Understanding Your Coffee Shop Customers And Attracting & Retaining The Right Mix For Success

A bustling morning filled with the quiet murmur of the espresso machine, baristas calling out names, and caffeine addicts chatting with their tablemates. It’s the dream, right?

But what happens when the rush dies down midday and the remote workers close their laptops in the early afternoon? Do you close up shop and send your staff home? That’s perfectly reasonable, but it’s likely a lost opportunity to keep your shop humming throughout the evenings and weekends.

Let’s chat about how we can keep that buzz going during non-traditional hours so you can be earning as much revenue as possible, and diversifying where that comes from.

The Case for Hang-Out Spaces

You’ve heard about third spaces, and we think that especially after the pandemic, folks crave a hang-out spot that’s not their home. Sometimes that’s a local brewery or a board game bar, but that could also be your coffee shop if you have cozy spaces, fun music, great internet, and maybe a couple of games or puzzles.

There will always be people who need to take their coffee on the run and that’s great because they pay you the same for the product alone versus the product and use of your space. But that coffee and service has to be exceptional or you have to be exceptionally on their way to where they are going for them to continue to return.

However, as we’ve said before, encouraging customers to use what you offer to its fullest extent will help them build an emotional connection to your business and want to keep buying. E.g. If someone pops in for a quick coffee and leaves, they may be less likely to come back than if they sat at a comfy table with a fancy croissant and vibed out to your incredible playlist and chatted with a friend. Right? Is there a statistics nerd coffee shop owner who has data on that?

Sofas, and coffee tables in the corner are an awesome alternative to just tables and chairs, and for the love of all things, please offer as many plugs as possible. We went to a coffee shop a couple of weeks ago that offered a surge protector over the bar to patrons needing it because there were plugs under the bar. A brilliant fix to keep folks around and ordering a second and third drink.

The Case for Evening Coffee Shop Hours

Lots of coffee shops close at 2 or 4 p.m. after the midday rush and customers get their afternoon fixes. However, you’re still paying rent on the building that’s gonna sit empty for the next 14-16 hours. By extending your hours, you’ll certainly have extra payroll expenses, but you might increase overall sales to more than make up for that expense. 

You’d, of course, have to offer additional drinks and food to supplement demand for evening treats, but more on that in the next section.

An easy way to invite folks into your space during non-traditional hours is to host events. Reach out to book clubs, knitting and crochet groups, and other types of community organizations to let them know you’d welcome them in. You could host puzzle contests, Lego building sessions, author readings, poetry slams, date night pairings and so much more.

The Case for Non-Caffeine Products

There are so many reasons someone wouldn’t want to or be able to consume caffeine products (pregnancy, allergies, general intolerance, taste preferences), so even if you’re only going to be open for traditional coffee hours, you should still have a couple options for folks who can’t consume your core offerings. Yes, lots of people take their morning coffee ritual solo, but so many people enjoy the culture of coffee with friends, family, and coworkers so being able to serve more than a cup of water is a kindness and a gift.

But besides decaf coffee and hot chocolate, consider smoothies, wine, CBD drinks, canned mocktails and other fun juices. 

We also crave snacks for those long days working. We hate leaving a comfy spot because we’re starving and there is minimal food available. A bagel will not sustain us for an all-day strategy session working on our business. It can be as simple as a panini press in the back or permitting folks to have delivery from the restaurants on your block to your store.

It doesn’t have to be you sourcing these new products either. Perhaps partner with a local pal to run that side of the business. Or just trade delivery of products. There is an awesome brewery we love that also sells our favorite local coffee too! There are probably liquor license details to figure out but it may be worth the effort!

What is holding you back from extending your hours?