Revel Systems
Coffee Shop Marketing Plan: Strategies for Your Business
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Revel Blog | Revel Systems | July 15, 2022 |
Owning an independent coffee shop has many benefits. Some of which include the ability to be your own boss, be a part of your community, and be creative. In fact, consumers prefer to visit and stay longer at local coffee shops vs. major chains .
When you own a small local shop, focusing on the customer experience and differentiating yourself from the big guys is how you set yourself apart. So, how do you do that? All you need is a solid coffee shop marketing plan to convince everyone from the neighborhood to choose you over the big chains.
What is Coffee Shop Marketing?
Barista Magazine’s research found that 70 percent of coffee shops invest less than $100 in their marketing efforts each month. However, this amount isn’t due to the fact that coffee shop businesses don’t advertise. They just do so differently than the average business.
In many ways, coffee shops are a hybrid of yesterday and today. At their core, coffee shops are an old-school business. However, to succeed in today’s business climate, a coffee shop owner must combine modern business approaches.
How to Create a Coffee Shop Marketing Plan
Developing a coffee marketing plan is not an easy process. After all, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As a result, when reviewing a coffee shop marketing plan sample, keep in mind that it is just that—a sample. However, it is important to note that each coffee business needs to base its plan on its maturity, specific market, and target consumer.
Your coffee business plan should be unique and tailored to the specific requirements of your business.
Follow this basic outline to boost sales. It’s easy to follow and can be implemented for both new coffee shops and established shops. Every marketing plan should include the following actions:
- Establishing marketing and financial goals
- Researching the market
- Analyzing the customer
- Creating a calendar of marketing-related steps and activities
- Retaining returning customers
- Securing your finances
8 Coffee Marketing Strategies
When developing a coffee marketing strategy, cafes must keep customers top of mind. Give your customers what they want, and they’ll fall in love with your business. But, how do you create an effective coffee shop marketing strategy?
Here are eight excellent coffee marketing ideas you can use to create your own coffee marketing strategy:
1.Make Your Coffee Shop More Attractive
As self-evident as it may sound, the entrance to your shop must be visible and attractive. Many bars and coffee shops have dark entries hidden from busy crowds. Don't make that mistake, ensure your shop has an eye-catching appeal.
Ideally, your shop should look good enough to lure people into stopping by for a cup of coffee, even if they hadn't intended to originally.
2.Level Up Your Branding in Your Coffee Shop
Branding is an essential part of every coffee shop marketing plan, especially for coffee shops. It sets you apart from all other similar businesses. A defined presence is absolutely necessary.
Your store shouldn't be just another coffee shop. Instead, it should have a story behind it, and it should promote specific values. Representing a strong brand all customers recognize and respect is essential. If you can’t define the brand of your coffee shop, how will your customers know it? They won’t gravitate towards you if they don't see (and like) who you are, what you believe in, and what you stand for as an organization.
3.Free Wi-Fi at a Pet-Friendly Coffee Shop
In the era of remote jobs and digital nomads looking for cozy places where they can work in peace, a charming coffee shop can quickly become everyone's favorite spot. All you need is a stable internet connection, good coffee, and free Wi-Fi.
Include a pet-friendly policy and allow your coffee drinkers to bring their furry friends. Just wait—they may never leave!
If a consumer has more than one option in the area, he'll prefer the one where he can bring a pet, get some free Wi-Fi, and plug in a laptop if needed.
4.Digital and Social Media for Coffee Businesses
If you aren't on social media by now, you’re missing out. Finish this article, then immediately create pages for your coffee shop across all popular channels. (We recommend prioritizing Facebook and Instagram.) Coffee shops should focus on creating a community of customers. Make your drink offerings unique, advertise them on social media, and speak to your followers about your craft.
Increase your brand's reach by bringing your store's vibe to your content and share it with the community. You can post promotions on social media or organize photo contests geared towards user-generated content.
5.Join Food Delivery Apps
According to the latest statistics, the average person has two delivery apps on their phone and makes an order twice a week.
Joining food delivery apps is the easiest way to expand your reach beyond the neighborhood. It will make your coffee available to people who want the convenience of delivery .
6.Coffee Social Media Advertising
Social ads work well for a coffee business on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Showcase images of your drinks and use these channels to promote any special deals and discounts you may be offering the public.
7.Coffee Shop Reviews
Sites like Yelp are incredibly beneficial to coffee shops. They provide feedback about your establishment that can bring new patrons to your business. They’re also an excellent platform for you to showcase your brand and speak to your customers directly. Simply asking for reviews is a great way to create word of mouth about your coffee shop business.
8.Coffee Market Loyalty Programs
Many coffee shops implement loyalty programs or member discounts that entice customers to return again and again. These programs drive revenue and increase customer loyalty.
A proper strategy includes creating a solid coffee shop marketing plan based on thorough market research, making smart investments, and taking action. This strategy needs to be maintained on a regular basis.
Bring Your Coffee Business to Revel Systems
Grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning is a ritual for many people. Use these coffee marketing ideas to make sure they choose your coffee shop over the competition.
Outside of traditional marketing efforts, consider a cloud-based POS platform built specifically for cafés. Revel’s coffee shop POS is built to maximize ease-of-use, convenience, and operational speed, allowing you to focus on what you do best: make great coffee.
Some software solutions that would help your coffee business thrive include:
- Customer Display System (CDS) A CDS allows you to increase order accuracy, tips for your employees, and trust with your customers. A CDS is also a key feature for any coffee shop register and gives your customers visibility into their order in real time.
- Inventory Management A true café POS system needs ingredient-level inventory insights. Having the right ingredients in the right quantities at the right times is essential in wowing your customers with an exceptional experience. Make sure you always have what you need on hand.
- Kitchen Display System (KDS) Improve your speed of service, order accuracy, and kitchen efficiency all through one tool: a kitchen display system (KDS). When integrated directly with your point of sale, a KDS updates orders (and modifications) in real time for your kitchen staff.
- Mobile Order Takers (MOT’s) With MOT’s you can move lines quickly to delight customers while maximizing your profits. During peak hours, bust lines with Revel’s mobile order takers and make sure no customers leave frustrated with long wait times.
You’ll want a café POS that can keep up with the morning rush, helping your team deftly handle orders, no matter how complex, with ease and efficiency. With Revel, you’ll enjoy a platform that is not just easy to use, but also easy to teach. Its clean interface simplifies each order, helping to increase order accuracy and service speed. Contact us to learn more or to request a free demo.
- Try it out »
The Ultimate Coffee Shop Business Plan and Template
If you are looking to write a coffee shop business plan, you have come to the right place.
A coffee shop business plan is an essential tool for coffee shop owners or people who want to open a coffee shop. A business plan will help you plan your strategy for success and act as a guide as you look to build your coffee shop.
In this article, we’ll look at why you should write a business plan for your coffee shop or cafe, as well as provide you with a sample and a template that contains inspiration for the things you should include in your coffee shop business plan.
Table of Contents
- 1 Why Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan?
- 2.1 Executive Summary
- 2.2 Company Overview
- 2.3 Market and Customer Analysis
- 2.4 Sales and Marketing Plan
- 2.5 Management Team
- 2.6 Financial Plan
- 3 Wrapping Up
Why Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan?
The basic idea behind a coffee shop is simple. The business needs to sell enough coffee products to cover costs and make a profit. However, many variables will define whether your business is successful.
A coffee shop business plan will help you plan a strategy for success. It will consider factors such as opportunities, risks, and how you will market yourself . By having a good idea of this before you start a coffee shop, you will be better placed to overcome or avoid any difficulties.
Here are some examples of how a business plan could help iron out any difficulties:
- While creating the market analysis section, you may decide that competition is too intense. If this is the case, you could look for a new area with fewer competitors or find a way to make your coffee shop business stand out.
- By creating a marketing plan before you open, you can put yourself in an excellent position to make sales from the moment you start a coffee shop.
- By creating cash flow projections, you will be able to spot any potential financial issues well before they come to light, preventing cash flow problems.
Without a business plan, you would either not know about the potential difficulties listed above, or you would be aware of them but lacking any defined strategy for overcoming them. By creating a coffee shop business plan, you can tackle issues with a clearer head.
Business plans are also essential documents if you plan to apply for funding for your coffee shop.
You’ll likely need to submit the business plan to the bank when applying for a loan, or to investors when applying for equity funding. Having a well-thought-out business plan shows you have done your market research and analyzed your idea which helps give investors an overview of the risks and potential rewards of investing.
If you are going to use your business plan to apply for funding, you’ll need to go into a little more detail about the financials of your business. This will include your income and expenses and you’ll also need to include a section that discusses how you will use the money you’re raising.
Coffee Shop Business Plan Template
A Google search will reveal differences when it comes to the exact sections you should include in your coffee shop business plan.
Nonetheless, a coffee shop business plan template will include the sections listed below. In this part of the article, we’ll go through a coffee shop business plan template and discuss what you should include in each section.
Executive Summary
The executive summary is a short overview of your coffee shop business plan. It should include all the important details about your business. When deciding what to include, think about what you would want someone to see if they told you they would only read this one section of your plan.
Open your executive summary with a statement about what your coffee shop business is all about. Talk about what it will offer that is unique and mention why you think it will be successful. Is it the only coffee house in town, for example?
Coffee shop name: AI Coffee Shop
Executive Summary:
AI Coffee will serve high-quality coffee to office workers and business people who work nearby. We will sell espresso-based drinks with a focus on providing quality at speed. We will sell coffee to take away as well as to eat in, with an indoor seating area with space for 25 customers in our coffee shop.
While there are other coffee shops in the area, we believe that there is demand for more — especially ones that focus on a high-quality product. We will also provide a light lunch menu and pastries that we believe will differentiate us from other coffee shops in the area.
Company Overview
In the company overview section, you should include practical details about your coffee shop business. This will include:
- The structure and ownership of your coffee shop
- The staff you plan to hire and what you will pay them
- Your company’s mission statement, and startup expenses
AI Coffee will be a privately held company owned entirely by Mr Smith, who will also manage the coffee shop. We will hire two full-time employees with at least two years of barista experience, as well as four part-time employees to help during busy periods.
Startup costs for the coffee shop will be $70,000, which will be spent on rent, renovations, and purchasing equipment. The owner has put up half the money and has borrowed half from a bank. Based on annual sales of $160,000 and after costs and wages, we expect to be profitable within the second year.
Market and Customer Analysis
In the market analysis section, you should include details about the local market. This can include information on competitors, such as other coffee shops or any fast-food joints, restaurants, or bars that you think will be competing for your coffee shop’s money.
You should also outline what makes your coffee shop business unique and why you think it can be successful despite the competition. You can also include wider information about the coffee industry.
In the customer analysis section, you need to include information about your target market. Include details on who they are and why you think they will like your coffee shop, with metrics where possible. If you performed market research before starting your coffee shop business plan, include that here.
Market Analysis
The coffee industry is expected to keep growing between 2020 and 2024 in the U.S. Research suggests that coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the country, with the average person drinking two cups per day. We believe that this growth, plus the high volume of coffee people drink each day, makes opening a coffee shop a good business opportunity.
Competitor Analysis
AI Coffee will be located in a vibrant district that is seeing offices open up and new companies move in. There are currently two other coffee shop competitors in the immediate area, but we believe there is room for more.
Our shop’s main advantages are that it is closer to a new office building than the other shops. We also plan to differentiate ourselves by offering a small lunch menu, unlike any of the existing coffee shops, as well as various customer loyalty schemes .
Customer Analysis
The location of the coffee shop has high footfall, especially before and after work and during lunchtimes. The area has a high proportion of local professionals who can afford to spend money on coffee and other drinks.
