Coffee Shop Business Plan: How to Choose What’s On the Menu

Creating Your Coffee Shop Business Plan

When laying out the plans for how you’re going to run your coffee shop, don’t forget to include a rough draft of what your menu will look like. You may think you can decide on that later or just offer some cookies and muffins as extra options to your customers but putting a little more thought into it can have a very positive effect on the success of your business. Including an idea of your food and drink options in your coffee shop business plan will allow you to better visualize the type of shop you’re going to open and give you the chance to be more prepared.

Product Quality

Offer your customers cheap, low quality products and more often than not, they’ll be able to tell the difference. A lot of research should go into the products you choose and you should taste everything for yourself. Once you’ve found brands you’re happy with, don’t hesitate in getting second opinions from the other coffee connoisseurs you know. While you want to offer high quality coffee, you don’t want to be overpaying for something that doesn’t taste any different than a cheaper brand. Shop around and be sure you’re getting the best quality while maintaining great value.

While keeping quality and pricing in mind when creating your coffee shop business plan, be open to suggestions and product changes once your shop has finally opened. Getting staff and customer opinions can keep your patrons satisfied by giving them the products they’re looking for. Being stubborn in your choices could drive some customers away and reduce your profits.

Targeting Your Market

Know the market you’ll be serving before setting your coffee shop menu in stone. If your store is in an area that shoppers are likely to want to stop in for snacks or you have an office building nearby that will likely give you a lunch time rush, plan your menu accordingly.

For an upscale area, it may be more important to pay attention the name of the brands you’re using. High quality gourmet coffee could be an essential part of your menu. If you have a lot of high school students coming through, offering more frappes or iced drinks may better suit them.