View entire thread: Opening in a couple weeks - advice please...
Posted by kcooley on 2008-09-20 23:27:40 Post Subject: Opening in a couple weeks - advice please...
Hi! We are about to open a frozen yogurt (think pinkberry) and espresso cafe. This is our first time owning anything retail and we are excited and a bit nervous, of course.
We plan on doing a soft-open utilizing now open banners and 5K door hangers. We have already started marketing through word-of-mouth and are utilizing coming soon signs. We will also do a huge grand opening a couple weeks later, with another 5k door hangers, ribbon cutting through the chamber, sign holders on the street, and a \"carnival\". (About 80% of our nearby homes have young children.) We will distribute coupons and fliers to local businesses, schools (for the froyo), and gyms (froyo and smoothies).
We have loyalty cards ready to go and a POS system with which I can track customers and send emails (only periodically, of course) through.
I''ve been contemplating branding some travel mugs and possibly offering free coffee for the month (or something similar) with purchase of mug. Question - Would a deal like that cut into my more profitable espresso drink sales?
There are no coffee shops nearby, so right now everyone is getting coffee from the next door donut shop. Question - Other than having superior coffee... does anyone have any advice on how to compete with a donut shop. I know the kids are begging for donuts on saturday morning...
Regarding baked goods/sweets, what have you seen sell the best? Right now, my list is biscotti, brownies, cheesecake, croissants, danishes, muffins, and cream puffs (for a small sweet). Any suggestions?
Just a thought, has anyone ever had a \"coffee club\"? Customer pays x amount of $ and gets unlimited drip coffee for the month. I don''t know...
I would also greatly appreciate any random advice that you may have for someone who is a couple weeks away from opening.
Thanks to all you veterans!
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Posted by kcooley on 2008-09-20 23:27:40 Post Subject: Opening in a couple weeks - advice please...
Hi! We are about to open a frozen yogurt (think pinkberry) and espresso cafe. This is our first time owning anything retail and we are excited and a bit nervous, of course.
We plan on doing a soft-open utilizing now open banners and 5K door hangers. We have already started marketing through word-of-mouth and are utilizing coming soon signs. We will also do a huge grand opening a couple weeks later, with another 5k door hangers, ribbon cutting through the chamber, sign holders on the street, and a \"carnival\". (About 80% of our nearby homes have young children.) We will distribute coupons and fliers to local businesses, schools (for the froyo), and gyms (froyo and smoothies).
We have loyalty cards ready to go and a POS system with which I can track customers and send emails (only periodically, of course) through.
I''ve been contemplating branding some travel mugs and possibly offering free coffee for the month (or something similar) with purchase of mug. Question - Would a deal like that cut into my more profitable espresso drink sales?
There are no coffee shops nearby, so right now everyone is getting coffee from the next door donut shop. Question - Other than having superior coffee... does anyone have any advice on how to compete with a donut shop. I know the kids are begging for donuts on saturday morning...
Regarding baked goods/sweets, what have you seen sell the best? Right now, my list is biscotti, brownies, cheesecake, croissants, danishes, muffins, and cream puffs (for a small sweet). Any suggestions?
Just a thought, has anyone ever had a \"coffee club\"? Customer pays x amount of $ and gets unlimited drip coffee for the month. I don''t know...
I would also greatly appreciate any random advice that you may have for someone who is a couple weeks away from opening.
Thanks to all you veterans!
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View entire thread: Opening a shop in two weeks!
Posted by kcooley on 2008-10-18 22:06:14 Post Subject: Opening a shop in two weeks!
Hi! We are about to open a frozen yogurt (think pinkberry) and espresso cafe. This is our first time owning anything retail and we are excited and a bit nervous, of course. Smile
We plan on doing a soft-open utilizing now open banners and 5K door hangers. We have already started marketing through word-of-mouth and are utilizing coming soon signs. We will also do a huge grand opening a couple weeks later, with another 5k door hangers, ribbon cutting through the chamber, sign holders on the street, and a \"carnival\". (About 80% of our nearby homes have young children.) We will distribute coupons and fliers to local businesses, schools (for the froyo), and gyms (froyo and smoothies).
We have loyalty cards ready to go and a POS system with which I can track customers and send emails (only periodically, of course) through.
I have branding some travel mugs and I'm thinking of possibly offering free coffee for the month (or something similar) with purchase of mug. Question - Would a deal like that cut into my more profitable espresso drink sales?
Regarding baked goods/sweets, what have you seen sell the best? Right now, my list is biscotti, brownies, cheesecake, croissants, danishes, muffins, and cream puffs (for a small sweet). Any suggestions?