The office blocks in the immediate vicinity are home to around 2,500 people. There are also other buildings being developed nearby. The location is also close to shopping and entertainment districts. We expect to receive significant revenue from passersby, who will keep us busy during the day.
Sales and Marketing Plan
Before you start a coffee shop, you should have a clear idea of what your business’s sales strategy will be.
Your sales strategy contains practical details on how you will handle sales. You should also include sales forecasts and how you have come up with these forecasts. In this section, you should include information about the products you will sell and your pricing strategy.
Your marketing plan will discuss the strategies you will use to get customers through the door. Discuss your budget and expected returns on investment. If you have a particularly complex marketing plan, you may want to create a separate document for this and only include the highlights in your business plan.
AI Coffee will open from 7.30 a.m. until 7.30 p.m. seven days a week. We expect the hours immediately before and after office hours, as well as between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., to be the busiest of the day, with much of our sales being to take out.
We will use a commercial espresso machine and we expect to be able to produce up to a maximum of 70 cups of coffee per hour, which should be sufficient during busy times.
We will sell our espresso-based drinks and tea at between $3 and $6, depending on the drink and the size. We will sell pastries at between $2 and $5, as well as light meals at between $7 and $12. These meals will be packaged so customers can either eat them on-site or take them away.
We expect to generate around $730 per day from food and drink sales.
Marketing Plan
We will market our coffee shop to customers in the nearby area through display marketing in relevant locations. We will also use social media marketing to target people nearby, and we will connect with people through our social media accounts. We will use these accounts to keep customers updated with new menu items as well as offers and discounts.
We will also create a website and an app, which we will use to run a customer loyalty scheme . We will provide the option to order coffee through the app and pick it up at the shop. We think this will appeal to busy professionals.
Our marketing will focus on the quality of the coffee we sell, as well as the benefits of our shop to office workers ( in-app ordering ). During the week after we open, we will offer substantial discounts on coffee to attract people to our business. This offer will be central to our marketing during this period.
We will encourage repeat customers using a loyalty scheme that will give them a free cup of coffee when they buy eight drinks.
Our marketing budget will be $500 in the first two months, but we will cut this down to around $350 a month after that.
Operating Plan
The operating plan will include details of how you will run your coffee shop. This will include costs, as well as specifics about things like opening times, food and drink production, prices, and more.
It will also allow you to spot any potential conflicts. For example, if you plan to serve 150 office workers between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., can you do it with only two members of staff or would you be better off hiring another employee?
You can also use this section to explain any licenses or certifications you need to get before you open your shop, as well as how you will train employees.
We will open from 7:30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. We will always have at least three staff members in place to take care of making coffee, process sales, and keep the coffee shop tidy.
We will buy our coffee wholesale from a supplier that specializes in high-quality coffee. This coffee will cost $40 per five-pound bag. We will keep enough coffee in stock to last for at least one week.
In terms of equipment, we will use a commercial grinder to grind beans before making each cup.
We will buy pastries and light meals from a local supplier who will also take care of the packaging. We will receive a daily delivery at 7 a.m., thirty minutes before the shop opens.
We will thoroughly clean up the shop after closing to ensure it is ready for the following day. We will build HACCP processes to stay compliant with food safety regulations. All members of staff will receive training so they know about these processes.
Management Team
In the management team section, you should include who the business owners are and who will manage your coffee shop. You should write about any experience or qualifications they have that will help make them successful.
If the owners won’t be managing the coffee shop, you should include details about who will take care of the day-to-day running of the business. In this section, include how much you will be paying each of the management team as well as how any profits will be shared amongst the owners.
The owner will also manage the coffee shop. The owner has over ten years’ experience working in coffee shops, including six years in various management positions. AI Coffee will also hire two full-time employees. These employees will have at least two years’ experience working in a coffee shop. We will pay each full-time employee $22,000 a year.
We will also hire four part-time employees with or without experience to work at weekends and provide cover during the week. We will pay these employees $10 an hour.
Financial Plan
The final section of the coffee shop business plan is the financial plan. Here you need to go into detail about how your business will be financially successful.
Include operating costs (this includes the cost of equipment), loan repayments, cash flow and expected revenue (in the first year, especially). Also, include a balance sheet analysis that shows how much revenue you need to take in to become a profitable coffee business.
In this section, we will explain our financial plan, including costs, expected sales, and profit. We will also include a balance sheet. We believe this plan accurately illustrates why AI Coffee will be financially successful.
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Wrapping Up
That’s all for our coffee shop business plan guide. We hope that this has equipped you with enough knowledge on how to start a coffee shop and will help you with your business planning.
To find out more about getting a business up and running, check out our guides to writing a business proposal in 2019 and writing a small business marketing plan.
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Coffee Shop Business Plan Template
Business Plan Outline
- Coffee Shop Business Plan Home
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Company Overview
- 3. Industry Analysis
- 4. Customer Analysis
- 5. Competitive Analysis
- 6. Marketing Plan
- 7. Operations Plan
- 8. Management Team
- 9. Financial Plan
Marketing Plan
Brand & value proposition.
Java Bros Coffee Shop will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:
- Convenient locations located in technology hubs and business parks in Austin.
- Technology-friendly shops that accompany its exceptional customer service.
- Delicious and well-crafted coffee beverages and baked goods.
Promotions Strategy
The promotions strategy for Java Bros Coffee Shop are as follows:
Social Media
Java Bros will focus on social media platforms and will dedicate an employee to be its social media manager. That person will develop unique and inviting posts and post its daily specials, upcoming events, and updates on the coming locations.
Local Partnerships
Java Bros will partner with local businesses and offer its employees VIP pricing for its coffee and food items. The goal is for those local businesses to either display or advertise Java Bros in their office space or retail shop.
SEO Website Marketing
Java Bros plans to invest funds into maintaining a strong SEO presence on search engines like Google and Bing. When a person types in “local coffee shop”, “coffee shop near me” or “Austin coffee shop”, Java Bros will appear in the top three choices. Java Bros will also invest in their website also to ensure that it is user friendly, always up to date, and displays professional photographs of its menu items and location.
Java Bros’ pricing will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive value when patronizing it.
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- Improve Ratings and Reviews
- Advertising
- Business Listings
- Collecting Guest Data
- Customer Data Platform
- Guest Profiles
- Marketing Personalization
- Restaurant Reputation Management
- Save At-Risk Guests
- Restaurant Online Ordering Marketing
- WiFi Marketing Automation
- Guest Surveys
- Customer Sentiment Analysis
- WiFi Analytics
- Location Analytics
- Schedule Free Demo
Restaurant Marketing
- Restaurant Operations
- Restaurant Reputation Mgmt
- Restaurant Analytics
- Coffee Shop Marketing Ideas and Trends
- Retail Marketing
- Retail WiFi Marketing
- Restaurant Marketing Videos
- White Papers/Case Studies
- Press/Articles
- Enterprise Integrations
17 Powerful Coffee Shop Marketing Strategies for 2023
Many leaders in the coffee shop industry are breathing a collective sigh of relief as 2022 ends, and 2023 strategizing begins. While it has been a tough year, many coffee shops and cafe marketing professionals will come out stronger than their larger competitors.
Competing with larger organizations is easier with these low-cost and budget-friendly coffee shop marketing tactics that any location could utilize.
Quick Links:
- Manage and Improve Online Ratings and Reviews
- Make Delivery an Initiative
- Consider Subscription Services
- Increase Marketing Outreach with Email and SMS Marketing
- Evaluate Core Demographics to Ensure Branding Success
- Collect and Analyze Customer Data
- Take Advantage of Marketing Automation
- Use First-Party Data for Online Advertising
- Live Video is a Must
- Hone Your Email List
- Ramp up Your Instagram Strategy
- Leverage Digital Marketing & Interactive Content
- User-Generated Content Sells!
- Create a Coffee Subscription Service
- Online Ordering Marketing
- Aggregate Ratings into One Platform and Offer Social Proof
- Use AI as a Force Multiplier
1. Manage and Improve Online Ratings and Reviews
70% of consumers look for more than four reviews before they can trust a business.
No trust means no business. It’s essential to focus on brand reviews by:
- Replying to every single review that a brand receives. Responding shows review-viewers that the brand cares.
- Asking every customer to log into WiFi to leave a review on the location’s WiFi landing page.
- Placing notes in collateral that encourages reviews.
- Increasing positive reviews with WiFi marketing’s automated email campaigns.
If you are worried about the time and effort necessary to consistently solicit and respond to reviews on various websites, consider using the Ratings+ feature from Bloom Intelligence. It will automatically email your guests and ask them to rate you on Google, Facebook, and/or directly on the Bloom platform.
With the Facebook and Google integration, all of your ratings and reviews will be in one place where you can quickly respond to them in real-time, all in one place.
Learn more about Ratings+ here .
2. Make Delivery an Initiative
Digital ordering and delivery have grown 300% faster than dine-in traffic since 2014.
At least 31% of consumers say they use these third-party delivery services at least twice a week.
Adding a delivery model can be a massive undertaking, but brands can start offering delivery by working with third-party delivery services.
Plus, after the pandemic lockdowns lift, more consumers are using delivery than ever before.
3. Consider Subscription Services
Of those who drink coffee in the U.S., the average coffee drinker enjoys 3.1 cups per day .
Coffee drinkers are also willing to pay more for products from local coffee roasters. Consumers will spend up to $25 per pound, compared to a maximum of about $20 per pound from a non-local high-end roaster.
Many cafes and coffee shops are turning to monthly subscription services for a variety of reasons.
Subscriptions improve relationships because brands connect with customers more often.
- They introduce more up-sell opportunities.
- They provide recurring revenue.
This can be a great way to improve guest loyalty and increase overall customer lifetime values.
4. Increase Marketing Outreach with Email and SMS Marketing
More than 90% of adults in the United States use email.
According to an eBook from Gourmet Marketing, 70% of customers want restaurants to send them coupons, and they are prepared to use them.
During COVID-19, many coffee shop owners struggled to reach their customers from their homes. The coffee shops with a collection of email addresses were able to reach out to their loyal base increasing sales. Remember, it is 7x more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep one.
Bloom Intelligence builds your coffee shop customer database for you. Moreover, it collects important contact information, such as email and phone number, so that when disaster strikes, you will have an easy and effective way to stay in touch with your guests.
5. Evaluate Core Demographics to Ensure Branding Success
Many managers in the food & beverage industry are unaware of the average age of their guests. Likewise, they don’t know whether or not most of their guests are male or female. Coffee shop owners should know the answer to all of these to have a strong brand presence.
These answers can determine a brand’s look, a location’s environment, the music playing, and overall culture. After all, a brand is about the consumer.
With Bloom Intelligence, food & beverage leaders can create customer profiles to understand better who guests are and what they would like from cafes. You’ll have a large and growing customer database with clean, verified data.
You’ll not only know demographics, but you can also spot trends in guest behavior. This will allow you to optimize your marketing and operations over time to create a more engaging and memorable guest experience.
6. Collect and Analyze Customer Data
Customer data is the lifeblood of successful marketing. It is crucial to know who your guests are and how they behave at your locations.
With no real guest data, it becomes impossible to generate the right messaging and target specific messages to specific groups of guests. This is done using a restaurant CRM database .
A restaurant CRM database is a collection of customer profiles that can include online and offline behavior, demographics, email, phone numbers, income, ZIP Codes, transactions, and even visit history.
Building a restaurant CRM is the first step to unlocking unknown customer insights like how loyal a customer is, their likelihood to churn, their frequency to your locations, and much more.
The best part is that you can automate the entire process of collecting customer data, unlocking customer insights, and driving tangible results through marketing automation for less than the cost of 1 hour of your time in a month, with Bloom Intelligence.
