Coffee shops are popular choices for people looking to open their own businesses. But with so much up in the air, what can you do to make your coffee shop business a success in 2021?
After what has been a difficult year for everyone, it’s understandable for people to be wary of the upcoming year. Starting a business is already a big undertaking. It’s even tougher starting a business in a time where nothing feels normal, and everything is changing.
That’s why Scooter’s Coffee® has put together this guide to help set your coffee shop up for success in 2021. Some of our recommendations are best practices you should always follow when starting a coffee shop. Others are tips and advice to hopefully help you better navigate our current situation and where the industry is headed in the coming year.
We hope this shines some light on the future of the coffee industry and help you feel more confident about opening a coffee franchise of your own.
Find out how you can give your coffee shop business its best chance at success in 2021 and beyond.
The fact that you’re considering a coffee shop business means you’re already on the right track for success in 2021. The coffee industry is considered recession-resistant by many people, making it ideal for those searching for a business opportunity in uncertain times.
You may assume that people tighten their belts and their purse strings during an economic downturn. This is true, but not in the way you think. There’s no question that overall spending and purchases of big-ticket items reduce during a recession.
However, history shows that small luxuries like a cup of specialty coffee or a chocolate bar are treats that consumers are willing to splurge on. They call it the “lipstick effect.”
While nothing can be a guarantee of success, especially these days, picking the right industry is the first step to being prepared for success in 2021.
Another important consideration for coffee shop business success can be found in your menu. While coffee itself may be recession-resistant, it’s still important to ensure you offer something for everyone if you hope to have a successful 2021.
By diversifying your menu beyond coffee, you can increase the number of verticals driving revenue for your business. Items like muffins, cookies, and breakfast sandwiches turn your business from a coffee shop to a one-stop-shop for customers.
Make sure you’re carrying the right items to cater to your customers and make sure you’re not missing out on potential sales.
Businesses everywhere are continuing to navigate the new normal. Even as many businesses are re-opening, consumers have shown that they’re still not 100 percent comfortable eating out or spending extended periods of time in stores and restaurants. This makes fast and convenient touchless service more important than ever.
Drive-thru windows have been essential to many restaurants during the pandemic. They’re practically required if you plan on opening a coffee shop in 2021. Even major quick-service restaurant (QSR) brands like Taco Bell are building “mobile restaurants” with smaller physical footprints optimized for drive-thru service.
Scooter’s Coffee has been ahead of the game with drive-thru for years. Drive-thru coffee kiosks require much less square footage than a traditional coffee shop, which improves accessibility while reducing overhead expenses. What’s more, the Scooter’s Coffee drive-thru is fast! The average wait time at Scooter’s Coffee is 40 seconds. This lets people get their amazing drinks amazingly fast and get on with their day.
If you want to plan for success in 2021, make sure your coffee shop is prepared to serve customers quickly and safely with a drive-thru option.
Just as drive-thru service will prove important to the success of coffee shops in 2021, so too will the importance of handling these services quickly and cleanly. As consumer confidence starts to return, it’s crucial that restaurants do everything they can to reassure customers that it’s safe to do business.
For many people, this means providing speedy and sanitary service. And it’s more than offering a sanitary environment; it’s letting customers know all the steps you’re taking to keep them safe. Communication between your business and your customers will prove vital to the success of your coffee shop business in 2021.
Another thing the pandemic has taught restaurants to be prepared for is the increasing digital presence of their businesses. Just as more customers have become accustomed to improved delivery and drive-thru options, many of them want to access these same features online. As a result, restaurants with little web presence have been forced to quickly pivot to offer more robust online experiences.
Consider incorporating some kind of online ordering into your website to allow customers to order and pay before they even arrive. This helps to further reduce contact between customers and staff while also speeding up service.
Apps like the Scooter’s Coffee app accept payments and build brand loyalty by rewarding customers for their purchases. If 2020 was the year that everyone got used to ordering food and drinks online, 2021 will be the year that restaurants and coffee shops catch up.
If there is one consensus about what to expect in 2021, it’s that no one is really sure what to expect. The current situation has made it difficult for even the savviest businesspeople to predict what’s going to happen.
This is why it’s so important to not only plan for the year ahead but also expect that plan to change. Building a flexible budget helps your business prepare for the worst while we all hope for the best. This way, you can better control costs and adjust accordingly without being caught off-guard.
While no one saw the kind of year we’ve had in 2020 coming, we can still do everything we can to make sure we aren’t surprised again. By developing an adaptable and flexible business plan, you can ensure that you’re ready for whatever the world might throw at us in 2021.
Hopefully, this has helped to give you a better look at the lay of the land for your coffee shop business in 2021. By combining these considerations with our comprehensive guide on how to open a coffee shop, you should be well prepared to start your coffee shop business on the right foot.
Find out how you can incorporate these adjustments into your coffee shop business opportunity when you become a franchise partner with Scooter’s Coffee. Learn how Scooter’s Coffee has managed to navigate the pandemic while preparing themselves and their franchisees for success in 2021 and far into the future. Connect with Scooter’s Coffee and get started today!
