The secret to a great coffee shop may start with the best beans, but it’s having the best people that helps sustain that success year after year. Having amazing people run your coffee shop starts with an amazing manager.
But why does managing a coffee shop make such a big difference in its success? What kind of training makes a good manager? Here are six ways great managers increase sales, and why it’s worth investing in the right people and the right process.
If you’re going to have a successful coffee shop, consistency is key. Customers want and expect the same great experience every time they visit your shop. That amazing drink that blew their minds the first time should put a smile on their face every visit. The best way to achieve this kind of consistency is by properly training your employees.
Managing a coffee shop and training employees is more than giving them a handbook full of recipes and setting them loose. The best managers lead by example and invest themselves in the success of their employees. This is because the success of your employees directly correlates to the success of your business.
Take the time to show, not just tell, employees how to make your drinks to ensure that they’re amazing every single time. You should also demonstrate how employees should treat your customers to create an experience that keeps people coming back.
Establishing a set of best practices for your drinks and food is crucial to not only boosting sales, but also saving money. It may not seem like much at the time, but waste and freebies add up quickly, and it’s not long before they start to eat into your bottom line.
Lay down a set of hard and fast rules your employees are expected to follow that will both ensure consistency (see number one) and increase profitability. Define how much flavored syrup goes into beverages and exactly how much whipped cream employees add to people’s drinks. Little things like extra shots of espresso or an extra squirt of syrup cost more than you may think. If your manager isn’t on top of it, you could be losing money.
Whether you decide to be the manager yourself or you hire someone to manage your coffee shop, a good manager is the most important employee in your business. The manager sets the standards for what is expected of employees and how your business is run.
It’s difficult to expect employees to put in their best work if the manager isn’t doing it themselves. The right manager understands the strategies necessary to inspire and motivate employees to not only work hard, but take pride in their work to provide amazing service to their customers.
When employees are happy and motivated, it’s reflected in the quality of their work. More often than not, motivated staff means more sales. By taking pride in their job and showing passion for your products, employees are better able to sell customers what they want. Employees can also better upsell customers on different products or convince them to go ahead and buy that extra muffin to go with their coffee.
Your customers are the most important part of your business. But it’s more than getting customers in the door. You also need to build relationships with those customers to keep them coming back again and again. The right manager is personally invested in the business, which means they are also invested in their customers.
When managers take the time to meet and greet their customers, it puts a smile on their face and helps to build a level of loyalty you don’t see with other stores. Developing repeat business is a surefire way not only to increase sales in the short term, but drive sustainable growth for your business in the future.
If you’re going to be successful at managing a coffee shop, then you’re going to need a system to make it happen. That means putting together a comprehensive training guide for both you and your employees. Your training manual should explain all your operations and job duties from start to finish.
In addition to job duties, your training should also explain to employees what is expected of them and the sorts of values and attitudes you want to see in your business.
Putting together a plan for managing your coffee shop is a big undertaking and can take a long time to put together. Depending on your level of experience, you may or may not know everything you need to do. This is why partnering with a franchise makes a lot of sense for so many entrepreneurs!
The advantages of partnering with a franchise is, through years of trial and testing, they’ve already developed a system that works. By starting a franchise, you’re taking advantage of that brand’s identity and systems to help your business be its best.
Scooter’s Coffee® offers comprehensive coffee franchise training to ensure you know everything you need to know when it comes to managing a coffee business. By combining training with a reliable manual for recipes and operations, you can be positive your manager is prepared to train themselves and your employees for success.
Managing a coffee shop doesn’t have to be hard, but it does take patience and planning. Learn how you can partner with an established franchise with the support and training you need to manage your coffee shop successfully. Get more information on how you can start your Scooter’s Coffee franchise today!
