair to its biggest hits, customers care more and more about how their drink gets made.
Interesting Presentations
Part of why people like seltzer in coffee isn’t just the flavor, but how it looks when the barista slides it across the counter. Coffeemaking has become an art form. It’s not just the usual hearts and animals you may have seen aesthetically posted on Instagram, either. Now, you can order lattes with portraits drawn in the foam. It’s a cool trick that appeals to modern customers and gives your coffee shop an edge.
For another convenient new way to reach customers, can and bottle your coffee to sell at local gas stations and corner stores. People still frequent both, so even if your venue closed during the pandemic, your brand will prosper.
Healthy Drinks
During this pandemic, customers have craved foods that help their mental, emotional or physical health. It makes sense that this is expanding to coffee, too. Perhaps your coffee shop has already begun offering blends that support the immune system, gut health, or metabolism. Matcha lattes, packed with antioxidants, are a great example of how healthy options have pervaded shops.
The most popular alternative may be the soy and nut-based milk that replaced dairy in a lot of regular drinks. Plant-based and other healthy options will appeal to the modern customer and bring them into your coffee shop this year.
Photo courtesy of eatOS
Smarter Coffee Shop Technology
Communicate better with your customers to provide a positive, unique experience in ways that you just couldn’t focus on pre-pandemic. Now is the time to slow down and foster relationships.
If you don’t know what your most loyal patrons want, ask. Incorporate customer surveys into checkout, use guest profiles to track what they spend the most money on and ask servers too. With the money you’re saving on labor using a smart Point of Sale, you can afford to try your hand at every new trend that hits the industry.
eatOS offers an all-in-one cloud-based eco-system exclusively for restaurants. From Point of Sale to Contactless Ordering, Pay & Order at Table, Kitchen Display System, Customer Facing Display, Online Ordering APP / Website and Workforce Management there is everything to help a restaurant succeed no matter the size. Click Here to Schedule a demo to learn more about how your restaurant can make a smooth transition into the world of restaurant technology made simple.
