Coffee Shop Start Ups: a few tips

14th May 2015

With the popularity of UK coffee shops growing with each year, it's no wonder there is a vast number of budding entrepreneurs eager to tap the market. For many people, it makes perfect business sense: not only is it a thriving market, it is also a market dominated by small, independent outlets, proving that it's not just a sector for big brands.

In a Guardian article published this week, independent coffee shop owners shared some advice that may be useful to anyone considering starting their own business. Here are a few of the tips they gave:

Taste is everything

There was once a time when the attitude among most consumers was 'any coffee will do,' but now it's a completely different picture. As the popularity of coffee shops has risen, so too have customer expectations, and they're now after one thing above anything else: quality coffee. So, when choosing your brew, make sure the quality of the product is your very first consideration.

Provide a quality guest experience

Though taste is a top priority, you must also focus on providing customers with a great brand experience. In a saturated market, you are competing with hundreds of thousands of other brands, all eager for customers to sample their coffee instead of yours. Focusing on providing your guests with a quality experience, from the moment they walk through the door to the moment they leave, will help you stand out among your competitors and ensure that customers return to you for their next caffeine fix.

Educate staff

Your staff will be the key to providing your customers with a quality experience. Employees must first and foremost be friendly and welcoming to all customers and secondly, they must be knowledgeable. Before you open the doors, your team need to be trained on the coffee you will be selling: the origins, varieties, strength and most importantly, the taste. Training will enable your team to talk to customers about the coffee and make recommendations, both of which will help with your brand's professional image and the experience that you can offer your guests.