THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN OPENING UP YOUR NEW COFFEE SHOP
There are many things to consider but these points are the most important for your success.
Initially your payroll costs can eat you alive. There will be a surge as you first open.You must
adjust schedules immediately and hours as well. Focus on productivity and sales volume. Track your new
shops sales by the hour.
Use every tool at you disposal to get a viable customer mailing and emailing list. Track the
products that sell and ask what they would like to buy. Use all the same gimicks your competition uses-
10 punch cards,door hangers,free samples,contests,etc. to generate excitement and repeat sales.
Evaluate your staffing do you have the right people hired? Are they friendly and honest? Test them
with a mystery shopper when you are not there. Is the store clean and is any initiative being taken
with respect to that issue-allocate hours to people with energy and pride.
Getting a retail food operation built, staffed and open is a daunting and exhausting task. The most important thing that a new manager can learn is that you have paid dearly for every customer who has visited your shop and might return. The task of every employee is to get these first time satisfied customers to come back with recency and frequency. the importance of cleanliness, smiles, promptness and affability cannot be underestimated. No customer can be taken for granted.
About 45 days after a new location-ANY KIND OF LOCATION-opens up the foot traffic will be cut about in half. There is no way to avoid this but if you have an event planned you can bring new customers into your store who have not been there before. Promoting an event every 60 days-a charity auction week,
free samples, coffee for a nickel, etc. actually works out be CHEAPER than paying for advertising.
Usually after a location has been open for a year to 18 months a competitor will open up within a quarter of a mile. frequently they will try to "buy" your best employees. If you don’t understand the concept of "golden handcuffs" and an incentive plan trying to put one in place makes you look cheap and threatened.
Basing extra money on increased year to date head counts, average ticket increases, inventory management and loss prevention all make the cash outlay neutral.
In almost every case the difference between failing and succeeding lies in having a sound,well thought out business plan-
AND THEN REFERRING TO IT MONTHLY. When you follow your plan and update it as you go you have begun to make headway.
The real language of success is a three pronged approach consistent around the globe. One, KNOW your business and why your
customers come to it. Two, ENSURE everyone in contact with those customers provide the very best customer service at
every contact point, EVERY TIME. Three, MONITOR the statistics that indicate a TRUE growth pattern of successful business and understand them.
Never forget that the backbone core of that growth will always be financial profitabilty and that number is tracked weekly
and plotted monthly. A fundamental premis is that the people who produce the numbers need to help calculate their share
daily.
For anyone serious about being in the coffee industry a professional trade affiliation is highly recommended. The
Specialty Coffee Association has been a gathering and focus source for years. For more info on them click on
this link.Contact Them!A Great Organization
Ask them for a copy of their Survey on Ethics done by Marty Milner in 1996 it will help you and your employees
understand many of the issues facing the industry then-and NOW.
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