Another question: I'll be running 2 POS systems and accepting CC's. How much should I try starting the till with?
I would also greatly appreciate any random advice that you may have for someone who is a couple weeks away from opening.
Thanks to all you veterans!
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Posted by kcooley on 2008-10-18 22:06:14 Post Subject: Opening a shop in two weeks!
Hi! We are about to open a frozen yogurt (think pinkberry) and espresso cafe. This is our first time owning anything retail and we are excited and a bit nervous, of course. Smile
We plan on doing a soft-open utilizing now open banners and 5K door hangers. We have already started marketing through word-of-mouth and are utilizing coming soon signs. We will also do a huge grand opening a couple weeks later, with another 5k door hangers, ribbon cutting through the chamber, sign holders on the street, and a \"carnival\". (About 80% of our nearby homes have young children.) We will distribute coupons and fliers to local businesses, schools (for the froyo), and gyms (froyo and smoothies).
We have loyalty cards ready to go and a POS system with which I can track customers and send emails (only periodically, of course) through.
I have branding some travel mugs and I'm thinking of possibly offering free coffee for the month (or something similar) with purchase of mug. Question - Would a deal like that cut into my more profitable espresso drink sales?
Regarding baked goods/sweets, what have you seen sell the best? Right now, my list is biscotti, brownies, cheesecake, croissants, danishes, muffins, and cream puffs (for a small sweet). Any suggestions?
Another question: I'll be running 2 POS systems and accepting CC's. How much should I try starting the till with?
I would also greatly appreciate any random advice that you may have for someone who is a couple weeks away from opening.
Thanks to all you veterans!
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View entire thread: Gaggia, Solis or Saeco
Posted by wallisj on 2005-07-14 11:04:18 Post Subject:
I've a Saeco Incanto Sirius which has an adjuster system to make espresso, cafe crema or more like regular coffee
I'm actually selling it since i moved to a smaller place and don't really have space for it....
Dunno if we're supposed to advertise things but i'm doing it for a good price...of course depends where in the world you are as to how useful it would be..
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Posted by wallisj on 2005-07-14 11:04:18 Post Subject:
I've a Saeco Incanto Sirius which has an adjuster system to make espresso, cafe crema or more like regular coffee
I'm actually selling it since i moved to a smaller place and don't really have space for it....
Dunno if we're supposed to advertise things but i'm doing it for a good price...of course depends where in the world you are as to how useful it would be..
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View entire thread: promotional items - like clip art, large display items
Posted by RadarRick on 2004-10-08 09:00:46 Post Subject: promotional items - like clip art, large display items
Good Morning,
I am curious about promotional items that may be available to our industry.
For example....are there any web pages with any clip art (coffee, espresso, cafe's, bakery, cold drinks, etc.) via the internet?
I have seen at a few cafes/shops very large pottery (?) coffee cups that they used to display other items inside the cup. One coffee cup was about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet tall and had the letters (Roman Numerals) K O I E and a logo on the side of the cup. I believe it has Japanese roots.
I have also seen several cups that were about 12 -14 inches in diameter and about 10 inches tall. They cups appeared to be display pieces used for gift baskets, etc. Not sure if they were made of pottery, porcelain, or other materials (they were not made of paper or styrofoam). Who sells these large items?
What about other very large items for the espresso, coffee industry? I am trying to locate a very large 'costume' for a person to wear that looks like a coffee cup, a coffee bean or other coffee related costumes.
What about a 'hot air balloon' style but using a fan and cold air balloon displaying a coffee cup or old fashion espresso pot? These usually sit on top of buildings or in front of the business near the frontage road.
As you can see I am looking for these items for promotional use...I just need resourses. I am sure that the coffeefest will have many of these items....I will be unable to attend, maybe (please) someone can find out who sells or makes these type of items and post them here.
RadarRick
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Posted by RadarRick on 2004-10-08 09:00:46 Post Subject: promotional items - like clip art, large display items
Good Morning,
I am curious about promotional items that may be available to our industry.
For example....are there any web pages with any clip art (coffee, espresso, cafe's, bakery, cold drinks, etc.) via the internet?
I have seen at a few cafes/shops very large pottery (?) coffee cups that they used to display other items inside the cup. One coffee cup was about 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet tall and had the letters (Roman Numerals) K O I E and a logo on the side of the cup. I believe it has Japanese roots.
I have also seen several cups that were about 12 -14 inches in diameter and about 10 inches tall. They cups appeared to be display pieces used for gift baskets, etc. Not sure if they were made of pottery, porcelain, or other materials (they were not made of paper or styrofoam). Who sells these large items?