These lists, or segmentation, of your restaurant CRM database allow you to identify and define your customers categorically. Then you can group them into segments for personalized marketing, advertising, and other demand-generation activities.
To make it easier, it can all be automated using marketing automation tools.
7. Take Advantage of Marketing Automation
Nucleus Research found that sales productivity grew by 14.5% when marketing automation software was used.
Business.com explains that investing in marketing automation has many benefits, including efficient and centralized data management, automation of tasks, and more specific, targeted, and segmented marketing campaigns.
Marketing automation refers to creating marketing messages that are configured once and then run automatically, giving you back valuable time to run your business.
Our WiFi marketing automation platform leverages artificial intelligence and guest insights to automate marketing to find new customers, win back lost customers, improve online ratings, measure customer sentiment, and increase your guests’ frequency.
Learn more about Bloom’s marketing automation software here.
8. Use First-Party Data for Online Advertising
In 2023, Google has done away with cookie-based ad targeting. This means that you cannot target ads toward specific guests – or lookalikes – with a cookie on the user’s device.
Unless you have your own coffee shop first-party data .
With a quality restaurant CRM database, you’ll be able to passively collect a limitless supply of first-party customer data. Then you simply export your guest database and upload it to Google and/or Facebook.
Google and Facebook will analyze the guest data you upload and send your targeted ads only to those in your list. This is guest remarketing.
According to Signifi Media , the average click-through rate (CTR) for remarketing ads is 10 times higher than regular display ads.
The average CTR for retargeted ads is 0.7% compared to 0.07% for regular display ads.
A CTR of 0.7% is a significantly better conversion rate compared to other digital advertising strategies, which could make a meaningful difference in restaurant and retail ROI.
To further increase effectiveness, you can segment your list and create targeted ads for various groupings of your guests.
Google and Facebook also allow you to create lookalike campaigns. After analyzing your guest data, they will serve your ads only to those who have similar demographics as those in your list.
9. Live Video is a Must
Live video plays a massive role in building awareness and relationships on social media. For instance, tools such as Facebook Live and Instagram Stories capture attention and encourage followers to connect more with cafe brands. Likewise, it helps build customer loyalty.
In fact, according to Forrester , people watch live videos 10 to 20 times longer than on-demand content, making live streaming a compelling way to deliver interactive content to consumers. Incorporating live video into your coffee shop marketing strategy is a must if you want to engage your followers more and increase brand awareness.
The good news is, there are several ways coffee shop owners can use live video in social media marketing. Here are a few ideas:
- Take your social media followers behind the scenes to show what it’s like preparing a cup of coffee and other foods in your shop.
- Highlight your coffee shop team on live video so that customers can get to know them. Implement an employee of the month contest and feature your winners.
- You can promote your new flavors and share the reasons why people will love them. You can also communicate why you decided to add them to your coffee menu.
10. Hone Your Email List
Growing your email subscribers is the lifeblood of your business and is essential for your marketing efforts. The more potential customers that you have coming into your funnel, the more opportunities you create to build relationships and share promotions.
Your email strategy keeps your coffee shop at the forefront of your customers’ minds, fosters relationships with new and loyal customers , and keeps your brand top of mind in your local community.
Therefore, focus on honing your email marketing in 2023. You can achieve an excellent strategy for gaining new subscribers by providing free WiFi for your customers. Send users to a captive portal or landing page before they go online to collect their email addresses. You’ll quickly gather valuable information that can fuel your entire digital strategy.
Rather than just sending sales and promotional content, nurture your leads by offering value your audience can use. Think about your target market and the common problems they experience, whether it relates to your industry or not. Share resources or give tips on how they can overcome them. Answer their questions.
They will see your coffee shop in a whole new light!
11. Ramp up Your Instagram Strategy
Instagram remains one of the fastest-growing social networks, currently boasting over one billion users.
It’s an ideal platform for attracting new followers and customers to your coffee brand while showcasing your creative side. It’s essential to stay up-to-date on the best social media marketing campaigns for your coffee shop.
Therefore, you can use these tips to amplify your Instagram strategy in your coffee shop social media marketing:
- Hashtags are king on Instagram! If you’re not already using them, be sure to include popular and industry-related hashtags in your content. You can use tools like Hashtagify.me to find relevant ones and drive new followers to your page.
- Be responsive. Remember, this is a social media platform . Replying to comments and online reviews and reposting others’ content is a sure way to maintain engagement on Instagram. It also humanizes your brand, making you more relatable and personable.
- Share useful content. How-to videos and motivational posts are a hit on social media. Leverage them to your advantage while offering value to your audience.
- Make sure your visuals are high-quality as they perform better on Instagram. Here are some Tips to Take.
- Be consistent. If you can only post twice a day, maintain that cadence for improved engagement.
12. Leverage Digital Marketing & Interactive Content in your Coffee Shop Marketing
In 2023, remember that consumers do not interact the same way with content as they had in the past. Techniques like blogging and social posts still work, yet followers are seeking more engaging experiences.
Additionally, offering multiple ways for people to consume your content allows you to reach a bigger audience.
Content for your coffee shop is crucial. That’s where interactive content and digital marketing for your coffee shop comes to play. Formats such as quizzes, assessments, surveys, and polls are excellent ways to entertain and engage your followers. Even as a coffee shop, you can think of creative ideas to leverage interactive content in your digital marketing strategy.
For example, create a quiz using interactive content tools like Apester, where users discover their “Coffee Personality Type.” Or, build a poll asking social media followers about their favorite coffee or specialty tea. Finally, you could develop a survey to discover more about your consumers and what they want to improve your customer initiatives.
The options are endless with interactive content.
13. User-Generated Content Sells
User-generated content is one of the most effective forms of content in marketing. Your customers’ comments, selfies with your products, testimonials, and videos provide you with valuable content to implement in your coffee shop marketing. Social proof and reviews sell.
The Nielsen Consumer Trust Index shares that 92% of consumers trust organic, user-generated content more than they believe in traditional advertising. This trust plays a massive role in generating buzz on social media and getting more people into your coffee shop!
With that prefaced, encourage your customers to leave positive reviews on your Facebook Page, Yelp, and Google. Make it easy by sending a direct link where they can click and write. Consider hosting a contest where each participant shares a social media post about their experience with your brand.
14. Create a Coffee Subscription Service
COVID-19 has transformed the way that cafes and local coffee shops operate. Customers are more comfortable staying at home, and coffee shops struggle to attract their business. That’s why many coffee shops are turning to subscription-based coffee services for their customers.
One type of cafe subscription service involves providing an unlimited amount of coffee for a set monthly cost. The other coffee shop subscription service entails providing customers with packaged coffee beans delivered to their homes.
More than half of online shoppers (54%) say they subscribe to a subscription box service. The subscription box industry appeals to consumers’ desire for convenient, novel experiences.
15. Online Ordering Marketing
Coffee Shop online ordering has become very popular over the last several years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The pandemic has only fueled this immense growth.
If your coffee shop is offering online ordering to your guests, then you are collecting valuable guest data that you could be using for your coffee shop marketing campaigns.
By integrating your online ordering system with a CRM database platform like Bloom Intelligence, you can collect and store the data you collect in individual guest profiles.
Then, you can segment your profiles into similar personas and send laser-targeted marketing messages to each group that will engage them much more effectively.
You can also automate these messages based upon “triggers” such as when they place an online order, when they leave a rating if they appear to have stopped ordering online, and more.
Since 2014, online food ordering has grown 300% faster than dine-in. If you’re not offering it to your guests, now is the time. Capture and collect guest data to supercharge your coffee shop marketing.
16. Aggregate Ratings into One Platform and Offer Social Proof
With Bloom’s integration with Google and Facebook, you can have access to see both the individual ratings or the aggregate total of all ratings collected, all in one place.
Even better, you can respond to all of the ratings directly from the Bloom restaurant and coffee shop marketing platform.
17. Use Artificial Intelligence as a Force Multiplier
Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly made its presence known in the hospitality industry, and it is revolutionizing the way coffee shops create and execute their marketing strategies.
Using AI, marketers can utilize guest data to gather both quantitative and qualitative information to better execute their marketing to improve ROI and engage their guests.
With AI, coffee shops can identify their guests who have churned, or stopped visiting or ordering online. Then, using marketing automation, a message can be triggered automatically and sent to the guest to lure them back to your place of business.
You can also use AI to discover true customer sentiment. Using online ratings and reviews, AI can determine your voice-of-guest and know what your guests enjoy about your establishment, and what could use more work.
AI can also be used for things like advanced guest segmentation for more personalized and targeted automated marketing campaigns for better marketing ROI.
AI can also be used to quickly suggest responses to online reviews, saving you time and resources to spend on other more important areas of running your business.
Overall, the use of AI in restaurant marketing has the potential to improve the guest experience by helping coffee shops better understand their patrons’ needs and preferences.
As AI technology continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, its role in coffee shop marketing is likely to expand even further, enabling them to deliver even more personalized and effective marketing messages.
Other Key Coffee Shop Statistics to Keep in Mind
- Coffee statistics show that the average consumption in the United States is 3 cups of coffee per day among coffee drinkers.
- The typical and most committed coffee drinkers are 25 to 45 year old, affluent, educated adults .
- According to Business Valuation Marketing, the top 50 coffee shop companies have captured around 70% of the U.S. market.
Implementing smart digital marketing tactics in your coffee shop marketing plan will position you well in 2022 as a business owner. It’s essential to continuously test your efforts to keep what’s working and modify what isn’t. With consistency, you’ll create a winning strategy that keeps people connected to your brand online and drives new customers through your doors.
Now is the time to plan for a healthier 2023 with a level, competitive playing field.
To learn more about how Bloom Intelligence can help with your coffee shop marketing, call us today at 727-877-8181 or click to schedule a free online demo .
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Coffee Shop Business Plan Template
Marketing plan.
Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a coffee shop business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:
Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of coffee house that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to regular coffee, will you offer items such as café latte, cappuccino, espresso or macchiato?
Also document any food or non-coffee drinks you sell.
Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the menu items you offer and their prices.
Place : Place refers to the location of your coffee shop. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your coffee shop located next to a heavily populated office building, or gym, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers. Also, if you operate or plan to operate kiosks, detail the locations where the kiosks will be placed.
Promotions : the final part of your coffee shop marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:
- Making your coffee shop’s front store extra appealing to attract passing customers
- Distributing coffee samples outside the coffee shop
- Advertising in local papers and magazines
- Reaching out to local bloggers and websites
- Partnerships with local organizations (e.g., gym members get a free cup of coffee with each pastry they purchase)
- Local radio advertising
- Banner ads at local venues
COFFEE SHOP BUSINESS PLAN OUTLINE
- Coffee Shop Business Plan Home
- 1. Executive Summary
- 2. Company Overview
- 3. Industry Analysis
- 4. Customer Analysis
- 5. Competitive Analysis
- 6. Marketing Plan
- 7. Operations Plan
- 8. Management Team
- 9. Financial Plan
- 10. Appendix
- Coffee Shop Business Plan Summary
Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates
- Privacy Policy
Coffee Shop Business Plan Marketing Strategy
Product planning process, core product aka core customer value.
The core products of my coffee shop will be the refreshment and the time pass drinks that I will provide to satisfy the customer.
Actual Product
The actual product will be coffee.
Augmented Product
The augmented level will be, as I will give different kinds of coffee, excellent and rich taste, wonderful lighting, music etc.
Specialty Product
My coffee products will be the specialty products, as they will be superior in the quality, have the delicious flavor, there will be customer coffee as well, which will truly stand out.
Value Customers
However, our coffee will be the best because the taste of customer choices will be added to it, there will be efforts to satisfy the customers, and there will be customer preferences.
