Shop Inconsistency: 4 Steps to Address The Problem
Let’s get straight to the point: inconsistency is a bad thing for cafés. Yes, you need good drinks. Yes, you need cool decor and good...
Café Management
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Recent Articles
October 10, 2022Why should the espresso machine be the centrepiece of your coffee shop?
September 21, 2022Creating a signature blend for your coffee shop
September 8, 2022How can coffee shops hire & retain long-term staff?
August 22, 2022How can coffee shops reduce single-use cup waste?
August 17, 2022Designing an autumn menu for your coffee shop
October 18, 2022
How can coffee shops expand into other international markets?
Around the world, there are many examples of coffee shops and roasters that have expanded into international markets. And while many of these businesses are larger chains, there are several specialty coffee brands which have also been able to open locations in other countries. However, scaling a coffee brand on an international level obviously comes with a unique set of challenges. Ultimately, however, when executed properly, it can help brands… read more
Around the world, there are many examples of coffee shops and roasters that have expanded into international markets. And while many of these businesses are larger chains, there are several specialty coffee brands which have also been able to open… read more
Social Media Marketing Magic with Acme and Co
Acme and Co. has over 40,000 followers on its instagram account. They’re not a photography studio. Or a creator of cat memes. Or even a...
The Quest to Find the World’s Best Food & Coffee Combination
Specialty coffee, check. Beautiful café, check. Good book, check. But wait—what about the food? If there’s anything that’ll have an effect on how your coffee...
4 Steps to Serving Seasonal Drinks in 3rd Wave Style
It’s that time of year again, when a certain coffee chain rolls out a particular drink for a limited time only. Devotees have waited for...
Service: The Missing Step in Serving Specialty Coffee?
Let’s take James Hoffman’s analogy and talk about burgers and service. (Don’t worry, you’re on the right site, and we’ll start talking about coffee soon.) Think...
Struggling To Make Money? Here Are 6 Ways to Maintain A Profitable Coffee Shop
Maybe you dream of one day owning your own specialty café. Maybe you already own a shop but are struggling to get out of the...
Avoid Losing Your Cafe: Protect Your Business in Under One Hour
It’s fair to say that, as Vice President of Commercial Insurance at the Insurance Office of America, I worry more than most. In fact, as...
Red Espresso: The Tea You Can Drink as Espresso?
The espresso: an emulsified, syrupy, all-encompassing marvel that forms the basis of nearly every drink served in a café—providing it’s a coffee. Rooibos: tea. Put...
5 Ways to Stand Out From the Specialty Coffee Shop Crowd
You’re not going to like me for this statement, but let’s take a step back and get real for a moment: all specialty cafés look...
Barista Careers: How to Make Drinks Recommendations
Making a recommendation is one of the hardest and most important things about being an excellent barista. We’re not just order takers. We’re order-creators, even...
6 Tips for Blow-You-Away Specialty Coffee Cocktails
Coffee cocktails: What’s not to love? Well, unless your coffee cocktail is just coffee plus syrup, of course. In that case, my condolences to you....
5 Reasons Cafés Are Perfect Places to Do Work
There’s something enchanting about spending a morning at a coffee shop. The humdrum of people, the coffee grinder at work, the sweet coffee aroma hitting...
Design 101: 6 Ways to Make Customers Return to Your Cafe
Design is everywhere. It’s in the packaging of the coffee sitting on your counter. It’s in the art hanging on the wall in your favorite...
3 Steps to Crafting a Successful Specialty Coffee Brand
Are you dreaming of a café or coffee roastery of your own, but find the idea of running a business daunting? Or are you already...
Is Espresso & Tonic a Match Made in Heaven or Hell?
A coppery-coloured espresso suspended over a transparent, bubbly bed of tonic water—it’s easy to see the appeal. Stumptown Coffee, one of the pioneers of the...
How to Introduce Customers to Third Wave Coffee
With third wave coffee shops everywhere, specialty coffee websites, specialty coffee associations, World Championships, and public cuppings, it’s easy to become insulated in third wave...