A great menu is important. So is maintaining consistency of all your menu offerings daily. It doesn't matter if your chef is sick, or your barista is on leave; your customers don't care. You must implement systems to ensure consistent quality regardless of any situation. Failure to do so will almost definitely result in losing your customers.
Successful F&B businesses sell you an experience that makes you want to come back and dine there again. Dozens of new establishments open every other week. If you cannot provide a memorable experience that would warrant a return visit, it is almost guaranteed that customers will forget you due to the multitudes of fresh and new dining concepts available to them. Alternatively if you have millions of dollars of spare cash, you can open tens of outlets across the country, to constantly remind customers of your existence and retain a top of mind recall.
Knowing how to price your products correctly is the difference between a struggling business and a profitable and sustainable one. Many owners make the mistake of pricing their products too low in a bid to attract more customers, or to please complaining customers. Doing this only attracts the wrong kind of customers and what I call “price shoppers”. “Price shoppers” are constantly looking for the next bargain or the next promotion or the next cheapest product. They are rarely, if ever, loyal and are not the kind of customers you want for your business. Remember that your price will never be low enough, especially since it is possible to buy a full meal for S$4-$5 from the local hawker centers. Cafes need to avoid competing in the same space as the hawkers, as your business operates on a different scale.
Kenneth is the Founder and Head Roaster at Compound Coffee Co., a specialty coffee roaster which sources and roasts only the highest quality coffees in the world. Our long-term partnerships working closely with other businesses have placed us in a unique position to observe and consult on the best practices to ensure your business success; a support system which we happily provide to all our customers.
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