Competition
The product will be different in competition because the customers can tell about the choices, they like in coffee.
I will be more user friendly, as reviews are taken by the customers.
Demographics approach
I will classify or target my customers in the market, based on the demographics, as the every person in the city and country like to drink coffee, but my target will the single as they are self-evident.
Behavioral approach
Behavioral approaches can also be there, as the people like to drink on occasions, degree of loyalty, the people who think coffee is cool or the people willing to try new coffee etc.
The Best Segment Strategy
In demographics, the professional, the people have the income over $40,000 as they will drink coffee on the daily basis, however, the age group between 25-45 are more likely to drink coffee.
The product will be the coffee, handcrafted beverages, fresh food items etc.
The price will be premium or high price so the customers can value the product.
The place will be where the customers have high income and the highly visiting area.
However, the promotion will include advertising, personal selling, sales promotion etc.
Also Study:
New Product Development Steps and Strategies
COFFEE SHOP BUSINESS PLAN
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Yes, it’s a good plan. When we start a business, first we must know about the business properly and should make a business plan. These strategies will help to achieve your goals. The most important thing is that you have to make a perfect interior design of a coffee shop first. I have also a coffee shop; one month ago it designed by Simply Coffee Shops.
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How to Create a Coffee Shop Business Plan: Free Template & Guide
By Debra Weinryb
Before you open a coffee shop, you will need to have a coffee shop business plan. This important document acts as a roadmap for your business adventure – with everything you need to turn your dreams into a reality.
If you’re passionate about coffee but have never written a business plan before, it can be nerve-racking to get started. To help you out, we’ve put together a complete guide to writing a coffee shop business plan. In this guide, we’ll cover:
- What is a coffee shop business plan?
- How to write a business plan for a coffee shop
- The 10 sections of every great coffee shop business plan
- A free coffee shop business plan template
Create a custom business plan for your coffee shop concept with this free template.
What is a Coffee Shop Business Plan?
A coffee shop business plan is a formal written document that explains your business concept, goals, and how you will achieve success. It answers several questions, like how you will set up your coffee shop, how you will fund your business, and what revenue you expect to make. It includes information about your marketing plan, sales strategy, coffee shop customers , pricing structure, competitors, labor requirements, and finances.
Similar in length to a traditional restaurant business plan , it’s a succinct document that usually spans 15-20 pages, but no more than 30 pages. Coffee shop business owners can make their plans pop with visuals like photos and designs of their shop, and site plans of their retail store. Charts and graphs are also used to show financial inventory information, like how much coffee beans will be purchased monthly and at what cost, for example.
Once complete, you will be able to show your coffee shop business plan to potential investors, bankers, and business partners. That’s why it’s so important to dedicate a large amount of time and energy into getting your business plan underway early on.
How to Write a Business Plan for a Coffee Shop
With the proper guidance, business plans can be easy to write. That’s why having a coffee shop business plan template is a useful aid for conceptualizing your business and goals. Additionally, having a coffee shop business plan example can help you think of key elements to demonstrate your coffee shop’s potential for growth and profitability – which are both important to attract funding.
Elements of a Coffee Shop Business Plan
Executive summary.
Your executive summary is a short and a high-level overview of each section in your business plan for a coffee shop. It describes your business concept, the problem it solves, your target market, financial highlights, lease information, as well as your vision for the menu, products, and how you will service coffee – whether that’s in a kiosk, drive through, pickup, or sit-down coffee shop.
As you write your executive summary, consider who will be reading your business plan and what you would like them to know. After all, you want to capture your reader’s attention and entice them to continue reading or even invest!
Here are a few key points of interest you can mention:
- Ambiance: The character and atmosphere of your coffee shop
- Location: Information on your potential foot traffic, facility/lease, and seating capacity.
- Kitchen storage: Space for multiple blends of coffee or a high-end espresso machine.
- Goals: Your mission statement and guiding principles that will drive your success.
- Funding: What funds you need and how you will use them to achieve your vision.
Business Overview
The Business Overview section takes a deeper dive into the coffee industry as a whole, your local market, and what makes your coffee shop model unique amongst the competition. Here, you should give a brief overview as to when and why you started your coffee shop business. In addition, you can include major achievements such as hitting target sales goals or opening new coffee shop locations.
In this section, you can also go into more detail about how your neighborhood coffee shop will operate. For example, explain what coffee and food products you will offer, hiring and labor practices, and how coffee will be brewed. This, of course, will depend on your coffee shop business model. Here are a few types of coffee shops and how they could be described:
- Grab-and-go coffee shop: Pickup or drive through only, so folks can grab a drink in a heartbeat
- Traditional coffee shop: Sells baked goodies, variety of coffee drinks, in a relaxed atmosphere
- The coffee bar: Like a homey living room, with lounge music, WiFi, and fresh coffee
Management and Staff
In this section, you will list the business owner(s) who will manage your coffee shop, and write about their experiences/qualifications that will make them successful. You’ll also include details of who will take care of your day-to-day coffee shop operations.
Every coffee shop will need baristas who take care of sales and make drinks, but those that sell food may also need someone to operate basic kitchen equipment. Additionally, you may want to hire someone to do marketing and advertising, or an accountant to take care of your bookkeeping.
After deciding on what jobs you want to create, you’ll need to identify if they are part-time or full-time, how you will recruit/train them, and what you will pay them in wages and benefits. Your employees will factor into your financial forecast and expenses later on in your business plan for a coffee shop, so it’s essential to get a head start on your hiring budget.
Market Analysis
Your Market Analysis should show that you’ve looked at your target market, assessed your location, and understand how you’ll compete against other coffee shops in the area. Remember to consider what makes your restaurant unique and what will help it stand out. Here are a two ways you can do just that:
Mention if your coffee shop is in a central location, such as near a college where students break for lunch, or next to office buildings where professionals drop-in on their way to work. If you are one of many coffee shops in a location, consider pointing out what makes you different, like your wide variety of specialty coffees.
Customer Analysis
Include information about your ideal customer – with details on who they are, why they shop at your coffee shop, and any metrics. If you performed market research before starting your coffee shop, include that too. For example, if you have data on a high demand for espresso in your location, the sales potential for a drive-through espresso stand could be very promising.
Sample Menu
A sample menu lets investors know exactly what you’ll be serving. Keep in mind that your sample menu should be a differentiator – otherwise, why would investors think that customers should choose you over competitors who serve similar drinks?
Here are a few tips for choosing what to include in your great sample menu:
- Think about the types of coffee beans that could set you apart. Maybe you only serve organic beans, unlike your competitors.
- Cater the types of drinks you serve to your target market. For a young customer, sweet frappuccinos, hot chocolates, and drinks topped with whipped cream can be popular. For health-conscious consumers, options like teas and “light” coffees may perform better.
- If your customers will be hungry, such as students on a lunch break, or employees on their way to work, then consider including food items like pastries.
Marketing and Publicity
An effective marketing strategy is essential for bringing new customers in your coffee shop’s door and retaining your loyal guests. In this section, you’ll describe how you want to drive incoming traffic, in addition to what budget you have in mind, and your expected return on investment. If you have a lot of detailed information, you may want to create a separate marketing plan document.
To cover all your bases, you can include the Four Ps of Marketing:
- Product: Write what beverage and food products you will offer. For example, will you offer non-coffee drinks, frappuccinos, espresso, or cold brews?
- Price: What is your average price point and how does it compare to competitive coffee shops
- Place: The location of your coffee shop and how it will impact your success. For example, will you operate kiosks, and if so, where will they be placed to get the most foot traffic?
- Promos: How will you drive customers to your location(s)? Examples include live music, giving free samples, advertising, or partnering with influencers or other organizations.
Operations Plan
Business plan operations include the physical requirements of your business, like retail space, specialized equipment, supplies, and labor. When describing your operational expenses, also consider showing where your coffee shop is trying to save money. For example, if you are buying used furniture or equipment, let your reader or potential investor know how you are cutting losses.
Here are a few areas you can include in this section:
Retail space
- Space you plan to lease, buy, or rent
- Parking spaces for a truck or for customers to access your coffee shop
Specialized equipment
- Coffee machines like a coffee grinder, a brewing machine, or a hot water dispenser
- Specific arrangements like a sandwich prep table, counterspace, or a display case
- Technology such as a coffee shop POS to process transactions and track inventory
- Your supplier for your coffee beans and other food and drink products
- Menu items you will buy vs. make in your coffee shop, such as croissants or cookies
- The frequency at which you need to restock your coffee shop inventory
- Staff such as a Barista to brew coffee
- Staff to do food preparation, menu creation, and cleaning
- A manager to oversee payroll and human resources
Financial Forecast and Expenses
This is an important section, especially if you need to attract investors to your coffee shop. Since coffee shops are often smaller retail storefronts, often with a lower profit margin , this section needs to emphasize how your business will grow and be profitable in the long-term.
Your financial forecast and expense section should include the following:
- Cash flow statement with monthly projections for all your coffee shop purchases
- Balance sheet to give investors a snapshot of your assets, liabilities and equity
- Break even analysis to demonstrate the sales you need in order to make a profit
To get ideas of details to include, you can also use a coffee shop business plan template.
Whether you own a coffee shop, or are just starting out, writing a coffee shop business plan is essential to your success. In such a highly competitive coffee market , you need a business plan to show potential investors what makes your retail store stand out.
If you’re looking for a coffee shop business plan example, a template is a great place to start. By using a coffee business plan template , you can improve your chances of securing funding or attracting new business partners. Using a business plan structure will also keep you organized and show readers how your coffee shop can be successful.
Debra is the Content Marketing Specialist at TouchBistro, where she writes about the latest food and restaurant industry trends. In her spare time, Debra enjoys baking and eating together with family and friends. Her favorite creations include chocolate cake with Italian meringue buttercream, mile-high lemon meringue pie, and fresh naan with tahini sauce.
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Coffee Shop Business Plan: Marketing Mix
Applying the Marketing Mix (7 P’s) to your coffee shop (or any business) can solidify your marketing strategy and give you a strong marketing section for your business plan. The marketing section includes an overview of your industry and market (Industry & Market Analysis) , and then analyzes where you and your competitors stand in the marketplace (Competitive & Internal Analysis) . Today, we’ll use the 7 P’s of the marketing mix to strengthen your competitive and internal analysis and build your marketing strategy.
Using the Marketing Mix to Strengthen your Marketing Strategy
As you go through the 7 P’s of the Marketing Mix, keep in mind everything you researched so far in your Marketing section. The competitive matrix actually compares the marketing mix elements of your competitors, and you can use this information to find gaps and fulfill your stance in the marketplace. A strong marketing strategy will determine how to solve customer needs and be set apart from your competition.
1. Product- What does your menu look like, and are you meeting the demands in your market? What you’re selling and why should be detailed in the Products & Services section of your business plan.
2. Price- How much does it cost to produce your products? How much do your products cost to your customers? How do customers perceive your product value? Price is based on positioning (#6), because it sends a very strong message to your consumers about your value perception. Prices should also cover overall costs, however, you don’t have to make each item a primary profit center. For instance, you can sell one product at (or even below) your cost, but make up for it in selling other products with higher profit margins. You can choose a specific pricing method, or a combination of them. Here are a few pricing methods to choose from:
- Competitive pricing (most likely) – based on market and competitive prices
- Value pricing – based on value provided to your customer (such as charging more for organic, fairly sourced coffee)
- Cost-plus pricing – based on covering costs, and then marking prices from there
Generally, your prices need to match up with consumer demand and expectations. Examine competitors and price accordingly. Price too high, and you may have no customers, since they will weigh cost over benefits, and value their money over your product. Price too low and people may undervalue your products, since low price usually means low value perception as they compare you to your competition.
