How Do You Define A Successful Coffee Shop?

Based on customer surveys, you should be confident no matter how large or small your coffee shop is. This isn't really a factor for customers even though many have the impression that large coffee shops have more to offer. A customer may try a new large coffee shop but then go back to the smaller one they have gone to for a very long time.

Large coffee shops don't necessarily make more money than smaller ones. They have to pay more for supplies, electricity, the building, employees, and other overhead expenses. They also have to spend a great deal of money to advertise. After all they can't have that large facility being empty - it has to be full of customers.

Customers have other criteria that they are concerned with than the size of the location. People even go to drive up ones if they offer the right elements. They include fast service that is friendly, delicious coffee products, good prices, and a nice atmosphere. All of these things can be found at a small independent coffee shop or a large chain business.

In fact, you will find there are plenty of customers out there that prefer the atmosphere at a small coffee shop. They feel like they get more personal service there. It is often a sense of loyalty as well. They may have been going to that particular location for years. They aren't going to abandon ship just because a bigger coffee shop has opened up around the corner.

Many of the large coffee shops are able to succeed due to being a chain. They are already known in the eyes of consumers as a great place to get coffee. There is also a stigma that comes with visiting such a location for some people. They still have to work to meet the needs of the customers though or they will lose business rapidly.

One disadvantage that small coffee shops have is not offering enough room during peak times. People don't want to feel like they don't have enough room to relax and enjoy their coffee. You may need to look at some options to take care of this issue if it becomes a problem. Sometimes just rearranging can give you more room than you thought you had.

You need to be confident no matter how large or small your coffee shop is. The fact that consumers aren't placing their orders based on this information is good news. It means you have the chance to prove what you can do for customers on your own merit. You can focus on meeting their various needs instead of playing the size game.

There are small coffee shops that continue to grow in the number of customers. They may decide to expand in order to better serve them. This is an individual business decision that could prove to be a good move. However, if your business is already struggling, making the coffee shop bigger isn't going to solve your problems.

Karyn Lewis writes about the ups and downs of the coffee shop business. Avoid the rookie mistakes many new operators make when they buy a coffee shop and read more coffee related articles at her site.