cafe scene in Aust: independents vs chains

admin

Interesting: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/independent-cafes-left-counting-their-beans-20120720-22fdp.html

Brett_H

admin wrote:

Interesting: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/independent-cafes-left-counting-their-beans-20120720-22fdp.html A

A mixed bag of offerings in that report. I get the feeling that perhaps it started life as an extensive treatise and suffered from the word-count police. Some interesting statements and observations none the less. A colleague of mine turned up to work yesterday with a McCafe coffee and and proceeded to tell us how aweful it was. She was in a rush and so to the drive-through she went. A local cafe near me make great morning espresso based coffee that you can ring ahead to order. I have only frequented there a couple of times because irrespective of how clever their barista is, I'm always left waiting!!!! No I won't join my friend at Maccas but there are plenty of others who will if for no other reason than convenience. I imagine that there is no secret formula to running a cafe but if as in the article you are making a great product and your semi-regulars are walking by with mass produced muck wouldn't you look at your operation rather than bemoning the customer's lack of palatal prowess?!!

UNM

interesting. w.r t. the semi-regulars purchasing chain coffee several tines a week, perhaps they regularly meet a friend those days at *$? Maybe they are in a hurry and the independents service is slower? maybe they like a bucket of iced, blended coffee flavored beverage? As they still come in to the independent store sometimes, here's a thought. ASK THEM! A simple - "you can have today's coffee for free if you tell me why you often buy *$ up the road" said with a cheery smile should work wonders. A very economical piece of market research.

FreshCoffee2

Good reply. By far the greatest majority of people (clients) are NOT coffee heads. They think they are (the usual comments like...."I love my coffee...") but they are not into what is discussed in these forums. If they can tell the difference between a really good cuppa and a lesser one (and many can), they are oftyen enough prepared to compromise and accept the lesser cuppa. Why? Because they arent coffee heads, and its a free country and they dont have to be 😉 Example....look at the number 12, 14 and 16 oz "coffees" sold these days. Its very very significant. If they walk past an independent and go to a chain, it will be either of convenience, price, OR that they are getting something over there, that they are not getting from the independent. Find out what it is, and start offering it. Cafes are in business to derive an income, not to preach about the loss of quality while going out the back door. :thumb:

WotB

I read somewhere if you want to make a small fortune, start with a large fortune and open a cafe.

Honest_Gaza

Well if we can all agree that coffee tastes (like wine tastes) are subjective...then I don't find it surprising. I enjoy making my own coffee and I know what I like....but that doesn't mean I know what is or isn't a good coffee. I have had coffee at many places (including the chain stores) and some I have liked more than others...they are tolerable. Of course, some I deliberately avoid as I know I won't like them. But generally, I end up having coffee in many places for convenience sake (lunch with the Wife, business meeting, catch up with friends etc). When I am planning on eating, then an enjoyable coffee experience is a bonus. I like a cappuccino after my meal but there are some restaurants, including our local, where I will not order one because I don't enjoy them.

askthecoffeeguy

I had a customer tell me today that my coffee at $3.70 was too expensive - after I took him outside and beat the crap out of him, I felt much better actually that was my first response, what I did was explain that we use unhomoginsed milk and speciality coffee, both of which come at a premium, combined with 20g baskets as standard for each coffee ... he did in fact say that the coffee was excellent, which I was grateful for - but honestly, I had to restrain myself from saying well... if you cant afford $3.70 for a coffee then maybe you should frack off! what I'm finding is that when we're busy we're are very busy, and that there are down times during the day when I have very few customers and four staff on which makes me question why I get up at six every morning to work a ten hour day plus admin.... still, the economic as well as the cafe climate has changed considerably in the last few years, and we all need to take note of current trends and customer's spending habits convenience is king and the next store I open I will be downsizing to reflect current market trends, with an increased coffee focus, running with a limited menu... 😡

Kelsey

That's worked very well for my local cafe. They've done a deal with a local restauranteur, struggling since the GFC since his premium offering is a little upmarket for the locals. The cafe cooks nothing on-site, but gets daily deliveries of light lunches and beautiful pastries to serve to its patrons. It's a good balance - little food prep and associated hassles and a strong coffee focus.

Lwowiak

askthe coffeeguy wrote:

still, the economic as well as the cafe climate has changed considerably in the last few years, and we all need to take note of current trends and customer's spending habits convenience is king and the next store I open I will be downsizing to reflect current market trends, with an increased coffee focus, running with a limited menu... 😡

I have done a fair bit of interstate travel lately, and have to agree 100% with you. Convenience wins hands down, be it prime location, easy parking etc. when looking for a place to sit and drink coffee. Especially if you are not local. Many places have limited food menus, and I noticed a trend in that coffee houses (not cafes) tend to do well with pastries and simple light snacks. One person serving food, but also cleaning the tables. Minimal staff is the key, with a focus on pumping out coffees. A lot of coffee chains follow this model, but only a few good business operators truly get the best out of a franchise. When in Adelaide, I paid $2.90 for ristrettos, and $3.50 for lattes (less than 200ml and made from a single shot). In one establishment that had a Synesso, was in a trendy upmarket suburb, the latte was lukewarm (50deg or so), the ristretto miniscule, food was pastries and make to order sandwiches. On a Saturday it was overflowing, as people wanted a quick snack and a coffee. Would I return? Probably, as it was convenient, friends lived nearby, and the coffee was way better than all the cafes. Also, it was open on a Saturday afternoon, whereas many small establishments, known for good coffee were closed. Its main rival was Cibo, which has a similar offering, but have a better location, and are always busy. $3.70 for good coffee ( or should I say exceptional coffee, as in Foxy Brown's case) is the market price. I paid $3.90 for lattes in a small French Patisserie in Brisbane. the coffee was Vittoria, and on one occasion, drinkable. When I took my family there for pastries (divine), the coffee was atrocious. Next time we will buy the pastries and go up the road to Merlos for a decent takeaway. I also noticed the resurgence of loyalty programs. Times are tough and establishments are fighting tooth and nail to win or keep customers. Good coffee is only part of the equation, the whole package has to be assessed and evaluated.

Honest_Gaza

Lwowiak wrote:

Good coffee is only part of the equation, the whole package has to be assessed and evaluated.

Agree with this. As an example....let's look at some of the well known chains that the Mums and Dads may frequent during their travels : * Michel's...I like their coffee, I like their pies....sometimes the seating is a bit ordinary * Gloria Jeans...I don't particularly like their coffee, I don't usually eat there....but they often have a welcoming seating area (and it is my Wife's first choice) * Starbucks...I don't like their coffee.....'nuff said * Macca's (M'Cafe)....if my kids are looking for food....I can live with their coffee Specialist Cafe Lounges / Coffee shops can often be the great unknown. I've had some terrible coffees, and I've had some great coffees at these establishments....you just don't know what to expect. Of course, in a familiar area, you generally have a favourite place to go....but for those of us in the 'burbs....sometimes it ain't worth the travel. And that's why we have a machine at home 😉

march83

Honest_Gaza wrote:

Specialist Cafe Lounges / Coffee shops can often be the great unknown. I've had some terrible coffees, and I've had some great coffees at these establishments....you just don't know what to expect.

very much agree with this - the suburbs aren't like the inner city. i think for the average mum and dad customer, going into a new coffee house is very much a gamble, a little bit threatening and walking into the unknown. michels/glorias/*$, they're seemingly all a "safe" choice - not to say that they are consistent or good (or bad for that matter) but it's all about perception and they are a known quantity. this means they will get chosen over the independents more often than not.