3. Promotion- How do you plan on communicating with your [potential] customers? Overview types of advertising you plan to spend money on. Think about how to use social media to communicate your brand.
4. Place- Where are people coming to buy your coffee? Details of your location will be covered in the operations section of your business plan, but know what features will support your strategy. Consider things like: a drive thru, parking, strip mall vs. stand alone building, industrial vs. homey feel, foot traffic, main streets, neighbors, square footage, etc.
5. Packaging- What are the visual elements of your coffee? Of your store? What is the impression given to customers from walking through the door, receiving their drink and leaving? This includes various visual elements from your brand/logo, store design and decor, presentation and packaging of your coffee, and even employee appearance.
6. Positioning- Where do you stand in the market relative to your competitors? Where do you stand in the hearts and minds of your customers? How do they see and think about you? Do you offer low prices, or are you a premium brand? What features or benefits do you offer that your competitors don’t? What words should come to mind when customers think of you (quality, service, atmosphere, etc)?
7. People- Think about your target market and the customers addressed in your marketing section. Think about what people are necessary to be part of your team. The management section will go into these key roles and responsibilities, as well as your employees.
Thinking through the Marketing Mix and knowing the how’s and why’s of executing this as a marketing strategy is a useful tool in setting yourself up as a strong coffee shop in your market. The more you have a grasp on your industry, market, competition, and yourself, the more strategic and purposeful you can be in your business decisions, which is the beauty of a good marketing plan!
Other Coffee Shop Business Plan Sections:
- Company Description
- Products & Services
- Marketing: Market/Industry Analysis & Competitive/Internal Analysis
- Entrepreuner.com: The 7 P’s of Marketing
- The Marketing Mix
- MSU Business Management Program
Note: As a fellow aspiring entrepreneur that simply wants to share my journey with you, know this is information I’ve gathered from various books on starting a coffee shop, business websites, and courses that have helped me in writing my business plan to start a coffee shop. I only hope to share some of these resources to help you get started and inspired, however this is by no means extensive. All materials available in this series are for informational purposes only, and not to be business consulting or legal advice– so do contact a licensed consultant, accountant, or attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
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A Sample Coffee Shop Marketing Plan Template
Do you want to boost coffee sales? If YES, here is a sample coffee shop marketing plan template + killer marketing ideas/strategies to attract/retain customers .
Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a coffee shop . We also took it further by providing an in-depth sample coffee shop business plan template. In this article, we will be analyzing and drafting a sample coffee shop marketing plan backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for food truck businesses. So put on your marketing hat and let’s proceed.
1. Our Present Business Situation
Presently, Coffee4All® bar has been up and running for the past three months and the business is incorporated under the business law of the united states of America. Our coffee bar is located on the ground floor of one of the busiest airport facility in the United States of America – The Los Angeles International Airport, California we have been able to secure a one-year lease of a vacant shop within the airport’s facility. We are fortunate to secure a facility with an option of renewal for 5 years at an agreed rate.
All the employees that are needed to effectively run the business has been duly employed and trained to effectively handle their roles and help build the company. We have specifically trained our employees to handle the teeming influx of consumers everyday- this is hinged on the fact that we are located in a busy environment.
We have been able to secure all the needed equipment (Espresso machine, Coffee maker, and Coffee grinder, et al) and accessories (microwave, toasters, dishwasher, refrigerator, blender, et al) for a standard coffee café.
2. Our Product and Services
At Coffee4All®, we serve well brewed coffee in various forms to our highly respected customers. We are quite aware that people have the option of demanding the form in which they want their coffee to be served in, which is why we have taken time to research and learn the various ways coffee can be served, not just in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.
We do not intend to put any restriction to the types of coffee we will purchase from the open market. As a matter of fact, we have established relationships with suppliers of some of the finest coffee beans from Brazil, Turkey, Africa, and Europe.
Here are some of the products that will be available in our coffee shop / bar;
- Coffee Beverages served in different forms (cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al.
- Coffee Beans
3. Our Mission and Vision Statement
Our vision is to build a coffee business that will serve as a stress reliever to our customers, and at the same meet their needs when it comes to coffee.
To establish a coffee business that will serve available assorted coffee drinks to our highly valued customers 24 hours and round the clock in a relaxed and conducive atmosphere.
Our Market Goals
Our marketing goal as a coffee shop is wrapped around our company’s mission statement as clearly stated in our business plan is to establish a coffee business that will make available assorted coffee drinks to our highly esteem customers 24 hours round the clock in a relaxed and conducive atmosphere. We truly want to build a coffee business that will serve as a stress reliever to our customers, and at the same meet their needs when it comes to coffee.
In view of that, we are set out to achieve the following market goals:
- Sell a minimum of 500Cups of coffee Per Day (off peak period)
- Sell a minimum of 1000 Cups of coffee Per Day (peak period – weekends, and holidays)
- Sell 1000 Pastries (Sandwich, Bread, Meat Pie, Scotch egg, Pizza, Burger, and Fish Pie et al) per day
- Generate an annual sale of 500,000 US Dollars and thereabout increases our sales from 17.06% in the first financial year (FY) to 17.63% in the third financial year (FY)
- Increase the numbers of people that visits our coffee café by 10 percent quarterly.
What we aim to achieve from our market efforts are as follows:
- To compete favorable with the leading coffee shops (Starbucks and Costa Coffee et al) in the whole of the United States of America
- To own a coffee shop in major cities in the United States of America
- Build a self – sustaining business that will contribute towards the growth of the economy of the United States of America.
4. Our Marketing Budget
The fact that we are set to compete favorably with coffee giants such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee means that we must be willing to commit a reasonable amount towards marketing our coffee shop. In view of that, we have set aside a total of 50,000 US Dollars as our marketing budget.
Going forward, we will budget between 5 percent and 10 percent of our annual income towards marketing and promoting our coffee café. Please note that we are likely going to increase this budget when the need arises especially if we have to explore a more expensive but efficient marketing approach as directed by our marketing consultant.
5. MARKET ANALYSIS
- Industry Overview
From the recent statistics released, Starbucks and Costa Coffee are some of the leading Coffee Business Company in the world. For example, Costa Coffee™ operates about 1,755 coffee bars in the united kingdom alone and about 1,106 outlets in 30 countries of the world. Starbucks coffee house has over 21,000 coffee outlets all over the globe and as of the last count, they generated a total revenue of $16 billion and of course they are still soaring higher.
- Interesting Statistics About the Coffee Business Industry
There are different types of coffee drinks that you can find in a coffee shop, some of them are cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al.
It is proven fact that the turnover for an average coffee bar can be as high as 50% and above that is why entrepreneurs who intend making good money from a business with less struggle opens their own coffee shop; they either start their own coffee bar from the scratch or buy franchise .
Despite the fact that coffee shop business has been in existence as far back as civilization started, one can conveniently state that the coffee shop industry is indeed a growing industry and several entrepreneurs all over the world are making fortunes from the business.
Just every other food and drinks related business, it is a business that does not go out of season simply because drinking coffee has become a way of life to countless numbers of people all around the world. So also the fact that people go to coffee shops to relax and network with other like minds makes the business and ever – Green business.
If you are conversant with Coffee business in the United States of America, you will quite agree that coffee consumption has shown steady growth over the years and from all indication, the growth is not going to plummet. Coffee addicts would always go out of their way if possible to stop by a coffee shop to drink a cup of coffee.
Usually, sales for coffee triples during winter season and in most cases small coffee bars struggle to meet the demand for coffees during this period. Over and above, those who run coffee shops don’t struggle to attract clients especially if they are well positioned.
6. Our Target Market
When it comes to selling coffee, there is a wide range of people who consume, coffee and we don’t intend to place restrictions on the type of customers that we intend attracting to our coffee bar. The fact that our coffee shop will be located inside Los Angeles Airport facility means that our target market can be categorized into 2 groups (Travelers and Airport Workers).
The people we intend selling our products to are;
- Corporate Executives
- Business Men and Women
- Sports Men and Women
- Government Officials
- Airport Employees
7. SWOT Analysis
Our intention of starting a coffee shop is to test run the business for a period of 3 to 5 years to know if we will invest additional money, expand the business and sell franchise which is why we are only settling with just an outlet for now.
Despite the fact that we are running a small scale coffee shop business unlike Starbucks and Cost Coffee, we still went ahead to conduct a SWOT analysis. We did this in order to ensure that we have what it takes to run a coffee shop and perhaps even build an international coffee brand like the afore mentioned brands.
Here is a summary of the result from the SWOT Analysis that was conducted on behalf of Coffee4All;
Our area of strength in Coffee4All is not limited to the location of the coffee bar and also the varieties of coffees that we serve, but also our excellent customer service and the ambience of our Coffee shop.
The perceived weakness for our business could be that we are starting on a small scale; just one outlet and perhaps because we have a limited space to expand the bar if the need arises.
- Opportunities:
The fact that we are going to be operating our coffee bar in one of the busiest airports in the whole of the United States of America provides us with unlimited opportunities to sell our coffees and pastries. We are certain that we are not going to struggle to attract customers; all we have to do is to maintain the quality of our products and also offer excellent customer services in order to continuously welcome repeated customers.
One of the threats that are likely going to confront us is the policy of the airport authority. If the airport authority decided to close down all the shops within its facility, there is hardly anything we may possibly do about it, other than to look for a shop elsewhere.
- Our competitive advantage
Going by the arrangement we met on ground, we are going to be one of the 2 coffee bars that will be in operation in the area around the airport where our coffee shop will be located. As a result, we are going to struggle less to make headway in the business. In essence, we have little or no competition.
We plan to run a standard coffee business which is why we hired one of the leading business consultants to work with us in setting up our coffee business. The business consultant we have hired has over 15 years of experience in the retail coffee industry and has successfully opened several coffee bars in major cities across the United States of America.
So far, he has been able to deliver on key areas and he will continue to work with us on market research, customer satisfaction surveys and to provide additional input into the evaluation of the new business opportunities as regard opening other outlets and selling franchises when the need arises.
We believe that with all these hard and detailed work that is being put in place, we shall no doubt be a force to reckon with when we eventually commence operation and open our doors to consumers who want to be given a run for their money.
8. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY
- Sources of Income
Our sources of income for Coffee4All are limited to the sales of different types of coffees and pastries. But in the future, we may likely go into the sale of franchise which is going to be an additional source of income for the company.
9.Sales Forecast
It is important to state that our sale forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field.
Below is the sales projection based on the location (Los Angeles International Airport) of the coffee bar and the traffic that the location attracts every day of the week:
Coffee (cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al):
- 1,000 Cups of Coffee Per Day
Pastries (Sandwich, Bread, Meat Pie, Scotch egg, Pizza, Burger, and Fish Pie et al):
- 1,000 pieces per day
N.B: Please note that thousands of travelers transit through this airport every week, hence there is the likelihood of the coffee sale to increase especially when flights are delayed or cancelled and during winter periods. The idea is to attract as many people as possible to our coffee shop.
In view of this, our annual projected sales for Coffee4All® is put at about $500,000 annually which translates into $254.00 of sales per square foot. This is in line with the industry averages for this size of coffee shop in the United States of America. Over and above, as Coffee4All gets established, our net profitability will likely increases from 17.06% in the first financial year (FY) to 17.63% in the third financial year (FY).
10. Our Pricing Strategy
When it comes to fixing prices for the range of coffees and pastries we sell, we are going to ensure that we set pricing in line with what is available in the coffee industry. We are very aware that we have got to lower our price so that we will be able to attract customers like never before as we seek to gain recognition as newbies. When this is achieved, then bottom line is that our customers will derive real satisfaction when they consume our coffee and pastries
We also have plans in place to discount our coffees once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers with free cups of coffees.
