Americanos and such....

[jtilden]

How is everyone doing? Has there ever been any discussion on which type of bean to use when preparing an Americano? I currently use my espresso blend beans...does anyone use a single origin bean when making Americanos as opposed to using the same beans used to make an espresso based drink?....Also, with major franchises like Mc Donald's now offering Mochas has anyone thought of lowering their prices in order to compete?...It seems everyone now offers smoothies or espresso based drinks (cheaper than what we sell them for)...I have approached the other small shops in my area to see if they would be interested in group buying in bulk which could decrease the cost of some of our items we offer...Jet Tea Smoothies for example...Has anyone else come up with ways to "compete" with the big boys and still make a living?

 

[ElPugDiablo]

How is everyone doing? Has there ever been any discussion on which type of bean to use when preparing an Americano? I currently use my espresso blend beans...does anyone use a single origin bean when making Americanos as opposed to using the same beans used to make an espresso based drink?....Also, with major franchises like Mc Donald's now offering Mochas has anyone thought of lowering their prices in order to compete?...It seems everyone now offers smoothies or espresso based drinks (cheaper than what we sell them for)...I have approached the other small shops in my area to see if they would be interested in group buying in bulk which could decrease the cost of some of our items we offer...Jet Tea Smoothies for example...Has anyone else come up with ways to "compete" with the big boys and still make a living?

Are you losing customers to McDonald's or the other big boys? If I were to own a burger joint, I'd never ever charge what McDonald's charged. There is no way to compete with them on price; and if I can't compete in other area, then I am in the wrong business.

 

[John P]

low prices = low quality

Raise your quality, raise your skill level, raise your knowledge, and raise your prices. And they are targeting a whole different market... Mc D's and the like are no more competition than 7-11.
....

You can use SO if you find the right bean. Test and evaluate like anything else. Be certain to adjust your brew temperature dependent on the bean and the roast level. Look for the best balance across the entire range of drinks.

 

[jtilden]

[/quote]Are you losing customers to McDonald's or the other big boys? If I were to own a burger joint, I'd never ever charge what McDonald's charged. There is no way to compete with them on price; and if I can't compete in other area, then I am in the wrong business.[/quote]

I have a very loyal customer base...I am not at all worried that they (my customers) will jump ship...I do notice when I get a burger from time to time that the prices of their lattes' are enough to sway a not so savvy coffee drinker into their gimmicky grasps...I also notice that while I do own both a hard stand drive thru and a mobile truck, customers COME TO Mc D's and leave with drink carriers full of lattes' or mochas headed back to what I assume is their work place...I see those types as potential customers...I just need to know how to reel them in...or should i even worry about them...If the quality is anything like Starbucks it is only a matter of time before they see the light and find their way towards me...as an example: I LOVE cigars and before i educated myself on them I would buy machine rolled cigars from the local grocery store...why? because they were cheap and they were "cigars"...20 years later...i wont even look at a "black and mild"...so in a way i can see this whole thing working in our favor eventually.

 

[John P]

Don't build your business based on the un-educated.
Educate your customers, and let them spread the word.