Cafe Kitchen: Relaxed food for friends from the Lantana Café

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Remember, on the rare instances when you are not in the cafe, your employees will be the face of your business. The customer isn’t always right, but it’s important that you learn to judge when to give in - and when to stand your ground. Sometimes, the cost of giving away a free coffee isn’t much compared to permanently losing a customer. In other cases, by taking the time to sit with the customer and understand each other’s situations you can come to a mutually beneficial resolution. Train your staff well

Performance issues could include poor customer service, failure to meet goals or unwillingness to carry out responsibilities. Conduct-related issues typically involve negligence, poor attendance, bad timekeeping and hostile behaviour. Remember, these figures are estimates and should be used only as an indication. Calculations are based on 200 customers per day and don't take into account tax, or other overheads. Location and premises – where your coffee shop will be located, and the implications of this location.It’s important to remember that virtually everything about your cafe will be influenced by its immediate surroundings, including the number of customers you get, as well as your theme or other unique selling points (USPs). You may find it useful to use tools such as FloorPlanner.com to help you visualise how best to place in your cafe, as well as the logistics of queues and walkways. You may have to try a few different layouts before you get one that really works. Things to bear in mind include:

If you sell food, there are often even more upselling opportunities to be had - as the customer is likely to be in your cafe for a longer period of time, you'll get the chance to have multiple verbal exchanges with them. Environmental Health Service – you will likely be required to register your business with the Environmental Health Service before opening your doors to the public. Familiarize yourself with the legal requirements. Starting a cafe involves not only the legal "hoops" every new small business needs to navigate, but also the additional health and safety requirements of the food service industry. In the U.S., for instance, you will need to obtain a host of licences and permits (not to mention proof of insurance) on the local, state, and federal levels. Cleanliness – ensuring your cafe is always clean – particularly in restrooms – is an important part of ensuring a positive customer experience. Even the most established of businesses can make improvements - there is always something that you can do to boost your sales, increase revenue and grow your business.

Remember, a regular could be someone who visits every morning on their way to work or someone who comes for a bite to eat a few times a month. It’s essential that you take the time to identify and recognise these people and make an effort to get to know them.

Your cafe’s brand – its name, logo and any other identifying features – is going to be at the centre of any marketing that you do, so it needs to be clear, unique and easily recognisable. You may find that you benefit from a slight tweak to your logo design, or you may want to consider re-branding altogether. When making changes to your cafe brand, be sure to bear the following in mind: The list of things that you’ll have to consider and coordinate in preparation for opening a coffee shop is a long one, but the key to working through it is to give each item due attention – don’t rush through anything. Discussed below are some of the most important aspects of preparing to open a cafe, as well as some tips on what to bear in mind when it comes to dealing with them. What cafe products and services will you offer? A cafe located in a quiet area, for instance, might be able to save money by opening around midday – rather than in the morning – if there are few potential customers around early on.Once you know your regulars, make sure that they know they’re appreciated. Simple gestures, such as giving away a free drink every now and then, can go a long way in securing their loyalty. Deal with complaints gracefully Décor and atmosphere – a strong sense of style can sometimes be enough to pull in the punters – provided it is well-executed. Take this Egyptian-style cafe and this 50’s style diner as two good examples. This is, arguably, still one of the most important and influential marketing methods there is. No digital advert or marketing campaign can truly trump a recommendation from a friend, so it’s important that you encourage your happy customers to spread the word about your cafe. There are a number of ways in which you can do this, from rewarding those who take part in a refer-a-friend scheme to simply asking your regulars to bring their family or work colleagues in some time. The best way to turn your customers into advocates is to make sure that they have the best experience possible when in your cafe.