What about other very large items for the espresso, coffee industry? I am trying to locate a very large 'costume' for a person to wear that looks like a coffee cup, a coffee bean or other coffee related costumes.
What about a 'hot air balloon' style but using a fan and cold air balloon displaying a coffee cup or old fashion espresso pot? These usually sit on top of buildings or in front of the business near the frontage road.
As you can see I am looking for these items for promotional use...I just need resourses. I am sure that the coffeefest will have many of these items....I will be unable to attend, maybe (please) someone can find out who sells or makes these type of items and post them here.
RadarRick
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View entire thread: Start-up advertising, promos?
Posted by Jackson on 2006-09-25 16:20:29 Post Subject:
One of the hardest things to do in business is to dual brand. Are you an ice cream parlor, or a cafe? Friendly's tried to dual brand, and failed. Do you want to be known as an ice cream place with really good espresso drinks, or a cafe with really good ice cream?
Did you change the name of the business when you added the cafe? If so, in all your ads, print " the name of your cafe" featuring "the old name of the place" ice cream. If you did not change the name, make up one for the cafe. You can then reverse the ads to say, the ice cream parlor is featuring the new cafe's coffee. You might even see if your roaster would allow you to use their name, just make sure you make good lattes!
If your place looks like an ice cream joint, (bright lights, stainless steel, easy to clean up furniture), it will be very difficult to brand as a cafe. If your place looks like an espresso cafe (couches, stuffed chairs, living room setting), you may have problems when toddlers start dripping tootie fruity all over your furniture.
What ever you try, ice cream and espresso is a difficult pair to marry. I have some good ideas that I would share, if you wish to E-mail me. I hope to open my own coffee house someday, and I do not want half the country executing my ideas before I open my doors!
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Posted by Jackson on 2006-09-25 16:20:29 Post Subject:
One of the hardest things to do in business is to dual brand. Are you an ice cream parlor, or a cafe? Friendly's tried to dual brand, and failed. Do you want to be known as an ice cream place with really good espresso drinks, or a cafe with really good ice cream?
Did you change the name of the business when you added the cafe? If so, in all your ads, print " the name of your cafe" featuring "the old name of the place" ice cream. If you did not change the name, make up one for the cafe. You can then reverse the ads to say, the ice cream parlor is featuring the new cafe's coffee. You might even see if your roaster would allow you to use their name, just make sure you make good lattes!
If your place looks like an ice cream joint, (bright lights, stainless steel, easy to clean up furniture), it will be very difficult to brand as a cafe. If your place looks like an espresso cafe (couches, stuffed chairs, living room setting), you may have problems when toddlers start dripping tootie fruity all over your furniture.
What ever you try, ice cream and espresso is a difficult pair to marry. I have some good ideas that I would share, if you wish to E-mail me. I hope to open my own coffee house someday, and I do not want half the country executing my ideas before I open my doors!
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View entire thread: barista training
Posted by barefoot on 2005-05-10 14:00:54 Post Subject: Barista trianing.
the best bet is to partner with a good coffee roaster partner who also has a retail espresso cafe and is very experienced in advanced Barista techniques and training. Usually this caliber of roaster will waive the training fee and you only pay for the cost of travel and lodging when you are their customer. (we do and Intelligentsia does as well I believe) Trainng is crucial and should be a required part of every budget.
There are also Barista Guild Jams coming up in June that are not too far away.
www.Baristaguildofamerica.org
have fun gimme!
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Posted by barefoot on 2005-05-10 14:00:54 Post Subject: Barista trianing.
the best bet is to partner with a good coffee roaster partner who also has a retail espresso cafe and is very experienced in advanced Barista techniques and training. Usually this caliber of roaster will waive the training fee and you only pay for the cost of travel and lodging when you are their customer. (we do and Intelligentsia does as well I believe) Trainng is crucial and should be a required part of every budget.
There are also Barista Guild Jams coming up in June that are not too far away.
www.Baristaguildofamerica.org
have fun gimme!
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View entire thread: Espresso machine for a gift
Posted by Espresso2004 on 2004-11-11 20:11:07 Post Subject: Espresso machine in Canada..you say....elementary...
I don't know where in Canada you are from but you cannot get a a real pump espresso machine for $200.Impossible.And a steam machine like a Delonghi from Canadian Tire is a waste of time.Steam machines do not make real espresso.There is not enough pressure from steam to make a real espresso.What you will get is thin,watery and crappy.If your friend has tasted real espresso in a cafe she will be really miffed by the espresso from a steam machine which is the only machine you can get for $200 and under($70 bucks-Canadian Tire Delonghi,$80.00 Walmart)
If you want real espresso you need a real espresso machine which has a pump and enough bar pressure to produce real espresso.You need at least 9 bar pressure and a real boiler to make espresso.
