Coffee shops fill a unique role in our community. They provide great food and drinks like a restaurant but with the calming study environment of a library. They are places of creativity, community, and excellent beverages. Here are four ways to make your coffee shop stand out from the rest.
Make It a Cozy Place To Hang Out
Local coffee shops are not just a place to pick up a morning coffee. If customers only want something quick and easy, they usually opt for a chain store’s drive-thru. Customers come to local coffee shops for two reasons: exceptional coffee and the shop’s environment.
If you haven’t invested in making your coffee shop as cozy as possible, you’re missing out on what makes coffee shops so great. Your shop should be a place for guests to study, catch up with friends, or read a book. Hire baristas with great personalities and encourage them to interact with your customers in a way beyond the bare minimum.
Design choices factor into this as well—opt for warm lighting, cozy seating areas, and small tables. Adding inclusive art or a pride flag behind the counter is an effortless way to show your commitment to diversity and create a safe space for BIPOC and queer individuals.
Create a Seasonal Menu
Seasonal menus are a fantastic way to provide your customers with new flavors every season. Use local produce and seasonal flavors in your drinks and baked goods. This move enables you to provide fresher flavors and higher-quality ingredients to your guests in a sustainable way.
Be creative! For example, spring drinks can include florals like lavender or rosemary, while fall drinks use spicy flavors like cinnamon, pumpkin, and nutmeg. Give your guests a taste of the season beyond their basic PSL!
Embrace the Non-Dairy Demographic
More and more people opt for non-dairy drinks, whether due to dietary restrictions or preference. Most coffee shops offer alternative milks, but the stand-out ones create non-dairy menu items.
This allows your guests to order directly off the menu rather than having to modify every drink. You can create drinks with each milk alternative’s flavor profile in mind and craft a recipe that guests will adore.
Do Something Different
There are no rules here; run your coffee shop your way. If you pride yourself on providing the best flavor add-ins, run with that and go beyond the norm. Offer unusual syrups year-round, like lavender, sage, and rose. If your shop is near a university, lean into that demographic! Stay open late at night, and your shop will fill with students burning the midnight oil.
The younger generations love aesthetics for a reason; choose one that you love and decorate your shop in that style. Examples include dark academia, maximalist, or futuristic neon. Offer themed (but functional) mugs and glassware for in-store drinks—it’s sustainable and Instagram-able.
No matter what your brand’s style is, there are ways to make your coffee shop stand out from the rest.