Our Unique Selling Point; What Makes Our Coffee Shop Superior to Our Competitions
It is really advisable that every brand that wants to break even in their industry to have a unique selling point. This is what we have done with the way we have carved out what makes us tick. Our unique selling point as a coffee shop cannot be far fetched; we are located in one of the busiest airports in the world. That alone will give us leverage over our competitors in the industry.
Furthermore, part of our unique selling strategy is to ensure that we have assorted coffee in our coffee bar at all times. This will give our customers and potential customers the options to make their choice whenever they want to buy coffee from us.
As part of what we intend doing to outperformed our competitors and build a profitable coffee shop with loads of loyal customers, we will work towards ensuring that our coffee café is designed and constructed in such a way that it will meet the expected standard required by the authority and in such a way that it will be relaxing and conducive for networking and socializing.
We will also ensure that at all – times good music (live band, karaoke and jazz et al) will be played at the background to create the ambience that our customers will cherish while consuming their coffee in our coffee café.
Benefits Our Client Stand to Gain When They Patronize Our Coffee Bars
Aside from the fact that our customers will have the opportunity to buy neatly brewed assorted coffees, they will also have the opportunity to drink their coffee in a relaxed environment. We will ensure that we coffee beverages served in different forms (cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al.
In view of that, here are the benefits our customers and potential customer stands to benefits when they purchase our coffee from our coffee café:
- Good quality and neatly prepared coffee
- A relaxing and conducive environment for networking and socializing not ignoring the fact that at all times good music (live band, karaoke and jazz et al) will be played at the background to create the ambience that our customers will cherish.
- The best price/deal they can get in the whole of the United States of America
- Opportunity to choose from a wide range of assorted coffee
- Excellent customer service experience from our highly trained employees
11. Strategic Marketing Alliance with Our Competitors in the Coffee Shop Industry
No doubt it will be pretty difficult to enter into a strategic marketing partnership with your competitor in the coffee shop business. This is so because every coffee café you come across would want to do all they can to attract as much customers as possible within the locations where their coffee shop is located.
If at all there is any strategic marketing partnership that can be formed in the industry, it could be between a coffee café and perhaps a coffee producing company or coffee wholesale distributor.
For instance; if you own a coffee shop, you can strike a marketing partnership with a coffee producing company or coffee wholesale distributor to supply you assorted coffees and then sell to your customers before making payments. With that, you can comfortably order as much coffees as possible since you are not paying on cash.
Our Customer Retention Strategies (Ways to Improve Our Customer Experience)
When it comes to retaining your customers in any business, you must work hard to continue to meet and even surpass their expectations whenever they buy your goods and services from you. The success of any business is directly proportional to the numbers of repeated business they are able to generate.
If a company is able to achieve over 60 percent retention the company will sure experience huge turn over. We have perfected plans on how to improve our customer experience from time to time whenever they patronize our coffee café.
These are the ways we intend utilizing when it comes to improving our customer experience so that we can create a good impression and generate repeated sales from them:
- Ensures that our coffee taste good and neatly served at all times
- Ensure we get feedback from our customers at all times
- Give our customers the flexibility to choose from a wide range of assorted coffee.
- Make use of effective customer relationship management (CRM) software to effectively manage our clientele base.
- Ensures that we carry our clients along when making decisions that directly affect them.
12. Possible Ways We Intend Offering Incentives to Our Customers / Clients (Bonus, Discounts, etc)
Part of our marketing strategies which is clearly stated in our business plans is to ensure that we offer our customers incentives in order for us to retain them and of course continue to generate repeated sales from them and also to attract new customers. We know that if we are going to win our own fair share of the existing market, then we must be willing to outsmart our competitors.
In view of that, we will ensure that we sell our neatly brewed coffee a little bit below the average price in the industry. We will regularly give discount (different percentage) to our customers based on the total amount / cups of coffee they purchased from us any time they visit our coffee shop.
We will create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our loyal customers especially those who are able to helps successfully market our locally coffees to their family members, friends and colleagues. Rewarding them could be giving them discounts on every purchase they make and also giving them gifts during special occasions like Christmas, New Year, Easter, Thanksgiving and Independence Day Celebrations et al
13.After Sales Service and Customer Support
Well the nature of coffee business does not warrant that we offer after sales services or customer supports but we will ensure that we try as much as possible to always get feedback from everyone that purchases coffee from our coffee shop. With that we will be able to know how to meet their needs and improve on the quality of our coffee if need be.
We will ensure that we open several communications channels such as email, telephone and social media platforms so as to enable our customers communicate to us or lodge their complaints.
Possible Questions We Intend Asking Our Customers during Our Market Survey
- Are you satisfied with the taste and quality of our coffees?
- If you are not satisfied with the taste and quality of our coffees what areas would you want us to improve on going forward?
- Which of our assorted coffee flavor do you prefer the most?
- How would you want us to communicate to you when have any promo or if we have information that will benefit you or your family members and friends? Text messages, e – mail, or via mobile apps (BBM, twitter, WhatsApp et al)
- How much are you willing to pay for a cup of coffee?
- Is there any flavor of coffee that you would prefer to buy which is unfortunately not in our menu? If yes please list them.
- Are you comfortable with the security setting in our coffee bar? If no, in what area would you want us to improve on?
- If you are to change one thing in our coffee bar what would that be?
- Can you comfortably recommend our assorted coffees to your family members, friends and colleagues?
- Are you satisfied with our customer service delivery? If not what areas would you want us to improve on?
More on Coffee Shop
Coffee Shop Business Plan Template
Are you dreaming of opening your own coffee shop but don't know where to start? Look no further! Our free coffee shop business plan template is the perfect tool to help you get started. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of creating a solid business plan that will set you up for success. With our customizable template, you'll be able to tailor your plan to your unique vision and goals, so you can confidently launch your coffee shop with the right foundation in place.
If you're looking to start a coffee shop and need a plan to get started, you're in the right place. This free business plan template is designed to help you create a comprehensive plan for your coffee shop that will guide you through the process of starting and growing your business.
Starting a coffee shop can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but it can also be challenging. With so many details to consider, it's easy to get overwhelmed. That's why a solid business plan is crucial for success. It will help you clarify your vision, outline your goals, and create a roadmap for achieving them.
Our coffee shop business plan template is designed to be easy to use, even if you have no previous business ownership experience. It includes all the sections you need to create a comprehensive plan, including:
- Executive summary: This section provides an overview of your coffee shop, including your mission statement, products or services, target market, and financial goals.
- Company description: This section provides more detailed information about your business, including its legal structure, ownership, and management team.
- Market analysis: This section analyzes your target market and the competition in your industry. It includes information about your ideal customer, your competitors, and the overall market size and trends.
- Products: This section outlines your coffee shop products, including any unique spin on them, and what impact you expect them to have.
- Sales and marketing plan: This section outlines how you plan to reach and sell to your target market. It includes your pricing strategy and promotional tactics.
- Financial projections: In this section we provide real examples of real coffee shop financial projections that show you exactly what you should include about your financial projections in your business plan.
- Funding request: If you need funding to start or grow your business, this section will help you outline your funding needs and present your plan to potential investors or lenders.
Our coffee shop business plan template is completely customizable to fit your specific needs. You can add or remove sections as needed, and fill in the details that are most important to your business. The template includes helpful tips and guidance throughout, as well as examples of completed sections to help you get started.
To access the free coffee shop business plan template, simply enter your email address and name in the form provided. You will receive a link to download the template.
With this free coffee shop business plan template, you will have the tools you need to create a comprehensive plan for your shop. Whether you're just getting started or looking to take your business to the next level, a solid plan is the key to success. Get started today
Coffee Shop Business Plan Outline
I. Executive Summary
- Brief overview of the business idea, target market, and goals
II. Market Analysis
- Description of the coffee market, including trends and competitors
- Analysis of target customer demographics and their coffee habits
III. Business Concept
- Description of the coffee shop's unique selling proposition and concept
- Details of the menu offerings and any special features or services
IV. Marketing Strategy
- Overview of marketing and advertising efforts, including social media, promotions, and local events
- Analysis of pricing strategy and how it will attract customers
V. Operations Plan
- Description of the day-to-day operations, including staffing, scheduling, and inventory management
- Discussion of any technology or equipment needs and how they will be procured
VI. Financial Plan
- Projections for start-up costs, ongoing expenses, and revenue
- Breakdown of funding sources, such as loans or investments
- Discussion of the target profitability and growth potential for the business
VII. Management Team
- Brief descriptions of key management members and their experience
- Discussion of any partnerships or strategic relationships
VIII. Conclusion
- Summary of key points and future plans for the business
Get the free business plan template here!
Coffee shop business plan frequently asked questions, q: why do i need a coffee shop business plan.
A coffee shop business plan is a roadmap for your business. It helps you identify your target market, competitive landscape, and financial projections. By creating a business plan, you can gain a better understanding of your business and increase your chances of success.
Q: What should be included in a coffee shop business plan?
A coffee shop business plan should include an executive summary, company description, market analysis, product line, sales and marketing plan, financial projections, and funding request. Each of these sections should be tailored to your specific coffee shop.
Q: How long should a coffee shop business plan be?
A coffee shop business plan can vary in length, but it should typically be between 25 and 35 pages. It's important to include all the necessary details, but not to overwhelm the reader with too much information.
Q: Do I need to hire a professional to write my coffee shop business plan?
While it's not necessary to hire a professional to write your coffee shop business plan, it can be helpful if you're not experienced in creating business plans. You can also use templates and online resources to guide you through the process.
We Know a Good Business Plan When we See One
Collectively, our team has reviewed thousands of business plans and has nearly 20 years of experience making SBA loans. We've also helped more than 50,000 businesses create financial projections across many industries and geographies.
Adam served as Executive Director for a SBA microlender in Indiana for over 10 years helping businesses and reviewing thousands of business plans.
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Grace has built hundreds of custom financial models for businesses as well as our projection templates which are used by thousands of businesses every year.
Kyle served as an SBA loan officer for 7 years working directly with startups and business owners to review their business plans, projections, and prepare their loan package.
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The Best Coffee Shop Business Strategy To Success
Are you looking for the best coffee shop business strategy to reach your goals? We’ll make sure you understand the steps to success.
New data shows that 66% of Americans drink coffee more than any beverage every day – even water. Coffee shops also experienced an 8% increase in coffee consumption since January 2021 – a significant recovery and growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth is excellent news if you’re planning to start your coffee shop.
However, how can you make your business stand out among the US’s 65,410 coffee and snack shops ? Continue reading below to know what you need to start a coffee shop, including tips and strategies to help you run your first café.
Create An Effective Marketing Strategy
Don’t ignore traditional promotions, what is the key to success for coffee shops, a brief history of coffee shops.
Kiva Han is considered the first coffee shop in the world; it opened in 1475 in the Turkish city of Constantinople. During that time, coffee was a vital part of Turkish culture; wives were allowed to divorce their husbands if they didn’t get enough coffee . When people recognized the stimulating effects of coffee in the Middle East, more coffee shops started opening, eventually reaching European countries like Italy, Paris, and Germany.
However, coffee wasn’t popular with Americans until the late 19th to early 20th century, when big brands like Starbucks, Caribou, and Dunkin’ Donuts were founded.
Developing A Business Plan
Before you can jump to molding strategies to market your product, you must first build your business’s structure. You can do this by creating a business plan.
Research And Identify Your Market
Market research is one of the most important things to do in starting a business. This is where you identify your target market, competitors, and your USP or Unique Selling Proposition that makes you stand out from other cafés.