Save your pennies because a real espresso machine starts at $350 and up to thousands of dollars.A Gaggia machine is your best bet.They make the best machines.Faema and Saeco are good too.Why don't you just take your friend to a high class espresso cafe in Little Italy if you are from Toronto and treat her to real espresso for a couple of bucks.
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Posted by Espresso2004 on 2004-11-11 20:11:07 Post Subject: Espresso machine in Canada..you say....elementary...
I don't know where in Canada you are from but you cannot get a a real pump espresso machine for $200.Impossible.And a steam machine like a Delonghi from Canadian Tire is a waste of time.Steam machines do not make real espresso.There is not enough pressure from steam to make a real espresso.What you will get is thin,watery and crappy.If your friend has tasted real espresso in a cafe she will be really miffed by the espresso from a steam machine which is the only machine you can get for $200 and under($70 bucks-Canadian Tire Delonghi,$80.00 Walmart)If you want real espresso you need a real espresso machine which has a pump and enough bar pressure to produce real espresso.You need at least 9 bar pressure and a real boiler to make espresso.
Save your pennies because a real espresso machine starts at $350 and up to thousands of dollars.A Gaggia machine is your best bet.They make the best machines.Faema and Saeco are good too.Why don't you just take your friend to a high class espresso cafe in Little Italy if you are from Toronto and treat her to real espresso for a couple of bucks.
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View entire thread: how to make espresso at home - its not working for me
Posted by phaelon56 on 2004-09-27 16:41:56 Post Subject:
If you can't use your fresh roasted coffee up within ten days of the roastign date (it does hapen to some of us), best bet is to freeze it in tightly sealed ziploc bags with each bag havign about a one or two day supply. Wrap 'em all in a bigger bag or container, freeze as cold as possible and take them out one bag at a tiem when you need some coffee. CRUCIAL: allow the bag to thaw for a few hours or better yet overnight BEFORE you open it. That will avoid the condensation issue. I'm not suggesting that freezing coffe is in any way a desirabel optrion but if you have no other choice, freezing by use of careful methods does have some merit and it's way better than stale coffee. I have done actual A/B tests and base my opinion on experience.
Good espresso at home: to even hope for a decent result one must spend about $200 - $225 for an espresso machine and about $175 to $275 for a grinder. If you go much cheaper than that you're better off getting a Moka pot (aka stove-top "espresso-maker"). Good moka coffee ain't the same as good espresso but it's way better than bad espresso.
To have a chance at getting really good espresso cafe quality (I'm talking about cafe's that do it the right way - not Starbucks) expect to pay about $450 for a machine and $275 for a grinder (the revered Rancilio Silvia/Rocky combo). If you're not a serious tweaker/enthusiast but just want absolute top shelf quality at home with relative ease and consistency spend about $600 - $1200 for an E61 style machine and get the best gridner you can afford (the Rocky grinder is again a good choice but a Mazzer is even better).
You get what you pay for and the upgrade patch can get expensive - been there and done that.
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Posted by phaelon56 on 2004-09-27 16:41:56 Post Subject:
If you can't use your fresh roasted coffee up within ten days of the roastign date (it does hapen to some of us), best bet is to freeze it in tightly sealed ziploc bags with each bag havign about a one or two day supply. Wrap 'em all in a bigger bag or container, freeze as cold as possible and take them out one bag at a tiem when you need some coffee. CRUCIAL: allow the bag to thaw for a few hours or better yet overnight BEFORE you open it. That will avoid the condensation issue. I'm not suggesting that freezing coffe is in any way a desirabel optrion but if you have no other choice, freezing by use of careful methods does have some merit and it's way better than stale coffee. I have done actual A/B tests and base my opinion on experience.
Good espresso at home: to even hope for a decent result one must spend about $200 - $225 for an espresso machine and about $175 to $275 for a grinder. If you go much cheaper than that you're better off getting a Moka pot (aka stove-top "espresso-maker"). Good moka coffee ain't the same as good espresso but it's way better than bad espresso.
To have a chance at getting really good espresso cafe quality (I'm talking about cafe's that do it the right way - not Starbucks) expect to pay about $450 for a machine and $275 for a grinder (the revered Rancilio Silvia/Rocky combo). If you're not a serious tweaker/enthusiast but just want absolute top shelf quality at home with relative ease and consistency spend about $600 - $1200 for an E61 style machine and get the best gridner you can afford (the Rocky grinder is again a good choice but a Mazzer is even better).
You get what you pay for and the upgrade patch can get expensive - been there and done that.
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