Summer Promotions

[JLew]

So with summer quickly approaching, what kind of promos are you going to try, or have tried in the past and they bombed? Currently we use JetTea smoothies and I'm considering adding real fruit/green smoothies (fresh or frozen) to our summer menu, not sure it's worth the hassle since our Jet is already a great seller, but I want to appeal to the healthy drink seekers. What are you Planning in your place??

 

[John P]

I think it's just about having a balanced menu.

We have hot drinks, we have iced drinks (no blended).
The percentages of each often change based on the weather.
Simplicity is best for continuity and growth. Adding more weakens the core. It should not be about adding, it should be about becoming leaner and more focused.

 

[PinkRose]

Last summer, the owners of the cafe decided to create flavored "slushies" which basically is a couple of shots of flavored syrup (such as strawberry, raspberry, mango, pina colada, etc.) and some water blended with crushed ice. The price was $4 for a 20 ounce cup of flavored crushed ice. They would also mix powdered (CountryTime) lemonade mix with water and raspberry syrup and blend it with the crushed ice. Once in a while someone would order a "slushy" for a kid, but basically the whole idea was a big flop.

If it were up to me, I'd find a way to break the smoothie machine so there would be no more smoothies or blended drinks. I'm okay with making espresso drinks over ice as a cold refreshment option, but the smoothies and other stuff are best left for the ice cream shops to deal with.