Ignoring research at the first stage of your business planning equates to risking yourself and your business by blindly entering a big market without proper knowledge and audience.
Check out our explainer on is selling coffee online profitable?
Pay Attention To The Company Brand
A “company brand” isn’t only your business name and logo. It also encompasses the colors, story, shop type, vibe, location, floorplan, menu, and even the process of roasting your beans.
Remember that first impression lasts, so your brand should attract people the first time they see your website or social media. You should also find a way to make the visitors want to keep coming to the café through excellent services and high-quality products.
Know Your Equipment And Products
Now that you know what type of café you want, including the floor plan and menu, it’s time to complete it. Expect durable and superior equipment to be expensive. If your budget is limited, choose the pieces you know you’ll use or things with multiple functions.
For example, you can pick products like De’Longhi All-in-One Combination Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine that can create more than one drink. It’s best to pick equipment you use for products you’re an expert at making.
Moreover, finding trusted suppliers is crucial if you buy pre-roasted coffee beans. You must get proper training if you want to roast beans.
The first step in creating any plan is to set goals and objectives. Combine and convert all the gathered information from your market research and brand to create an effective strategy to market your business and its products.
Remember that marketing strategy and tactics are different. Tactics refer to the specific actions you take to put your strategy in place, such as expanding your marketing channels to reach more potential customers.
Read our guide on how to create a coffee shop business plan if you need a step-by-step guide to an effective business plan.
Top Tips And Strategies To A Successful Coffee Shop
There are many ways to attract customers to your coffee shop . Below are the best coffee shop strategies to help you be competitive in the industry.
Prioritize Coffee And Service Quality
Remember that even if you use the best coffee beans to brew the perfect cup of Joe and sell it at an affordable price, customers will not return if you have poor service. Don’t just focus on making the perfect coffee when training your staff. They also need to know how to serve the customers properly.
Always be consistent if you want your patrons to keep visiting your café.
Create The Shop’s Ambiance
Besides coffee and service, a warm and inviting environment is also important to coffee lovers. A welcoming environment will also persuade customers to stay, increasing the chance of them purchasing more products.
Invest in your interior to give your customers a great place to work, study, etc. Ensure that the ordering area displays the products with the highest profit margin, including your specialties.
Expand Your Services
Beyond dine-in and take-out, you can broaden your services and add drive-thru and delivery. Coffee shops with drive-thru are trendy these days as coffee lovers find it convenient to order without needing to leave their cars. It’s also a great option when the shop is at full capacity.
Consider opening delivery service through phone, website, company app, and third-party apps to reach more customers.
Train Your Staff Continuously
Hiring experienced employees is better, but these people expect a high salary. You can hire inexperienced people and grow the shop with them. In this way, you’re also helping your staff improve their skills, which will benefit both parties.
Other than skills training, teach them how to do suggestive selling to use every opportunity to ask the customer if they want to add more to their original order, thereby increasing sales.
Basic business strategies like regular and seasonal promotions, loyalty rewards, coupons, posters, videos, and social media advertising are all coffee shops’ tried and tested effective strategies.
Try each of them and see what’s the most effective for your café. Identify how, when, and why you gain more sales than regular days. However, there is no need to stick to basic promos and use them repeatedly.
Be innovative, creative, and open to new ways to reach your goals.
FAQs About Coffee Shop Business Strategy
What is the best strategy for a coffee shop.
Always start with developing a good business plan. Then, pick your goals and objectives and how you can achieve them. For example, you can look for the best bean supplier or buy the most efficient machine. You should also research your rivals to make sure you can compete with them.
What Is The Marketing Strategy Of A Café Business?
The best marketing strategy is to focus on products and services. High-quality coffee and excellent customer service always make for a great recommendation. Through word-of-mouth, you’ll have effective and free advertising.
How Do Coffee Shops Attract Customers?
Coffee shops usually attract customers by making their coffee’s price affordable, offering promos such as loyalty rewards, and creating a great ambiance. They are also constantly on social media and design competitions to get more engagement and reach more potential customers.
Other than a wide selection of high-quality coffee and other products, the coffee shop’s atmosphere and customer service are essential for success. Invest in the exterior and interior design of your café and provide training to your staff to improve their service and knowledge.
Writer and coffee lover, Maria Caballero, is fond of visiting new cafes and trying current trends involving caffeine. She shares amusing experiences to fellow coffee enthusiasts who wants to explore the world of coffee.
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Coffee Shop Marketing Strategies
We know how much it takes to open a coffee shop . Our students pour their hearts, sweat, time, and savings into bringing their coffee shop visions to life. After so much work, there’s nothing more satisfying than turning on the “Open” sign on your brand new business. Unless nobody comes in, that is.
Before you can successfully open a coffee shop (and every day after), you’ll rely on effective marketing tactics to help you bring customers through your door. There are many effective strategies for marketing your business. What works for a mom and pop shop in a small town might be different than a multi-location coffee shop business in a larger city. Wherever you fall, this list of coffee shop marketing strategies can help you start connecting with your ideal customers.
Source: Instagram @windowseatcoffee
Coffee Shop Marketing Strategies
Build your brand.
Your brand is the way people perceive and experience your business–the look, feel, values, and personality your loyal customers connect to.
Many elements of your business influence your brand:
- Core values
- Unique point of view
- Customer experience
- Website and other digital platforms
- Coffee shop design and aesthetic
- Tone of voice in written content
Wayward, Dallas, TX
Before a cohesive brand can exist, you must understand the demographics, psychographics, values, and interests of your ideal customer . Then, create a coffee shop concept (and brand) that intersects with your own passions. With a concept in place, you’re ready to start thinking about the name, personality, and visual brand identity.
Because good branding is key to marketing success, we recommend investing in a real branding agency to help you build the foundations. (A bad logo could be the difference that causes a potential customer to drive right by.) Share your concept and business plan with the agency. They will utilize a brand strategist, a creative director, and multiple designers to build branding materials. They’ll help you effectively communicate your brand values and positioning visually to potential customers.
Of course, a branding agency will cost more up front than a graphic designer friend or a logo website. Don’t spare expenses in this department. Your brand is one of your most valuable assets. It can make a huge difference in your coffee shop marketing success.
Connect to Your Customers on Social Media
Social media is one of the most effective places coffee shops can meet their audiences. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and others are great places for coffee shops to:
- Share pictures of your coffee shop and menu items
- Promote new products
- Announce coffee shop events and news
- Engage with customers directly
- Entertain and engage customers with videos, tutorials, humor, and photos
- Share a behind the scenes look at your employees and culture
- Reinforce your brand
One of our former students, Nelson Lewis from Coffee on the Red , credits social media for helping build his loyal following. Coffee on the Red opened in the middle of the pandemic. They had to create an identity, reach new clients, and share constant updates at a time when many people were staying home.
Just months later, the Coffee on the Red Facebook page has nearly 7,000 followers (and counting). They grew their following by posting funny employee videos, delicious drink photos, memes, and even “sock updates” from one of the baristas. Here’s a taste of their posts:
Source: Facebook
We can learn from Coffee on the Red’s social media success.
Social media tips:
- Post consistently to grow faster. Coffee on the Red posts on Facebook every day, sometimes multiple times a day.
- Choose the right platform. You don’t need to have a huge presence on every social media platform to be successful. Coffee on the Red knows who their ideal customers are, and determined Facebook was the best place to reach them.
- Develop a voice consistent to your brand. Coffee on the Red’s posts are goofy and fun. What voice captures your brand? Sophisticated? Health-focused? Family-friendly? Make sure your posts help showcase who you are.
- Be responsive. Coffee on the Red responds directly to nearly every comment they receive. They send commenters funny memes, answer direct questions, and tag customers they know. Engagement helps to build community and connection among your followers.
- Mix it up. Coffee on the Red alternates between high quality coffee photos and videos, customer features, memes, events, and casual, funny videos of the staff and founders. It keeps the Facebook page fresh and followers engaged.
Influencer Marketing
Now that your social media platforms are established, grow your reach through influencer marketing. Influencers are people in your industry, geography, or niche demographic with large online followings. For a coffee shop, influencers could come in all forms: food bloggers, local leaders, news anchors, even a well-known student athlete.
Give influencers a reason to visit your coffee shop and share how much they love it. You can do this by inviting them to an event, sending them merchandise, or simply giving them all-star treatment whenever they come. The most important thing to know about this strategy is that influencers are people. Just like your loyal customers, they are much more likely to promote brands they genuinely love. To be successful with influencer marketing, you’ve got to have a product and a brand people are excited to share.
Source: Instagram @beanstalkcoffeesno
Online Reviews
If someone is looking for great coffee nearby, you know right where they’ll go: Google. Beyond your social media platforms and website, there are other strategic places coffee shops can market themselves online. Google My Business and Yelp are two important platforms to claim. These platforms allow you to:
- Be found online
- Post hours and schedule
- Share your location
- Share your menu
- Showcase photos
- Collect and manage user reviews
It’s free to claim your Google My Business account, and it will vastly increase your online visibility. Business owners can also manage a free listing on Yelp, or boost their presence through paid ads and page upgrades.
Word of Mouth and Networking
It might feel like all marketing is digital now, but there is no substitution for good, old fashioned networking. Whether you’re opening your coffee shop in a small town or large city, get to know your community. Not only will it help you spread the word about your business, but it will also grant you access to small business resources like great contractors, local events, or skilled employees.
We recommend joining your local Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneur groups, or small business groups. Get to know your “neighbors” in nearby businesses. Do you share likeminded customers? There may be opportunities to partner to bring more traffic into your shop. Engage with local groups, organizations, or schools to better understand and serve the people around you. While you’re out networking, bring flyers, business cards, or other merchandise that promotes your coffee shop.
Events and Experiences
You’re not just selling a cup of coffee, you’re creating an experience every time a new customer walks into your business. Understand that lifestyle you’re selling to your customers, and create events and experiences that tie seamlessly into their day. Depending on your coffee shop brand and concept, events could include:
- Art installations from local artists or groups
- Yoga classes
- Library book readings for kids
- Study sessions for college students
- Coffee and wine pairings
- Corporate networking events
- Trivia and game nights
- Coffee Cuppings or Latte Art throw downs
- Fundraisers for local nonprofits
The events you host can bring new customers in your door. And, events are a great way to reinforce your brand to your loyal customers. Here are some events from Carve Surf and Coffee in alignment to the local surf lifestyle brand they’ve created:
Source: Instagram @carvesurfandcoffee
Continue Your Coffee Shop Marketing Education
Learn more about coffee shop marketing, creating a viable concept, writing a business plan, choosing a location, and more in our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class . We teach you how to open a coffee shop, step-by-step. Already own or manage a coffee shop? Check out our barista training classes , coffee shop manager training course , and more. Or, reach out directly to learn about our coffee business consulting services.
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Featured Classes
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3-Day Coffee Business Master Class
Hands-on training for every step of starting your coffee shop business.
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Coffee Shop Manager Training Course
A 1-day course designed to rapidly advance coffee shop operations, knowledge & management resources.
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Coffee Business Categories
Open a Coffee Shop
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Run a Coffee Shop
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Barista Tips
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Leverage our expertise
Download our Barista Guide
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We’ve helped hundreds of students successfully launch their own coffee shop businesses. Join us in our 5-Star Rated Coffee Classes, whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur looking to open a coffee shop, a manager, a barista or home enthusiast looking to sharpen your skills.
