Coffee Shop Business Planning: Preparing Your Menu

Coffee Shop Business Planning: Preparing Your Menu

Unless you’re planning to serve just coffee in your coffee shop, you’re going to need to prepare your menu. With a coffee shop business you have a lot of flexibility because if you choose to you can serve only coffee or you can turn your store into a mini coffee based restaurant. Before you open take some time to decide the main theme of your menu and it will be much easier to make the smaller adjustments as you go.

Drink Variety

Being in the coffee shop business, drinks are your main product. With so much more out there than just coffee, you can have a huge menu by offering beverages alone.

For your hot beverages you’ll be providing different size, flavor, and roast options. You’ll also have to decide what kind of extras you’ll have available such as whipped toppings, flavor shots, and artificial sweeteners. Even when it comes to milk and creams, you have different percentages of milk fat you can make available to your customers.

Cold drinks are always a fun and refreshing choice for your patrons, especially in the warmer months when a hot coffee may not be as appealing to some people. Brewing your own flavored iced teas and coffees might be a nice addition to your menu and frappes can be a tasty treat all year round.

Baked Goods

With a nice hot cup coffee, a freshly baked cinnamon bun might be just what your customer was craving. Offering a selection of cookies, muffins, pies, and other sweet treats will not only please your customer’s taste buds, it will add an undeniable level of visual appeal when displayed alluringly at your counter. Even if you don’t want to bake it all yourself, pre-made snacks are an equally delicious option.

Bigger Meals

Ready made wraps and sandwiches or freshly made soups are an excellent choice for your hungrier customers. You can have a few things pre-packaged and easy to grab or you can decide to offer full breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Even having one hot meal a day on your menu might be an option for you. Whether you keep it simple or get really creative with your menu, offering at least a few food choices can really add to your coffee shop.

Once you decide what kind of menu you’ll have you can add and remove smaller details to make it perfect as you go. Your menu may even change from season to season. What you serve will be a reflection of the type of coffee shop you have so be sure to put some thought into it and stay open to customer and employee feedback to get it just right.