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Coffee Shop Recipes: Peppermint Rooibos Mocha
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Leaving a Legacy with Red Cow Coffee
Are Young Americans Drinking More Coffee? And More Coffee Shop Trends
6 Mistakes to Avoid When You Start a Coffee Business
How to Provide Excellent Coffee Shop Customer Service
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3 Ways to Dial in Coffee Shop Operations
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Managing Coffee Shop Costs of Goods Sold and Labor
Hybrid Coffee Shop Models: The Future of Coffee Shops
How Inflation Affects Coffee Shops and How to Still Succeed
How Coffeepreneur® David Bednarek Grew His Coffee Shop Revenue
How to Scale and Grow Your Coffee Shop
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Coffee Shop Innovation in 2022
Coffee Shop Operations Best Practices
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Start a Coffee Shop
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Building a Career, Lifestyle, and Culture, with Shannon Neffendorf
Top Entrepreneur Tips for Coffee Shop Owners (Part 2)
5 Reasons Why Cafe Startups Fail
Top Entrepreneur Tips for Coffee Shop Owners (Part 1)
Why Right Now Is a Great Time to Start a Small Business
4 Things You Will Only Learn at the Best Coffee Schools
This Commercial Cold Brew Solution Will Change the Game For Your Coffee Shop
Using Oat Milk in your Coffee Shop Menu
How to Find the Best Barista Courses
How to Start a Coffee Shop with Loyal Customers
How to Make Better Tasting Cold Brewed Coffee at Home
Are barista training classes worth it?
What to Expect as a Coffee Shop Owner
4 Coffee Business Lessons from Former Students
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Why You Don’t Have to Wait to Open a Coffee Shop
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Why Now is the Right Time to Start a Coffee Shop
How to Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan
Answers Regarding COVID-19 and Upcoming Classes
How to Open a Successful Coffee Shop
The Pathways To Success Podcast (EP 163): Tom Vincent, Founder of Texas Coffee School
Texas Coffee School Coffeepreneur® Spotlight: The Garden Foundation and Dig It! Coffee Co.
2019 Holiday Coffee Gift Guide: 14 Gifts Your Coffee Geek Actually Wants
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Auto Tampers Are Changing The Espresso Game
2 Must Haves For A Coffeepreneur® Starting A Coffee Shop Business
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The 2 Biggest Things Killing Coffee Shops, And How To Avoid Them
4 Reasons You Should Start Your Own Business
When To Revise A Coffee Shop Menu: Use Data, Not Emotions
A Coffee Expert Gift Guide: 7 Gifts Your Coffee Geek Actually Wants
Setting Up Your At-Home Coffee Brewing Station
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Coffee Shop Recipes: House-Made Gingerbread Syrup
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The Texas Coffee School French Press How-To Guide
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Hand Brewed Coffee vs. Machine Brewed – Which is Best For Your Coffee Shop Business Plan, Barista Training?
Multi-Roaster Coffee Shop Business Model: The More The Merrier?
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Barista Training and Coffee Education
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Opening a Coffee Shop Business – 5 Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
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How to Create a Coffee Shop Marketing Plan
- Growth Strategies
- Food & Beverage
So you’ve opened a coffee shop . The next thing to do: find some customers. One of the best ways to find new customers (and keep current customers coming back) is to create a marketing plan for your coffee shop.
If you’ve never put together a marketing plan before, we’re sorry to say that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all marketing plan that you can simply implement. The marketing plan for your coffee shop is based on your specific market, your target consumer, and your business’s maturity — it’s unique.
With that said, there is a basic outline you can follow, whether you’re just starting a coffee shop or you’re a few years in and it’s time to fine-tune your marketing.
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Establish marketing goals.
The foundation of your coffee shop marketing plan is your marketing goals. Marketing goals are the specific objectives that you want your marketing efforts to accomplish.
How should you determine your marketing goals? Your goals should support the long-term business objectives established in your business plan . Maybe that’s total coffee sales, the amount of coffee sold, or an incremental increase in foot traffic.
Once you have listed out the specific marketing goals for your coffee shop, it should be easy to identify the key marketing efforts and promotional campaigns to help you meet them.
Analyze your customer.
You can come up with compelling marketing goals and create supportive promotional campaigns, but these won’t be effective unless you target the right audience (your target market).
Understanding your customers and knowing why they want or need your product should influence all of your marketing efforts.
When you create a marketing plan for a coffee shop, segment your target market to identify different customer profiles. Then think about the best way to reach each of these audiences. Messaging resonates differently with each customer segment as well — some campaigns are more effective with certain segments than others — so think about messaging for each customer profile.
Develop a calendar of activity.
Creating a marketing calendar for your coffee shop is a great way to organize and prioritize your marketing strategy.
Brainstorm the various types of promotions and campaigns you want to execute for your coffee shop. These efforts should support the marketing goals you established and are dependent on the maturity stage of your business. Before you open a coffee shop, you may consider a soft opening , online paid advertisements, or social media marketing . Coffee shops that are more established may consider sending out monthly newsletters or sponsoring local community events. You should also think about specific holiday marketing tactics and how you can work those into your overall strategy.
When you’re brainstorming different ways to market your coffee shop, be sure to include the various marketing channels you’ll use. Creating an Instagram account for your coffee shop is a great way to promote new products or announce deals going on at the coffee shop. You may also implement email marketing efforts to send out exclusive offers or incentives to bring customers into your store. There are a plethora of channels to think about that resonate with a specific audience, so reflect on your customer before committing to a channel.
After you have your ideas developed, craft a simple marketing calendar using a spreadsheet and list out the marketing initiatives and campaigns you want to complete each month. Your marketing calendar should be a working document that you are constantly reassessing and improving. You can use customer analytics to evaluate coffee trends and create additional marketing campaigns to better target your audience.
Retain recurring customers.
Many new business owners focus on finding new customers. But when you create a marketing plan for your coffee shop, you also need to think about how to retain the customers that have already walked through your door.
Customer retention both saves you money and can make you more money. It’s often touted that acquiring a new customer is at least five times more expensive than keeping a current one. And according to research by Bain & Company, increasing customer retention rates by 5 percent can increase profits by anywhere from 25 to 95 percent.
In order to improve customer retention and establish brand loyalty, you need to stay connected with the people who frequent your coffee shop. Customer engagement software enables you to increase customer satisfaction and retention with the following features:
- Email marketing — Make an announcement, share an upcoming event, or reward your customers with coupons and other incentives. Targeted email campaigns like these allow you to send custom emails to a specific audience.
- Customer feedback — Give customers a private channel to respond to their service while visiting your coffee shop. With customer feedback, you can build deeper relationships with your customers.
- Customer loyalty program — Incentivize your customers with free drinks and treats so they return and buy your products.
Ensure your finances.
Owners often underestimate marketing costs when they are laying out the finances for their coffee shop.
The SBA recommends that small businesses with revenues less than $5 million (with profit margins between 10 and 12 percent) allocate 7 to 8 percent of their revenue to marketing. It is also recommended that these funds be used specifically for brand development and the cost of promoting the business.
If you feel like there just isn’t enough money to fund your marketing plan, you might consider taking out a small business loan .
Of course, taking out a loan might seem more overwhelming than putting together your marketing plan. So when you evaluate a loan offer , here are four things to take into consideration:
- The total payback amount (loan amount plus outstanding costs like interest, origination fees, credit reporting fees, application costs, etc.)
- The application process
- Ease of repayment
- Lender’s reputation
Revisit and reinvent.
After you have created a marketing plan for your coffee shop, it’s important to remain flexible. Consumer trends change and new opportunities surface as you manage your coffee shop.
It’s important to continuously revisit your marketing plan to make sure you are on track to meet your goals. You also want to look at your campaigns and promotions and reinvent stale ideas that might not be benefitting your store — you always want to look for ways to improve your strategy and elevate your coffee shop.
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1.Make Your Coffee Shop More Attractive As self-evident as it may sound, the entrance to your shop must be visible and attractive. Many bars and coffee shops have dark entries hidden from busy crowds. Don't make that mistake, ensure your shop has an eye-catching appeal.
A coffee shop business plan will help you plan a strategy for success. It will consider factors such as opportunities, risks, and how you will market yourself. By having a good idea of this before you start a coffee shop, you will be better placed to overcome or avoid any difficulties.
The promotions strategy for Java Bros Coffee Shop are as follows: Social Media Java Bros will focus on social media platforms and will dedicate an employee to be its social media manager. That person will develop unique and inviting posts and post its daily specials, upcoming events, and updates on the coming locations. Local Partnerships
Competing with larger organizations is easier with these low-cost and budget-friendly coffee shop marketing tactics that any location could utilize. Manage and Improve Online Ratings and Reviews Make Delivery an Initiative Consider Subscription Services Increase Marketing Outreach with Email and SMS Marketing
Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P's: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a coffee shop business plan, your marketing plan should include the following: Product: in the product section you should reiterate the type of coffee house that you documented in your Company Analysis.
Product Planning Process. I am going to launch a new product in the market, I am focused on the coffee shop industry, and I want to open my new coffee shop in different cities of U.S. However, I know the competition is tough in the industry, but I will provide the customer, with the best experiences of coffee shop, they ever had. Moreover, I am ...
A coffee shop business plan is a formal written document that explains your business concept, goals, and how you will achieve success. It answers several questions, like how you will set up your coffee shop, how you will fund your business, and what revenue you expect to make. It includes information about your marketing plan, sales strategy ...
A strong marketing strategy will determine how to solve customer needs and be set apart from your competition. 1. Product- What does your menu look like, and are you meeting the demands in your market? What you're selling and why should be detailed in the Products & Services section of your business plan. 2.
Our marketing goal as a coffee shop is wrapped around our company's mission statement as clearly stated in our business plan is to establish a coffee business that will make available assorted coffee drinks to our highly esteem customers 24 hours round the clock in a relaxed and conducive atmosphere.
The first unique marketing strategy you can use is networking with other businesses in your area. If you are starting a coffee shop business in a strip mall, for instance, you can reach out to the other tenants in the building and offer them some of your best products at low prices.
The Steps to Create a Strong Coffee Shop Marketing Plan Step 1: Articulate Your Goals and Mission Statement Step 2: Define Your Target Sociographic Step 3: Define Your Desired Position in the Market Step 4: Define Your Marketing Strategy The Final Word On A Coffee Shop Marketing Plan Coffee Shops Business Guides
This free business plan template is designed to help you create a comprehensive plan for your coffee shop that will guide you through the process of starting and growing your business. Starting a coffee shop can be an exciting and rewarding venture, but it can also be challenging. With so many details to consider, it's easy to get overwhelmed.
Basic business strategies like regular and seasonal promotions, loyalty rewards, coupons, posters, videos, and social media advertising are all coffee shops' tried and tested effective strategies. Try each of them and see what's the most effective for your café. Identify how, when, and why you gain more sales than regular days.
What are the most common restaurant marketing strategies for cafes? Most restaurant marketing strategies use a mixture of email marketing, social media, and loyalty programs. 1. Email Marketing. With email marketing generating $42 for every $1 spent, it's one of the most effective and cost-effective ways to market your cafe. You can use email ...
Coffee Shop Marketing Strategies Build Your Brand Your brand is the way people perceive and experience your business-the look, feel, values, and personality your loyal customers connect to. Many elements of your business influence your brand: Name Logo Core values Unique point of view Customer experience Menu Website and other digital platforms
Creating a marketing calendar for your coffee shop is a great way to organize and prioritize your marketing strategy. Brainstorm the various types of promotions and campaigns you want to execute for your coffee shop. These efforts should support the marketing goals you established and are dependent on the maturity stage of your business.
Help Building Skills Partnership brainstorm and plan ways to reach their target audience most effectively over a few phone calls. Our Mission Building Skills Partnership (BSP) programs improve the ...
3-5 one hour strategy sessions with a marketing professional covering topics like marketing channels, messaging, branding and target audiences A written summary of marketing goals, target ...